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16/02/2025 12:58 pm
How do we prepare the way, the simple answer would be through evangelism, but does all evangelism effectively results in a personal relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ. Lets consider the meaning of evangelism.
Evangelism is to take advantage of every opportunity God create to share His love through His Son Jesus Christ. When we share what we know about Jesus with the purpose of leading people into a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ as our reconciliatory with God.
The best example is found in 1 John 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. Evangelism is about witnessing what we have seen and heard, Apostle Paul mentioned that 1Cor 11:23 “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you."
Prayer Evangelism is 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, 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, he only became an instrument that prepared the way for God to reveal Himself to the people.
When Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave it was as an witness to draw them into believing. ( John 11:42-45 “I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I've spoken so that they might believe that you sent me." Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose." That was a turnaround for many of the Jews who were with Mary. They saw what Jesus did, and believed in him”.) The single active ingredient in prayer is faith. It’s not the words necessarily but the release of faith that will bring the desired answer. We have nothing to give accept that what we received, and what we received is to know the God and His Son Jesus Christ as the anointed Son of God.
Prayer is the key to effective and creative evangelism. John Wesley was convinced that "God does nothing but in answer to prayer." This sentiment is amplified by E.M. Bounds who states: "God shapes the world by prayer. The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock of heaven by which God carries on His great work upon earth." (Billheimer 1975:102).
Jesus prayer life brought Him into a working relationship with His Father in which the Father told Him the things He was to say and showed Him the things He want to do. It is no wonder that we have no record of the disciples asking Jesus to train them to preach or teach, but we do find where they asked, "Lord, teach us to pray." Prayer is the passageway to a living and working relationship with God where we receive the wisdom to know the will of God and power to bring it about. It is through prayer that we grow in our knowledge of God and of our love for Him. It is through prayer that we learn the ways of God and receive revelation of His plans. It is through prayer that we are instructed and empowered by God to co-labour with Him to accomplish His kingdom purposes in our world.
The most important human factor in effective evangelism is PRAYER, every great awakening in the history of the Church from the time of the Apostles until today has been the result of prayer. There have been great awakenings without much preaching, and there have been great awakenings with absolutely no organization, but there has never been a true awakening without much prayer.
The first great in gathering in human history had its origin, on the human side, in a ten days’ prayer meeting. We read of the small company of early disciples: “These all with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer” . The result of that ten days’ prayer meeting is recorded in the 2nd chapter of the Acts of the Apostles: “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”, and “there were added unto them in that day about 3,000 souls” . That awakening proved real and permanent; those who were gathered in on that greatest day in all Christian history, “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers). “And the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved”.
Prayer Is the Verbal Release of Faith, that begins where the will of God is known. Seeking Prayer (Seeking God and finding His will – Knowing and believing that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.) Asking Prayer (Asking God in faith according to His will – Knowing and believing that He will answer). Declaring Prayer (Authoritative declaring of His will in faith – Knowing and believing that you declare God’s will in obedience).
During a visit to Israel for we stayed at a place called “Shevet Achem” it is like a children hospital, were children and their mothers would stay during the perioded of treatment at a hospital. One of the mothers developed a tooth ache that was so severe that she could not help herself in crying. We saw it as an opportunity that God created, and as we prayed for her (she did not receive any medication). God used the opportunity, that He created to miraculously healed her, the pain stop immediately and she could feel the presence of God. The next day she willingly gave her life to Jesus, and got baptized before her return to Iraq.
On the same visit we saw a church that was built in remembrance of the miraculous resurrection of the son of the widow in Nain. This church stand as a monument of the power of God, but today that church is a dead monument in a muslem town, right next to the mosque. What went wrong- It is as if we recognise the miracle but we do not stand in the power of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom all authority had been given in heaven and on earth? It reminded us of the days of Gideon were the harvest were stolen while Gideon and his family were in hiding.
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