Prayer and Evangelism
As we learned yesterday, God’s word teaches that prayer is necessary for an individual and a church to experience revival. Prayer is necessary for the “strongholds” of Satan to be cast down, and for saving of the lost: (2Cor. 10:4, 5). Prayer is necessary for a Christian to remain strong in the Lord: (Eph. 6:18). I find it amazing that prayer, which seems so powerless and insignificant the natural
person, is so necessary and powerful for the spiritual person. Why is prayer so important and necessary in God’s work?
The lost are blinded to the Gospel because it is “hid” from their view. The word translated hid is Greek word kalupsis, which refers to a “vial.” The key to saving the lost is to remove this veil that blinds them. By adding the prefix apo to the Greek word for veil the word becomes “revelation,” or “unveiling.” Hence, the lost need an unveiling, or a revelation of God’s truth. So the question is, how can this
unveiling happen in the lives of the lost? Intercessory prayer will remove from the mind of the unbeliever the veil causing spiritual blindness. The good news is that God has given the Christian the authority to pull down Satan’s strongholds and to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5)
Ellen White understood the necessity of prayer for those outside on Christ when she wrote: “through much prayer you must labor for souls, for this is the only method by which you can reach hearts. It is not to your work but the work of Christ who is by your side, that impresses hearts” (Evangelism p.342)
The praying Church Sourcebook gives the following list of what God’s will is for the unsaved. In your prayers for them include some of the following
- That God will draw them to Himself (John 6:44)
- That they seek to know God (Acts 17:27)
- That they believe the word of God (1 Thes. 2:13)
- That Satan be bound from blinding them to the truth (2 Cor 4:4)
- The Holy Spirit would work in them (John 16:8-13)
Supporting Scripture; (2 Cor. 4:3, 4), (Acts 3:19), (John 1:12), (Matt. 7:21)
Personal Reflection and Discussion
- Why did Ellen White say about praying for the lost?
- What does prayer do for the witnessing?
- How do you plan to apply the principles of pray for those on your prayer list?
Prayer Activities
- Call your Partner and discuss this devotional.
- Contact the people on your prayer list and let them know you are still praying for them.
- Pray with then and ask for the following;
- For God to continue to convict you with the Holy Spirit.
- For God to bring the church out of her lukewarm state.
- For the individuals on your pray list.
- That we continue to seek the Holy Spirit
- For today use the following Bible Verse in your prayer (Ps. 90:17)
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Prayer is our link to our Lord and Saviour. Prayer is our lifeline. It is through prayer that we can change lives. It is through prayer that God can work through us to change lives, I should say. For we can do nothing in and of ourselves, except mess up. In truth without God in our lives, we wouldn’t even care enough about our fellow human beings to want them saved along with us. God works in us. God works through us, but we have to pray for ourselves and for others. If prayer were not so important to God’s plan, then Jesus would not have spent so much time on his knees and where would we be now?
Amen! It’s true Jesus not only prayed or the strength to carry that cross, but also for us who would believe without even seeing. There is nothing we could boast of, it’s all through God and for God, that we do anything even just from the first thought.
What a beautiful privilege to be encouraged to join in His work. I want to hear…”Well done my good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy lord….come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundations of the world.”
Christ through the Holy Spirit has empowered all Christians; He showed us what an ordinary Christian can do. He is a blueprint, a map that shows us how to live our lives working for Christ. I know I have told this story in one of my sermons but here it is anyway.
I read a story once about a man that had a dream one night and in this dream he saw the throne of God. And there in front of the throne was a singer and he sang the most amazing songs to the father. Next a writer and he wrote the prettiest poem for Jesus, that he had ever heard. Then the angel brought another mortal before the throne. He was an ordinary man. In his person there was no sign of greatness, or genius. Then the angel opened the book and read—this man won a soul for Christ. At that very moment, all heaven rang with a great shout, the angels and all the host of the redeemed, rejoicing over the one soul that had been saved.
I agree, If Jesus prayed often then we need prayer even more