Introduction to prayer evangelism
In considering prayer evangelism we need to consider what is evangelism = it’s taking advantage of every opportunity to share what you know about Jesus with others. Sharing what we know about Jesus is for the purpose of leading people into a personal relationship with God, reconciliation with God. 1John 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we declare unto you, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. The act of contemplating what God has done in/by praising and glorifying God for what He has done, inspires us to tell others about Him, this is what evangelism is all about.
Prayer Evangelism is evangelism based on action and prayer. Being willing to pray for people, bringing their needs before God and seeing how God touch that need, opening the door for opportunities to share Christ.
Consider Elijah when he prayed for rain and challenged the prophets of baal: Elijah did not merely pray, he became the instrument that responded to the Spirit of God moving within him. (He created an opportunity for God to work – prepare the way?)
Prepare = to put in proper condition or readiness
Way = opportunity to advance
Prayer evangelism is to sow the incorruptible seed of God’s promises through the power of prayer – a declaration of faith demonstrated in prayer. Prayer evangelism is expressed when God through the power of His Word touch the hearts of people. Prayer evangelism have thus the same objective as evangelism – conversion, but with a different approach. Prayer evangelism is thus preparing or creating a way for the Kingdom of God to be established in the hearts of people. Instead of relying on human effort to convert people, the reliance is on God and in His ability to draw people unto Himself. John 6:65 And He said, Because of this I said to you that no one can come to Me unless it was given to him from My Father.
This does not mean that the gospel must not be proclaimed, or the gift of evangelism have no place. On the contrary, it means that the two work together. The Gospel is still being proclaimed, but strategically through the body of Christ Jesus.
God gave us the strategy, so that no one person can boast in Himself, but that we can boast in Christ and in His ability.
Prayer Evangelism, is placing our trust in God to draw His catch into the nets. Jesus said that He will make us fishers of men, a strategy that call for unity and team effort as we trust in God. As with Peter the human effort did not bring in the catch, but the combined effort, brought in a catch that surpassed all expectations.
The combined effort, human obedience and trust in God (prayer evangelism), as we acknowledge that God called us to pray in the pursue of His purpose for the evangelization of the world. God is thus calling on all of us to :
– Become fishers of men. We are called to throw out our nets in faith as we pray unto God, to do what no evangelist can do – to draw people unto Himself. We sow His Word in a prayer of faith, in the knowledge that it will not return void, but will do as it is sent to do.
– Be His servants and His witnesses. Christ instructs us to pray that God will send His people to accomplish the work of evangelization.
– Be instruments for the extension of His Kingdom. To pray for His Kingdom to come is to pray for Christ to be obeyed in faith, for His Kingly rule to be displayed openly, for the powers of darkness to be subdued. The purpose is to transform the whole community to exhibit features of His righteousness and His peace by a transformed society that they might demonstrate the love of God, the righteousness of God and the peace He intends for His people.
– Building a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. To build up the body of Christ, by praying that Christ’s body will be revived, renewed and built up in order to clearly reflect the glory of Christ in all things.
– To be an evangelist to glorify His name. We are to pray that God will be known, and His glory be demonstrated throughout the world. The ultimate purpose of evangelization is that God will be worshipped and glorified by every tribe and tongue.
In the likeness of the call unto Peter to go and throw out the nets on the others side, so Christ enables us as a priesthood of believers to help Him in His priestly work. As He filled the nets for Peter, so He enables us by His Spirit to join Him before God’s throne in His work of prayer evangelism. (intercession). Jesus always prayed in preparation for his next preaching/ministry event. This is a very important strategy Jesus followed, that we as His servants should imitate! The works of power which accompanied Christ’s ministry were recognized as answers to His prayer and the work of God in response to faith.
True story of prayer evangelism :
Luke 5:3-10 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon,’Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men’. This is an example of how when we work together, we as the body of Christ can bring in the harvest.
John 11:25-45 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
During a visit to Israel in 2010, The Lord blessed us and we stayed in a place where there were a few Muslim women. During our stay we prayed for their salvation, the Lord in particular focused our prayer on one of the women. One day she walked pass us, crying, she was in severe pain on her way to the office to ask for pain medicine. We however intervened and asked to pray for her, as she agreed, we all prayed for her in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord then used the opportunity to show Himself mightily to her as He immediately took the pain away, to the extend that she said she do not need any medication. We left the house and on our return a few days later we were informed that the she received Jesus Christ as her personal saviour and was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit before her return to home!