The Power of Caring and Praying for Others
By Pierre M. Eade
Like most people, I’ve had some pretty awkward conversations trying to share the gospel with friends and acquaintances. Sometimes evangelism seems intimidating on both the giving and receiving ends. But a while ago I learned ways that prayer can ease the process for both parties.
Many people who are not open to an evangelistic presentation are very receptive to prayer for their personal needs. So now I not only pray privately for people to be saved, but I also offer to pray with them as well.
Let me share some of my experiences—the good, bad, and ugly—so you can avoid some of my mistakes while capitalizing on some of the lessons I learned.
Pray out loud, on the spot, if the person is willing.
People are generally open to our praying for their needs. They view a statement such as, “I will pray for you about that,” or a question, “May I pray for you about these things?” as an act of kindness. I often follow up by asking, “Do you mind if I pray with you now?”
I try to keep my prayers short, faith-filled and devoid of Christian jargon. At the same time, I don’t shy away from praying “in Jesus’ name.”
Praying for felt needs can produce an open door to share the gospel.
Kevin was the short-order cook at my company’s cafeteria. Almost every morning I would greet him and place my order. We occasionally shared trivial pleasantries but rarely engaged in deep conversation.
One morning as I approached Kevin’s station, I noticed his head painfully tilted at a 45-degree angle. I offered to pray for him. He quickly accepted my offer and met me at the front of the grill. I asked if he minded my placing my hand on his sore neck. (I have learned never to touch the prayer recipient before asking permission.) Kevin agreed, so I laid my hand on his neck and prayed for healing in Jesus’ name.
Kevin thanked me and returned to his station with his head in the same position as when I had prayed.
It can be intimidating to pray for someone to be healed, not knowing whether God will instantly, gradually, or ever answer that prayer. But I’ve learned that whether people are healed or not, they appreciate genuine care for their need. I simply pray in faith and trust God with the rest.
The next day Kevin greeted me warmly. “My neck is healed!” he exclaimed loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear. I rejoiced with Kevin and gave thanks to God.
Praying for a person’s felt needs can be a great testament to the power and validity of the gospel message. In Kevin’s case it initiated a relationship between Kevin and me that soon led to his accepting Christ.
Don’t assume a person who receives prayer is ready to hear the gospel.
Generally speaking, people who receive sincere prayer, whether it’s answered or not, do become more receptive to the gospel. However, we can never assume that praying for someone also gives us the right to share the gospel. We must see prayer as an opportunity to touch a person’s life, not a platform-building exercise to preach.
Krishna, a Hindu man who worked as a consultant on a project I managed, asked if I could meet with him privately to discuss a personal matter. He explained that he would need to leave the project and move on to another job. Krishna was a crucial player in our project, and we both knew his untimely departure would negatively affect our project’s outcome.
In place of distress or worry, God gave me the grace to listen to what led to his leaving at such an inopportune time. He explained some things that were jeopardizing his family’s well being. Feeling Krishna’s dilemma, I asked if I could pray for him. He was more than happy to receive prayer.
After I prayed, he thanked me profusely for my kindness. I felt a natural opening to share the gospel with him, yet as I talked, he crossed his arms and his countenance changed. He was no longer receptive. I took his cue and allowed him to steer our conversation.
At times our prayers provide a natural bridge to share the gospel. Other times, people respond positively to prayer but negatively to the gospel message. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom to know the next step in our conversation.
Respect people and follow the Holy Spirit. Don’t force opportunities.
In times past, I would have argued that our greatest need as Christians is to share the gospel. Now I’m learning that our greatest responsibility is to love God, love others, and allow the Spirit to use us in whatever way He pleases.
My neighbor was dying of a terminal illness. This man knew of my faith in Christ but lacked interest in—even disdained—my beliefs. At the time, it seemed right to pray for him to receive healing. When I offered to pray for him, he kindly declined. I persisted, trying to persuade him of God’s power to heal and do wonders. Finally, he allowed me to pray for him.
Almost instantly after I prayed, he curtly thanked me for my visit (and the dessert I had brought) then hurried me out. He obviously felt offended and uncomfortable. Two days later my neighbor went into a coma. Soon afterward he died.
Looking back, I am confident God sent me to my neighbor’s house in his time of need. But if I could go back in time, I would respect his request and not pray for him on the spot.
If people decline your offer of prayer, respect their wishes and don’t be discouraged. By all means, don’t forget to pray for them after you leave their presence. At times, people want prayer but aren’t comfortable receiving it publicly. The people who deny their need for prayer are often the ones who need your prayers most.
Show God’s love for the person and trust God’s ability to answer.
Craig was a consultant who worked on my team in the office. Although he wasn’t a Christian, Craig knew I was, and he had shown some interest in my faith.
One day as I visited Craig at his desk, he told me about his morning—being pulled over for speeding and almost getting arrested. He also told me that his unborn child faced considerable odds of serious birth defects.
Obviously distraught, he detailed his feelings and concerns, so I asked him, “May I pray for you right now?”
He agreed, and I simply asked God to grant him peace, rest, and guidance in decisions he and his wife faced about the baby’s future. When I finished praying, Craig thanked me and then continued to share his heart about his wife’s pregnancy. I listened.
The following workday Craig sent me this email: “I enjoyed our talk the other day and although I’ve never been religious I found your prayer very comforting.”
Craig’s response both encouraged and surprised me because he showed no visible changes when I prayed. This experience taught me never to underestimate the power of our prayers regardless of the lack of immediate, visible evidence.
When God answers prayer immediately, direct praise to Him.
Sometimes people I have prayed for will come back to me later and let me know the significance of my prayers. Other times, I never hear back. Then there have been those special moments when God answers my prayer immediately.
One day in the hallway at work a woman was walking slowly in my direction, hand on head, scowling in obvious pain. I stopped and asked, “Are you OK?”
“I’ve got a terrible headache,” she replied.
“Do you mind if I pray for you?”
She gave me permission. After my prayer, she looked up with a bright face and told me she felt much better. So I explained to her that I was a Christian and that God was all-powerful.
When God responds instantly to our prayers, He expects us to redirect the person’s attention from us to Christ. In the Book of Acts after Paul healed a crippled man in Lystra, the people tried to worship him and Barnabas, confusing them for the Greek gods Hermes and Zeus. Paul quickly redirected their focus by saying, “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them” (Acts 14:15).
Prayers for blessing build great rapport.
At times, God’s power to answer prayer can do more to draw an unbeliever to Christ than the most winsome and biblically sound apologetics. I’ve found this particularly true with people of religious beliefs that differ from my own.
Several months ago, I met a Muslim man named Syed who opened a gas station near my home. After introducing myself, I told him I was a Christian and would like to pray for the prosperity of his business. He warmly welcomed my prayers. While shaking his hand, I prayed a prayer of blessing over him, his new gas station, and his other family businesses. He thanked me for my prayers.
The next time I visited his store, he warmly greeted me with the words, “My brother, welcome back!” I was amazed by his warmth and enthusiasm. After I prayed with him a second time, he said, “The world needs more kind men like you.”
This proved a great segue to talk about Jesus. Syed and I stood at his counter and spoke about the Lord. He asked me some very heartfelt, sincere questions. My prayers with Syed had opened his heart to the gospel in a beautiful way.
Ready, Set, Pray!
Knowing that the world is filled with hurting people God loves, I can confidently ask Him to provide opportunities to pray. I not only pray for people’s receptiveness to prayer, but also that I will be sensitive to their needs. As with any other type of outreach, I ask God to give me the courage and love to pray.
Praying with people who do not know Christ is by no means the only way to share the gospel, but it can open hearts to hearing the good news. If asking a person where he or she will spend eternity seems intimidating, try asking a much easier question: “May I pray for you?”
PIERRE M. EADE worked as a project manager in corporate America before becoming pastor of outreach at Washington Crossing, PA, United Methodist Church. His new book Born to Grow and other writings can be found at christiangrowthnetwork.com.
