Prayer Guides for Evangelism
September 5, 2019 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
Evangelism.
It’s a word that gets avoided among Christians. And if the word is not avoided, the activity often is.
I have never met a Christian who didn’t believe that Christians ought to engage in evangelism. Many understand that Jesus’ commission of “Go and make disciples” applies to all Christians. We feel the collective description of Jesus’ disciples as the “light of the world.” Paul inspires to be “ambassadors for Christ.” The early church set the example when their “faith in God has gone forth everywhere.”
God is pleased to use the efforts of his people to share the hope of the gospel with those who have not put their faith in Jesus.
So, why do Christians “avoid” evangelism? Why don’t we, in more proactive and intentional ways, pursue the activity of evangelism on a regular basis?
I’m sure a variety of answers can be given: lack of confidence, lack of knowledge, lack of opportunity, fear of rejection or persecution, lack of urgency, lack of conviction, etc. Most of the reasons that seem to keep us from evangelism center on deficiencies within us. Perhaps the first step to becoming more faithful in evangelism is appealing for the strengthening of God’s grace. As Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Our deficiencies and weaknesses, in regards to evangelism, are opportunities to trust in Christ’s empowering grace. Instead of allowing weaknesses to stymie evangelism, let’s allow these weaknesses to drive us to our knees, asking for the Lord’s grace to make a difference.
David Macfarlane, in an article titled “Creative Evangelism – Getting Out of the Rut,” provides five prayer guides that lead us to trust in Christ’s grace for evangelism. Let me encourage you to incorporate such prayers into your daily routine, trusting the Lord to assist you in evangelism efforts:
Prayer No. 1: “Lord, keep me alert and sensitive to the opportunities You bring my way today.”
Prayer No. 2: “Lord, here I am. I am ready for You to use me today.”
Prayer No. 3: “Lord, help me to be creative so that I can take advantage of the opportunities around me to make an impact on others for Christ.”
Prayer No. 4: “Now, Lord consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.”
Prayer No. 5: “Lord, keep me faithful even when I do not see the results right away.”
