The Prayer Life of the Witness

Sharing the Gospel

“Prayer is striking the winning blow at the concealed enemy.” (S.D. Gordon)

“Every revival in the history of the world has been grounded in prayer and evangelism.” (George Barna)

“Prayer is the vision of the believer. It gives eyes to our faith.” (Dick Eastman)

“Those who talk with God most usually hear God best.” (Dan Southerland)

Fish Facts on Prayer

Luke 11:1 He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” (HCSB)

Luke 11:2 He said to them, “He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say… (HCSB)

Notice that Jesus did not say “if” you pray, but “whenever” you pray.

Luke 6:12 During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. (HCSB)

Jesus taught His disciples that prayer was a necessity, not an option.

Prayer Is Essential

Matthew 7:7-8 “Keeping asking and it will be given to you. Keep searching and you will find. Keep knocking and the door will be opened to you. For anyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (HCSB)

Jesus practiced the discipline of habitual prayer. A disciplined prayer life helps to be a more

effective witness. The practice of prayer is hard work that brings

about marvelous results.

The Discipline of Prayer

How long do you pray? Do you have a regular prayer time? Have you set aside a place to pray? Do you pray for specific people and things? Are you praying for the lost by name?

Inventory of Your Prayer Life

• Satan wants to keep people from Jesus!!!• You are in spiritual warfare when you share the gospel.• The battle for souls is won by prayer.• “The battle for lost souls is won by prayer and

intercession. Prayer is the warfare. Evangelism is not the attempt to win the battle – it is the mopping-up operation.” (Ronald Dunn)

• 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Prayer and Spiritual Warfare

• Jesus to raise up and send His witnesses into His harvest fields (Matt. 9:38).

• Jesus to keep guard and to protect believers from the evil one as they witness (John 17:15).

• Christians to go where Jesus is working in the lives of lost people (John 17:24).

• Witnesses to share Jesus with boldness and to be sensitive to each situation (Acts 4:29-31).

• Witnesses to have wisdom to know when and how to share Jesus with the lost (Col. 1:10-11).

• Jesus to afford opportunities to share the gospel (Col. 4:2-6).

How to Pray for Witnessing Believers

For their Hearts to be changed:• Pray for receptive and repentant Hearts (Luke

8:5-12).• Pray for their spiritual Eyes and Ears to be opened

to the truth of Jesus (Matt. 13:15; 2 Cor. 4:3-4).• Pray for them to have God’s Attitude towards sin

(John 16:8).• Pray for the person to be Released to believe (2

Cor. 10:3-4; 2 Tim 2:25-26).• Pray for a Transforming life (Rom. 12:1-2).• Pray for God to Send them into His Harvest fields

(Matt 9:35-38).

How to Pray for the Lost

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Rabbits beget rabbits; horses beget horses; humans beget humans, not statues or portraits.” We reproduce our own kind, our own nature. When we are commanded to make disciples, it is

assumed that we are disciples ourselves – begetting our own kind.

Love is the mark of the disciple! There is a problem: You can’t teach love. John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you

are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (HCSB)

Love is difficult to quantify.

Disciples Making Disciples

My life before I made a commitment to follow Jesus.

How I came to know Jesus personally.My life since I came to know Jesus personally.

Developing a Personal Testimony

Immediate Family ______________________________

Relatives_______________________________________

Close Friends ___________________________________

Neighbors _____________________________________

Business Assoc. _________________________________

Acquaintances__________________________________

Others ________________________________________

List of People to Share Jesus

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (NIV)

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)

John 1:4 “The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (NIV)

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day.” (NIV)

Scripture to Memorize (1 of 2)

John 1:12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (NIV)

John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV)

Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” (NIV)

Scripture to Memorize (2 of 2)