Messy Gospel, Week 2: Evangelistic Prayer Guide

How faithful are we to plead with God to save our unbelieving family and friends? Prayer isn’t just a part of  evangelism, it is our lifeline. It is our sacred privilege to bring the names of those in our lives before the throne of  our Creator, asking Him to transform them. While we use our voice to call others to repent, we use our prayers to  cry out to God to change their hearts. 

With our mission field on our minds, let us commit to take the first 5 minutes of every day to pray for the unsaved  people in our lives. Here are a few aspects of evangelistic prayer:  

1 For God to draw them to salvation: 

A work only He can do (Titus 3:5). Even before a word is spoken, the battle for another’s soul is fought on our  knees! As Christ said, no man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him (John 6:44).  

As the Spirit convicts their heart (John 16:8), we must be faithful to relentlessly intercede following Paul’s  example, Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation (Romans  10:1; c.f. 1Timothy 2:1-4) Share these prayer requests with one another. Ask others who they are praying for  and help strategize for gospel purposes.  

2 God to reveal opportunities: 

When we are specifically praying for unbelievers, our mind becomes alert to many “open doors” for gospel  conversations. This too was part of Paul’s prayer requests, Pray for us, too, that God will open a door for  our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. (Colossians 4:3)  

Walk through every open door! With the boldness of a lion (Proverbs 28:1), seek out those who you already  know and be ready for whoever else God might bring across your path.  

3 God to grant us courage, patience: 

Fear is a real factor, but it is one that is conquered through faith and trust in God, loving Him and longing for  Him to be made known! Paul wrote this, …and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in  the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an  

ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians  6:19-20)  

But above all, pray God would be glorified through first, the proclamation of the person & work of Christ  (our part) and second, through the salvation of souls (His part). 

Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ, if sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies;  and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay, and not madly  to destroy themselves. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one  go there unwarned and unprayed for (Spurgeon, C.H.). 

Let us join together in prayer and watch how Christ draws many to Himself!