Prayer Evangelism
By Sandra Higley
Note: This Bible study is formatted for small group open discussion. If you use this study by yourself, we suggest that you journal your answers to the discussion questions. Also, please use suggested translations where indicated. Biblegateway.com is an excellent source for looking up passages in translations you may not have on hand.
One of the things that impressed me during a prayer journey to Indonesia in 1997 was how easy it was to pray for the lost when you can look into the faces of the poor, the hurting, and the suffering. The hopelessness was tangible. Prayer for their salvation was a natural response to the visible desperation everywhere around us.
But without those haunting, first-hand prompts toward compassion, does prayer for the lost always seem so urgent? Many of us live with friends and neighbors who appear on the outside to be doing as well as we are, or perhaps even better. Often prayers for immediate needs—a job, a troubled marriage, communication problems with a teen—prompts more immediate prayer attention than the unsaved who are going through the motions of everyday “looks-okay-on-the-surface” living.
But those are the very people who need our prayers most desperately. They are without hope. The same tragic end awaits them as their third-world counterparts.
Discussion Questions
In what ways do you see Scripture demonstrating that God wants us to pray for all the unsaved? (John 14:12–13, 17:20; Rom. 10:1; 1 Tim. 2:1–4) ______________________________
Alvin VanderGriend says that “to be effective for God [we need] to become more deeply concerned for the spiritual well-being of others, more aware of God’s heart for them.” Based on that assessment, how would you rate your spiritual effectiveness right now? ______________________________
VanderGriend goes on to say, “I found that the more I prayed for yet-to-be-followers of Christ, the more I cared. The more I cared, the harder I prayed. The harder I prayed, the more I wanted God’s best for them, and the more effective I was in reaching out to them.” What evidence do you see of this truth in Hosea 10:12? ______________________________
He lists three requirements for prayer evangelism: a burdened heart, perseverance, and the Word of God. If your effectiveness rating is not what you wish it to be, identify which of these three things holds you back (it may be more than one): ______________________________
Discuss the elements of a burdened heart seen in the following passages: Isaiah 53:12; Mark 12:30–31. ______________________________
What part does perseverance play in prayer for the lost?
(1 Kings 18:42–45; James 5:17–20) ______________________________
How is the Word of God essential in prayer evangelism?
(Isa. 55:11; Ezek. 37:3–5; Rom. 10:17(kjv); 1 Peter 1:23) ______________________________
How are you prompted to pray for an increase in these areas for yourself? ______________________________
Paul and Jeannie Cedar have observed that rarely is just one person involved in praying for the salvation of a given person. Based on the following Scriptures, how do you see evangelism as a collaborative effort between people and the Holy Spirit? (John 3:7–8, 16:8; 1 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 3:8–21) ______________________________
Action Steps
In response to Jesus’ words in Luke 10:2, Nick Hall urges us to see the ripe harvest of souls ready around us: “Everywhere I look today, I see God’s harvest ripe and ready to be brought in. . . . In the past few years, we have witnessed unprecedented response to the gospel—even in hostile environments.” He sees ripe fields among young people, in schools, in the marketplace, in political and social arenas, etc. Pinpoint some harvest fields in your realm of influence: ______________________________
Now list some specific people you can pray for within the areas you identified above. ______________________________
Once your evangelism prayer targets have been defined, begin to pray from Scripture over each one. Remain open to the Holy Spirit’s leading on specific Scriptures to pray, but here are some suggestions to get you started: Psalm 95:7–8, 119:18; Isaiah 43:1; Jeremiah 24:7; Ezekiel 11:19; Mark 4:8–20; Luke 24:45; John 9:25; Acts 2:37, 17:30; 2 Corinthians 4:3–4; Ephesians 1:7, 17–18; 2 Peter 3:9; Jude 1:21–22.
