For Bev’s sermon notes in full:

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Praying for our families & friends

Why Pray?

Before becoming believers the Bible tells us that we

• Were spiritually 'dead in our transgressions and sins' (Eph 2:1, Col 2:13),

• had 'blinded eyes and deadened hearts' (John 12:39-40, Isa 6:10, 2 Cor 4:4)

• were 'enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures' (Titus 3:3, Gal 4:9).

Prayer in Evangelism: (Lausanne Occasional Paper No. 42, 20),

"Many things happen when Christians pray for the unsaved in their spheres of influence, their communities, and their world - things that wouldn't have happened if they had not prayed (Eph 3:20). This is true because all the power of prayer is God's power released through our prayers. God's power, working in and through believers, changes hearts (1 Tim 2:1-4), accomplishes great works (John 14:12-14), defeats Satan (Eph 6:18), and shapes history. It has been said, 'Prayer is not a key to evangelism, it is the key'!

• Something happens to those we pray for:• hearts are softened and changed; • people are convicted of sin and turn to God in repentance; • people are delivered from bondage and Satanic deceit; and • strongholds are broken such that individuals and communities are

transformed."

Seven Steps: How to Pray for Life

(1) Connecting with God's Heart for the Lost

Luke 15: 1-2

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering round to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.’

Ways to Pray • Ask God to enable you to see people as he sees them, and to share his compassion for them

• Ask God daily to give you his love for the lost

• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to pray

• Ask for wisdom to build patterns of prayer, for example, I know one mother who always prays for each of her children when she irons items of their clothing. Another person uses their commute to pray. What could become a helpful pattern for you?

(2) Building Faith

Ways to Pray(1) Clear out anything that might hinder your prayers - for example: Confess any unbelief and the thought that person X will

never be saved

Have you doubted God's power to save person X?

Are you aware of any resentment or disappointment that their conversion has taken so long?

Have you found it difficult to persevere in prayer for this person?

Have you neglected prayer in favour of other strategies to bring them to Christ?

What are your motives in wanting to see this person saved? For example, 'it would make my life easier' or 'they would then know I was right all along'.

Confess any lack of love towards this person.

Clear out anything else God shows you!

(2) Meditate on verses from Scripture that will help build your faith: Psa 3:8; Isa 59:1; Matt 1:21; Matt 18:14; Luke 15:7; Luke 19:10; John 3:16; 1 Tim 1:15; 2 Pet 3:9

(3) Fighting for Life

Ways to Pray Spiritual weapons look weak!

Prayer

Fasting

Blessing

Declaration

(4) Praying Life for the Spiritually Dead

Ways to Pray Pray that the Holy Spirit will 'overshadow' them

Pray that the Holy Spirit will quicken their spirit

Pray that they will 'wake up' to the truth of the gospel

Pray for signs that new spiritual life is growing in them - a more sensitive conscience, a greater interest in the gospel, questioning about the meaning of life, etc.

(5) Praying Sight for the Spiritually Blind

2 Corinthians 10:5

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Three components of strongholds

• Arguments: the gospel is filtered through a person's philosophy of life, views, mind-set and existing beliefs.

• Pretensions: the self-promotion, pride, or attitudes that desire to remain independent of God and 'in charge' of one's own life.

• Every thought: all that goes on in a person's mind, often coloured by what they read, watch or access over the internet.

Ways to Pray Pray for insight into the mindsets, pretensions and thought barriers

Pray that these strongholds will be demolished in people's lives

Pray that the veil will be removed from their spiritual eyes

Pray for humility where there has been pride

Pray that they might see the truth of the gospel

Pray that they will exchange the lies they have believed for God's truth.

(6) Praying Freedom for the Captives

Ways to Pray Thank Jesus for paying the 'ransom for many'

Pray that whatever passions and pleasures are holding people captive will lose their appeal

Pray that any addictions will be broken

Pray for people to 'come to their senses'

Pray that people will desire true freedom

Praise God that freedom is possible!

(7) Praying for Opportunities

Ways to Pray Pray for opportunities to build bridges of

friendship

Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to be a witness

Pray for the courage to speak about your faith to others

Pray that love casts out our fears

Pray for wisdom for what to say and how to say it

Pray for sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit

Pray for eyes to see the opportunities to be a witness that the Lord gives you

Pray that your friends and family would want to know more about your faith

Parties in Heaven!

I tell you, it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. (Luke 15:7)