SHARING THE GOSPEL

STEP 1 PREPARATION - CHAPTER 5

PRAYER IS THE CATALYST IN SOUL WINNING

DEVELOP A HEART FOR EVANGELISM THROUGH PRAYER

Colossians 4:2-6
"2. Devote yourselves to PRAYER, being WATCHFUL, and THANKFUL. 3. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.  4. Pray that I may PROCLAIM it clearly, as I should. 5. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  6. Let your conversation be always FULL OF GRACE, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

PRAYER - WATCHFUL - THANKFUL - PROCLAIM - FULL OF GRACE

A SCRIPTURAL PRAYER PATTERN FOR SHARING THE GOSPEL

Colossians 4:2-6 provides us excellent scriptural prayer guidelines to begin each day ready to be a witness for Christ.

PRAYER
Whenever it comes to sharing the Gospel, we frequently pray for individuals we want to share with. On the other hand, prayer needs to prepare our hearts for witnessing, positioning us to be used by God.  Pray for love and compassion for the unbeliever. Pray to have the desire  to share the Gospel. Pray to discover the openings God can bring our way. Pray for an obedient heart to share when the opportunity arises.

 

BE WATCHFUL AND VIGILANT
Then be watching and alert throughout the day for opportunities to share. Search to "discover" and realize how God may be working in those individuals around you. Allow the Holy Spirit to help make you sensitive to and watchful for opportunities. This develops and cultivates with time and practical experience. You must be prepared to respond to opportunities; God probably will not bring them your way if you are not. 

You'll most likely pick up on the opportunity in conversations. Ask questions and engage them to tell you more. Be ready to listen carefully with grace and compassion. Appropriately share how God has helped and supported you or made an impact in your daily life that connects to what they are struggling with and having a hard time with. It may well be work-related, relationships, life goals, parenting, challenging decisions, etc. . These kinds of stories of God's impact on your life will typically open up the way to sharing the Gospel with others. 

 

BE THANKFUL AND APPRECIATIVE (Prepare Yourself)
The absolute best way to battle discouragement is by being grateful for everything our Lord has done. David says in Psalm 103:2, "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits." Remembering what He has done for you motivates and urges you and develops your faith for what He will do. Take time to be thankful and appreciative for your salvation and have a loving relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Also, for the way, the Lord has guided you, protected you, comforted you, directed you, and provided for you. Be very thankful for the opportunity to serve Jesus and be a witness of His to point others to Christ. 

 

PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE CLEARLY AND EASILY
BE WELL PREPARED. Study to discover how to share the Gospel easily and clearly. Like many things, practice will certainly make you much better. Please do not be lazy and passive when explaining the Gospel. But in such a way that those individuals you share with will undoubtedly be able to make an informed decision. . Every bit as vital is learning and discovering on relying on the Holy Spirit to use what you share with others.

There is no such thing as sharing it flawlessly and perfectly. So do not let the adversary, the devil beat you up and defeat you thinking you did it improperly and poorly. Do your best to be able to share the Gospel correctly. We need to depend on God to give us wisdom, understanding, and discernment. And depending on the Holy Spirit's power to help make spiritual truth easy to understand to people we speak to. You'll be amazed at exactly how the Holy Spirit will make use of what we share whenever we are cooperating with Him.

FULL OF GRACE
People can tell if you genuinely  care about them. This is true! Your next-door neighbors and acquaintances know it. Children know it. Even your family dog or cat can tell. The question is, do you care about those who don't know the Lord? Be gracious, thoughtful, and practice kindness and compassion when you share. Let the love and passion of Jesus flow through you to them. 

You are showing respect by being gracious and engaging with them. Practice and preparation make a lot of difference in your presentation. (Much more on your sharing presentation in later study guides.) Suggestion: practice sharing the Gospel while looking at a mirror and question yourself if you would want to pay attention to "the person in the mirror.")

 

SUMMARY OF THE SOUL-WINNERS PRAYER (Top of the page.) (Colossians 4:2-6)
1. Ask God to open up doors and opportunities for you. – vs. 3
2. Ask God to help and guide you in how you communicate. – vs. 4
3. Ask God to help you walk in wisdom and with boldness so that you can share. – vs. 5
4. Ask God to help you use the opportunities He gives you. – vs. 5
5. Ask God to help you know how to answer others. – vs. 6

To present and provide Eternal Life (JESUS) to others, allow Eternal Life (JESUS) to live through you. (John 17:3).

DEVELOP A HEART FOR SOUL-WINNING THROUGH PRAYER

PRAYER AFFECTS EVANGELISM
We are engaged in a battle. Paul, the apostle, uses wording throughout his letters that take hold of our hearts and helps advise us as Christians that a hidden war is waging in the heavens. . Soul-Winning or evangelism is a war statement on the principalities of darkness present in our world. The issues and problems at hand are life and death. We cannot continue being indifferent in carrying out our responsibilities and duties of being followers of Christ. Thus, prayer has to be permanently tied to soul-winning.

It's essential to be motivated by the mind and heart of Jesus. The best way to do that is to have God's Word at the heart of our lives. Also, sharing the Gospel is always more effective when we talk to God before we talk to people.  Simply put, prayer evangelism (prayer in sharing the Gospel) is talking to God about our next-door neighbors before we talk to our next-door neighbors about God. This definition has helped us to put at ease Christians who have a genuine desire to share the Gospel with the lost but who feel inadequate or scared to share.

 

4 PRAYER BOOKMARKS IN SHARING THE GOSPEL PDF
(Recommend Printing Bookmark PDF To Use In Your Bible. Makes 4 Sharing The Gospel Bookmarks.)

 

WHY IS PRAYER SO CRUCIAL IN SOUL WINNING? Below are some reasons:

1. PRAYER CONNECTS AND PLUGS US INTO THE HEART OF GOD.  
This is the central and compelling reason to pray. In John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." This verse helps remind us that those who abide in God's presence will produce much fruit. Separated from God, we can do nothing.

Understanding God transforms our hearts towards individuals and teaches us to have compassion towards the hurts and wounded of the world. Additionally, it always keeps us strong, healthy, balanced, and active in accomplishing the mission of "Introducing Others To Christ."

2. PRAYER KEEPS US CENTERED ON THE HARVEST FIELD.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 9:37 that; "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." He then commissions us to go in Matthew 9:38; "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." This commission connects our prayers specifically to the release of workers to spread the "Good News." Let us pray this way in our churches? Let's not get discouraged and disappointed that the laborers are few but be excited and fired up that the harvest is plentiful.

3. PRAYER FERVENTLY SEEKS GOD FOR MORE.
One night Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32:26; But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." This type of passionate, fervent, desperate, determined prayer is undoubtedly out of fashion and not very popular today. Perhaps that is the main reason why we experience so little divine blessing on both individual members and the church as a whole. So often, we are satisfied with the status quo instead of reaching out and connecting with more of God. Because of this, we appear to have little effect and impact on the world around us. (Pause, Think, Consider, and Reflect!)

It does seem very clear that effective and fervent praying usually involves more than just saying the correct words. Seeking out God with your whole heart is the kind of Bible praying that secures not only answers but the true blessing of God that we all need. Stay connected to God by fervent prayer in seeking God for more. It's time to talk to God and start a direct conversation with Him today.

Lord, "I will not let you go unless you bless Me."

4. PRAYER LAUNCHES GOD'S POWER TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST.
Prayer is one of the best tools that God has put in our toolboxes (resources); yet, it is often ignored. Prayer is our "power cord," which plugs us into the Holy Spirit's presence and power to share the Gospel. If we overlook getting charged, we end up being ineffective as a force and power in expanding the kingdom of God.

Prayer becomes the source of discovering power for the mission and courage for the conversation. It destroys strongholds and opens up the door to changed and transformed lives. What can occur in your neighborhood if your church prayed with each other about folks coming to Christ? Who exactly could be saved?

5. PRAY FOR BOLDNESS.
Apostle Paul wrote regarding his fears and concerns when it pertained to sharing the Gospel with others. But he firmly believed in the power of prayer to supply boldness and requested the prayers of many others as well. In Ephesians 6:19, "Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel."

When we engage in personal soul winning, if we find ourselves lacking courage, let our preparation consist of persistent prayer for boldness. Especially before you approach someone you plan to share the Gospel with or invite to a church service or offer a Bible study together Say a brief and concise prayer asking God to give you the boldness required to say what you have planned to say.

PRAYER, HABIT, SEEKING, GIVING, INVITING, AND UNDERSTANDING.

PRAYER:
- Prayer is an action and process that helps make us sensitive and receptive to God.
- Talking to God. (Listening carefully to God matters, too!)
- Reading the Bible daily.
- Hearing a sermon at church.
- The most effective soul-winning technique we have as Christians is prayer!
- By being men and women of prayer, we help remind ourselves why introducing other people to Jesus matters!

HABIT:
How do you make one thing you do one or two times into a routine? Simply by doing it for 21 days in a row!
What routines and patterns do we need to form?

SEEKING:
Seek God every day. Decide on a God time that works for you and stick with it.
Caring and compassionate: ask someone new, "How is your relationship with God?"
Then listen carefully to the answer.

GIVING:
Practice giving to folks before you ask them for something. Provide what you have to offer:
Concern, a Bible, a helping hand, being a friend, or a listening ear.

INVITING:
Once you have cared, invite!
Invite the person to accept and receive Jesus as Lord.
Invite them to study and learn the Bible with you.
Invite them to church and worship and special events at your church.

UNDERSTANDING:
Understand your role.
You matter in God's plan, and you may be the only Gospel someone else ever reads. You are God's instrument to reach others. Since you have an essential role to play, play it well. Of course, it's not all regarding us, but we do make a difference.

IMPORTANT:
Jesus is the meaning and understanding of life. How could we try to keep this joy and happiness to ourselves in our world that hurts and is stressed? Can each of us seek to bring somebody to the Lord? You may not know how God may utilize you to connect with others.

Apply "Who, What, When, Where, Why."
Who will you introduce to Jesus?
What will you do to introduce them?
When will you introduce them?
Where will you introduce them?
Why will you introduce them?

 

A HEART TO HEART WITH THE AUTHOR
The answer is, "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!"

Depending on what generation you are born in. This statement has good and bad meanings. Today looking at "Just Do It!" from a Christian perspective of anyone sharing the Gospel.

I met a new person that just moved to our city, walking from the parking lot to a church service. He shared how his wife and two stepsons had recently died, and drugs were involved.  He had no Christian background but was hurting and looking for answers. I had no pen on me, so I grabbed a crayon in the church foyer and wrote my phone number down. Sometimes when we share, you have to improvise quickly. Later became a funny joke.

Two weeks went by, and I got the phone call. That person wanted to learn how to be a Christian. This is part of the heart-to-heart talk.  I asked one Christian brother to meet, fellowship, study Salvation, and answer questions. But then another brother, a few days later, thought it better if the associated Pastor did it.

At this point, I was disappointed, and each person started to pass the buck sort of speak.  I had this mental picture of someone on the 99th floor of a company making decisions for the guy on the first floor living with a lot of hurt.  Wisely the associated Pastor said no and encouraged the mature Christian to do it.  Then another day goes by, and suddenly two Christian brothers are doing it for only three meetings. 

In my spirit, an upset reaction is screaming, "Just Do It!" Why are we passing the problem to some else? Why do we involve the Pastor in that sharing the Gospel is our responsibility also? Why does it get changed to a third person who might make it awkward?  Why only make a rule of only three times to meet? WHY? WHY? WHY?  Inside feeling "Just Do It!" for this lost soul matters, and this is what Jesus wants you to do.  Who cares if you do not do it perfectly. Guess what? Most folks will make mistakes in sharing.

Now in relating this to you, doing these sharing study guides. I wondered if our first reaction would be the same in making that first step in sharing and then following up with an individual. In the big picture, we all want to be successful in winning souls to Christ. But our Spiritual heart and mindset have to be "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!"

This incident was a wake-up call as we have to put action to our words of sharing the Gospel by making head knowledge into a heart application commitment to start. Would you please take the first step! Do not pass the problem to someone else, saying, "the Pastor should do it, or someone more qualified should do it, or if I do nothing the problem will disappear over time, or if when I know the Salvation message better, I will do it."

"Just Do It!" "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!" "Just Do It!"

Even if you feel half-hearted at first, please commit to daily prayer and reading God's Word. God has chosen you, His people, to be His testimony to a numbed, indifferent world.  He is calling us to commit to Him to do what He promises. Prayer represents a commitment to go with our Lord, reading God's Word (the Bible), introducing others to Christ (witnessing), growing in Christ, and receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER BOOKMARK IN SHARING THE GOSPEL PDF DOWNLOAD
(Recommend Printing Bookmark PDF To Use In Your Bible. Makes 4 Sharing The Gospel Bookmarks.)

PRAYER GUIDE IN SHARING THE GOSPEL PDF DOWNLOAD (SHORT VERSION.)
(Keep a copy in your Bible.)

Download Prayer Is The Catalyst PDF

 

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Click on the below image to get the 4 Prayer Bookmarks In Sharing the Gospel  PDF. A summary of Colossians 4:2-6, "A Scriptural Prayer Pattern For Sharing The Gospel."

4 PRAYER BOOKMARKS IN SHARING THE GOSPEL PDF DOWNLOAD
(Recommend Printing Bookmark PDF To Use In Your Bible. Makes 4 Sharing The Gospel Bookmarks.)