P RAYING Y OUR F RIENDS TO C HRIST A Guide for Praying Evangelistically

PRAYING YOUR FRIENDS TO

CHRIST

A Guide for Praying Evangelistically

…is the result of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and state partners seeking God’s direction for how to fulfill the Great Commission in North American by 2020

Title of Presentation Date

GOD’S PLAN FOR SHARING (GPS)

GPS is a simple, concise strategy to pray for and share Christ with every lost person in the United States and Canada by the end of the year 2020.



Four Biblical Markers for God’s Plan for Sharing (GPS)

1. Praying2. Equipping3. Sowing4. Harvesting



THE INFLUENCE OF PRAYER ON EVANGELISM


SESSION ONE

“The most important human factor in effective evangelism is PRAYER.” – R. A. Torrey

Jesus commands His followers to pray for laborers of the harvest

– (Matt. 9:36-38).


SESSION ONE

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-4

Five Ways Prayer and Evangelism Work Together:

1. Prayer opens the heart of the recipient (Col. 4:3).2. Prayer gives clarity to the message presented by the

witness (Col. 4:2-4).3. Prayer empowers the message of the witness (Col. 4:2-4,

Rom. 1:16).4. Prayer gives courage despite threats against the witness

(Acts 4:23-31).5. Prayer positions the witness in the middle of God’s

redemptive activity (Acts 1:14, 2:1-41).


SESSION ONE

Prayer positions us and other believers in the midst of God’s redemptive activity:

With the right heart In the right placeAt the right timeWith the right message


SESSION ONE

Three Strategic Processes in Sharing Christ:

1. Prepare – with a pure and compassionate heart.2. Pray – for every lost person’s salvation and for

every believer to become a witness.3. Share – by putting feet to our prayers.


SESSION ONE

“Although humans play key roles, church growth is not a human enterprise; it is a divine initiative. When all is said and done, God is the one who gives the increase and adds to the church.”

– The Everychurch Guide to Growth


SESSION ONE


SESSION ONE

Truths to Treasure


SESSION ONE

God’s Plan for Sharing (GPS) is a strategy to reach every person across the United States and Canada with the gospel by the year 2020.

God’s Plan for Sharing (GPS) consists of four biblical mileposts: praying, equipping, sowing, and harvesting.

“Friends” are people we already share a relationship with, whether it is casual or close.

“Neighbors” goes beyond those who live in our neighborhoods, encompassing any person we encounter throughout the day as well as those all over the United States and Canada we may never meet.

Prayer and evangelism must be bound together.

God guides us to present the right message in the right place at the right time.

Bringing our friends and neighbors to Christ takes these three strategic processes:

1. Prepare; 2. Pray; 3. Share.

Salvation is a divine initiative, not a human enterprise.

Write below a few particular truths that God has impressed upon your heart that He is telling you to live out.

Prepare with a Pure and Compassionate Heart


SESSION TWO

1. Prepare with a pure heart.


SESSION TWO

A. Sin separates from God Isaiah 59:1-2B. God won’t listen if we cherish sin Psalm 66:18C. God forgives when we confess 1 John 1:9D. It is important to repent James 5:16


SESSION TWO

2. Prepare with a heart of praise and thanksgiving.

A. Give thanks to God for your salvation.B. Give thanks to God for His redemptive work.C. Give thanks to God for allowing you and others to join

Him in that redemptive work.


SESSION TWO

3. Prepare with a heart of compassion for the lost.A. It starts with an understanding of God’s love, grace and

mercy. (2 Cor. 5:14)B. It is stimulated by our time spent in the Father’s

presence. (Lk. 23:34)C. It is demonstrated in a desire for redemption rather

than destruction. (Ezek. 22:30)


SESSION TWO

Truths to Treasure: The first step in bringing people to Christ is to prepare our

hearts by confessing our sins. The next step is to have a heart of praise and thanksgiving

to God. A heart of compassion for the lost is developed by

understanding God’s love, grace and mercy, is stimulated by time spent in the Father’s presence, and is demonstrated in a desire for redemption rather than destruction.

Write a few particular truths that God has impressed upon your heart that He is telling you to live out.


SESSION TWO

PRAYER - FOR EVERY LOST PERSON’S SALVATION AND FOR EVERY BELIEVER’S WITNESS


SESSION THREE

Why Pray for the Lost?1. It is Biblical.


SESSION THREE

A. God’s Word urges us to pray for the lost.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Dat

SESSION THREE


SESSION THREE

B. Jesus specifically commands us to pray for the lost.

…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

He said to them, "When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come’.” Luke 11:2

C. Paul modeled praying for the lost. Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that

they may be saved. Romans 10:1

I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race. Romans 9:1-3


SESSION THREE

2. Because of the spiritual condition of the lost.


SESSION THREE

A. Blind (Romans 3:11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4)B. Bound (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:25-26)C. Condemned (John 3:18; 2 Corinthians 4:3; Ephesians 2:3)D. Hell-Bound (John 3:36; Revelation 20:15)E. Helpless (John 6:44; Ephesians 2:1)F. Hopeless (Ephesians 2:12)

How do we pray for lost people?


SESSION THREE

1. Pray according to the promises of God (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9).

2. Pray asking God for resources and opportunities (Luke 10:2-4).

3. Pray the acrostic “HEART”.

“HEART” H= Pray for a receptive HEART (Luke 8:5,11-15) E= Pray for their spiritual EYES to be open and their EARS

to hear (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Matthew 13:15,16) A= Pray for God’s ATTITUDE toward sin

(John 16:8, 1 John 1:8) R= Pray for the person to be RELEASED to believe

(2 Timothy 2:25-26, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4) T= Pray for a TRANSFORMED life (Romans 12:1-2)


SESSION THREE

Three kinds of laborers for which we pray:

1. Courageous Luke 10:1-42. Those who put Christ above all Luke 9:57-633. Those who have a heart of compassion Matthew 9:36-38


SESSION THREE


SESSION THREE

Methods to pray evangelistically for our friends and neighbors:


SESSION THREE

1. List Praying2. Prayerwalking3. Neighborhood Houses of Prayer


SESSION THREE

Truths to Treasure


SESSION THREE

We should pray for the lost because Jesus prayed for them and because it is biblical.We should also pray for the lost because of their spiritual condition.We should pray for lost people according to the promises of God because God desires to save people, and nothing is impossible for God.The HEART acrostic suggests some ways to pray for the lost to have a new heart:

H= Pray for a receptive HEARTE= Pray for their spiritual EYES to be

open and their EARS to hearA= Pray for God’s ATTITUDE toward sinR= Pray for the person to be RELEASED

to believeT= Pray for a TRANSFORMED life

We are to pray for laborers committed to God’s redemptive work.Some practical methods of praying for friends and neighbors are list praying, prayer walking and participating in neighborhood houses of prayer.What is your personal truth to treasure that God has spoken to you? Write it in your book. What is a specific action you can take on that truth?

SHARE: PUTTING FEET TO YOUR PRAYERS


SESSION FOUR

“Evangelism without intercession is like an explosive without a detonator; intercession without evangelism is like a detonator without an explosive.”

– Reinhart Bonnke


SESSION FOUR

1. God is Looking for Followers Faithful in Prayer and Evangelism


SESSION FOUR

2. The Faithful Follower Lives Strategically


SESSION FOUR

A. Build evangelism into your everyday patterns of life, efficiently using time and resources.

B. Seek out relationships with those who are lostC. Know the story of the Gospel of Christ. D. Know your own story of coming to faith in Christ.E. View evangelism as an investment, not an event.

“After we receive a ‘no,’ there are several things we should not do. We should not take the response personally or respond with anger, disdain, or shock. We should not remove ourselves from the lost person’s life. It may be after the ‘no’ that people are most sensitive to you and to the message of Christ. We can’t afford to send the message that we were only friends with them as long as there was a chance they would join our club.”


SESSION FOUR

3. The Faithful Follower Encounters the Lost Redemptively by:


SESSION FOUR

A. Demonstrating a Loving ConcernB. Offering Assistance in an Area of NeedC. Asking Open-Ended QuestionsD. Going Beyond Trite AnswersE. Listening Attentively and CarefullyF. Praying for God’s Timing to Move into Spiritual MattersG. Offering to Pray with the Lost Person

4. The Faithful Follower Delivers the Good News by:


SESSION FOUR

A. Asking Permission to Tell His/Her StoryB. Sharing the GospelC. Asking for a Willing Commitment to ChristD. Leading Them in a Prayer of Commitment

5. The Faithful Follower Begins the Discipleship Process:


SESSION FOUR

A. Collect Contact Information for Follow-upB. Review and Leave Behind Some Basic Discipleship

MaterialC. Plan Future Contact or Arrange it with Another BelieverD. Offer to Enroll Them in Bible Study/Sunday

School/Small GroupE. Invite the Person to Your ChurchF. Pray with the Person Before Leaving

Truths to Treasure


SESSION FOUR

God looks for followers faithful in prayer and evangelism. God desires for us to be strategic in prayer and evangelism. To have a lifestyle of evangelism we must encounter the

lost. As prayer and evangelism must be bound together,

evangelism is not complete without discipleship and full discipleship reproduces in prayer and evangelism.

What specific truths has God shown you during this section that you need to apply to your life? Take a few minutes to tell your triplet what God has been saying and then offer prayer for obedience to that truth.

“The church must be brought to the end of its self-seeking and come to understand what matters most in God’s mission of kingdom advance - people. People need the Lord. And whatever it takes to reach them, to that the church should first give itself. Other concerns matter only as they support this central kingdom goal. The church does not exist for itself. The church exists for the glory of Jesus Christ, the advancement of his kingdom through bringing people to the foot of the cross, and forming Christ in God’s people. Prayer for revival lays the foundation for this to happen. May we, therefore, make that ‘method’ paramount.”

- Lewis Drummond


SESSION FOUR


INVITATION TO CONSECRATION

Let’s review the process of praying your friends and neighbors to Christ:

• It’s the will of God.• It’s biblical.• It takes preparation of the heart in purity.• It takes preparation of the heart in compassion.• It will take faithful followers praying for the lost.• It will take faithful followers sharing with the lost


CONCLUSION

Dwight L. Moody was correct when he said,

“Those who have left the deepest impression on this sin-cursed earth have been men and women of prayer. You will find that PRAYER has been the mighty power that has moved not only God, but man.”


CONCLUSION

Ron Dunn in his book, Don’t Just Stand There, Pray Something, said,

“That God would place such an incomparable privilege and such responsibility in our hands is past understanding, but he has done just that. Through intercession we can become the instruments of salvation to men and women we never see face to face in this life.”


CONCLUSION

Let’s join hearts and hands and prepare, pray and share, so that all across North America people can

hear and respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ.


CONCLUSION

Documents

P RAYING Y OUR F RIENDS TO C HRIST A Guide for Praying Evangelistically