Prayer and Prclamation
3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, 4 so that I may make it known as I should.
Colossians 4:3-4 (CSB)
Prayer plays a strategic role in the life of a believer and their faithfulness in sharing the gospel. The believer who practices evangelistic praying will pray for the ability to be the messenger to a world in need of the message and pray for the receivers of the message to respond to the message. When we desire to be faithful in sharing Christ, we must be faithful in speaking with to the Lord.
Pray for Opportunity. The apostle Paul urged the believers in Colossae to ask God for open doors to effectively share the gospel. This encouragement stemmed from Paul’s awareness of the urgent need to reach the lost with Christ's message and give them a chance to respond. Recognizing this reality, we must also see ourselves as the Lord's instruments and messengers, tasked with declaring the Gospel. We should pray earnestly for God to create opportunities for us to share His word with those who need to hear it.
Pray for Confidence. Many believers struggle with fear when sharing the message of Jesus Christ. They fear judgment from others or doubt their ability to effectively proclaim His message. Prayer is a key part of overcoming these fears. Through prayer, we ask the Lord to give us the words and strength needed to speak boldly. We should pray to recognize when the fields are ripe for harvest and ask the Lord to send us as diligent laborers to work in the evangelistic field.
Pray for Reception. We must pray for people to receive the Gospel message. This kind of prayer asks the Lord to work in their hardened hearts to make way for the Gospel to take hold. It requests that the Lord remove anything that might blind them from seeing or believing the Gospel. We pray for their reception because we understand that only God saves and we cannot save anyone ourselves. We are simply messengers sharing the message. Our prayer is that those who are lost will hear the message and respond to God's calling in their lives.
Our calling is to reach the lost, which involves proclaiming the Gospel to those seeking salvation. Evangelism is strengthened through prayer, making a life of evangelistic prayer essential. Such prayer reflects trusting God to work, serving as a vital first step in evangelism. Through prayer, we seek opportunities to share, the ability to share, and openness to what is shared.
QUESTIONS
Identify 1 to 3 people that you know that are lost and need to respond to Jesus in salvation.
How can you become more intentional in practiving evangelistic praying?
