|
The
Importance of Prayer in Evangelism
"The harvest is plentiful,
but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to
send out workers into His harvest" (Matt. 9:37-38).
Prayer is
essential in the Christian's life. Without it your witness will be far
less effective and you will be far more vulnerable to the enemy. When you
witness, you need the blessing and support of the Lord. You need to be in
fellowship with Him. Prayer makes this all possible.
When you witness you plant the seeds of the
Gospel, but it is God who causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:6-7). In prayer you ask
God to give that growth. In prayer you ask God to convict the unrepentant
of their sin and by that awaken in them the need for salvation. In prayer
you, "...let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6). Think back to your
own conversion. Were there people praying and requesting your salvation?
Jesus prayed frequently (Matt. 14:23; 26:36; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; John 17). Paul prayed (Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16). Stephen prayed (Acts 7:55-60). You must pray. God
wants you to pray to Him and have fellowship with Him (John 1:1-4). Why? One reason is that
our battle is not against flesh and blood but against powers and the
spiritual forces of darkness (Eph. 6:12).
That is where the real battle is, in the spiritual realm. You need prayer.
Prayer is one of God's ordained means for you to do spiritual warfare and
sharing the Gospel is definitely spiritual warfare.
Another reason to pray is that you can
actually influence God with your prayers. If you are doubtful then look at
2 Kings 20:1-7. King
Hezekiah was told by the prophet Amoz that he should set his house in
order because he was surely going to die (v. 1). Hezekiah prayed earnestly
(v. 2,3). The Lord heard his prayers and said, "I have heard your
prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day
you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add fifteen years to
your life" (v. 5).
Hezekiah's prayer made a difference. That
is why you, as a Christian, can be an effective witness, because you have
influence with God and because you can ask God to save. Prayer is a vital
part of witnessing.
What should you pray
for?
Pray for
more people to witness. Jesus specifically asked you to pray to the Father
and ask Him to send workers into the field (Matt. 9:37-38). What is the field? It
is the world of sinners. Who are the workers? They are people like you.
Jesus wants people to find salvation and enjoy eternal fellowship with
Him. He wants you to preach the Gospel. He has given the command "Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matt. 28:19). Your witness for God
may or may not be verbal. But either way, you need to pray and ask God to
give you strength, love, and insight.
Pray for compassion for the lost.
Compassion is a necessary element in witnessing. It motivates you to
speak, to teach, and to pray for others to come into the kingdom of God.
Compassion helps you to cry over the lost and to come to God in humble
request for their salvation. Paul said, "Brethren, my heart's
desire and by prayer to God for them is for their salvation" (Rom. 10:1).
Pray for the desire to witness.
Pray this regularly and watch the Lord change you and give you a desire to
reach out and tell people about Jesus. God will grant your prayers and joy
will fill your heart as you fulfill the command of God by witnessing.
Pray for boldness. Pray for
the courage to step out in faith and speak up when needed. Many Christians
are timid because speaking a word for the sake of the Lord can be risky
and frightening. Boldness gives you the courage to risk ridicule and to
endure the scorn. Ask God for it. "For God has not given us a
spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not
be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord" (2 Tim. 1:7-8).
Pray to the Lord to bind Satan
and his angels. There is a hierarchy of demons seeking to
hinder your witness and steal the seeds of the Gospel that you plant. You
cannot fight spirits with reason or flesh and blood, but you can ask the
Lord to fight. With prayer you can assault the camp of the enemy and
weaken his false kingdom. Prayer is a mighty tool, a powerful tool. You
need it if you are going to witness.
Pray for your needs. Do
you have a close walk with God? Do you need a deeper fellowship with Him?
Do you have sins you need to confess and forsake? If so, then pray. Enjoy
your privilege of coming to the Creator of the universe who meets your
every need. He loves you. He wants to hear from you and He wants you to
make your needs known to Him. "Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God" (Phil.
4:6).
Hindrances to prayer
Prayer is
important for many reasons, especially for witnessing. But prayer can be
hindered. So that your prayers and witnessing might be as affective as
possible, a discussion of the hindrances of prayer is necessary. Do any of
the following apply to you?
Sin hinders prayer. "If
I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Psalm 66:18). We all sin,
but do you have unconfessed and unrepented sin in your life? If so,
confess your sin, repent from it as you are commanded in Acts 17:30, and continue in
witnessing and prayer.
Selfishness hinders prayer. "You
ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you
may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). Examine yourself.
Make sure your prayers are not motivated by selfish desires. If you find
that selfishness is a factor then confess it and repent.
Doubt hinders prayer. "But
let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like
the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6). We all doubt. We
all fail. But when you doubt be reminded of the man who said to Jesus, "Lord
I believe, help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). He believed and yet
doubted and Jesus granted his request. Remember that God has given a
measure of faith to every man (Rom.
12:3). Trust God, even when you have doubts. It does not matter
necessarily how much faith you have as much as who your faith is in. Put
what faith you have in Jesus. Trust Him. Watch Him be faithful to you.
Pride hinders prayer. Jesus
spoke of the Pharisee and the tax-gatherer who both were praying. The
Pharisee boasted about himself while the tax-gatherer asked for mercy from
God. Jesus said in Luke 18:14
regarding the tax-gatherer, "I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified rather than the other." Jesus shows us that pride
is sin and that it hinders prayer (James 4:6). Have the same
attitude that Jesus had in heaven in His full glory as He had on Earth as
a man. He was humble. If you are prideful, confess it as sin, repent, and
continue in humility.
A poor husband and wife relationship
hinders prayer. This may seem a little out of place here, but
it isn't. A proper relationship with your spouse is very important. If
there are problems because of selfishness, pride, argument, anger,
unforgiveness, or any of the other multitudinous obstacles that can
develop in marriage, then your prayers will be hindered. How are you doing
with your mate? Are you witnessing while there is anger between you two?
In Matt. 5:23-24 Jesus said, "If
therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there
remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering
there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your
brother, and then come and present your offering." Are you
reconciled to your wife or husband (for that matter, anyone you know with
whom there is strife) before you offer sacrifices of witnessing and prayer
to the Lord? If not, then be reconciled, so your prayers won't be
hindered. 1 Pet. 3:7 says, "You
husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a
weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir
of the grace of life, so that you prayers may not be hindered."
Prayer is a privilege
Prayer is
a privilege. It is a powerful tool. Without it you will be a foolish
worker in the fields of the dead. Pray and ask the Lord of the harvest to
raise the dead to life. Bend your knees in fellowship with your Lord. Let
Him wash you in His presence and fill you with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is
where you meet Him. Prayer is where you are shaped. Pray.
Return to the Evangelism Page
|