Thursday, August 10, 2023

PRAYER AND EVANGELISM

FRIDAY, 11TH AUGUST, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE


TOPIC: PRAYER AND EVANGELISM

MEMORIZE: “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”  Luke 10:2.

SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 10:1-2.

“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

EXPOSITION:

Nothing in the realm of the spiritual can succeed without prayer. As a believer, you are part of the Body of Christ sent out to a lost and dying world to share the good news of the Gospel. But this spiritual body is directed, controlled, and energized by the head, functioning like a natural body which is guided by the head. Just as a natural body must be attached to the head in proper alignment of nerves, bone, and muscle in order to function, the spiritual body must be in contact with the spiritual head, the Lord Jesus Christ. This contact is made through prayer.

To use another illustration: Jesus is the vine and we are the branches where the fruit is borne. Jesus is the stalk and root that gives life to the branches. The picture is one of mutual dependence. He depends on us to bear the fruit, we depend on Him for spiritual life and energy (John 15.). This relationship cannot exist without proper contact between you and the Lord. There is an example of this in the account in Matthew 17:14-21. The disciples were unable to minister to a young boy because of lack of prayer. Prayer is not a preliminary to the actual work--it is the work.

Prayer should precede evangelism. In Luke 10:1-24, Jesus tells His disciples to pray (verse 2), then He tells them to go (verse 3). Praying precedes the going. Perhaps if we prayed more we would win more. In Acts 2 they prayed 10 days, preached for ten minutes, and 3000 were saved. Today, we pray for ten minutes, preach for ten days, and only a few get saved.

Praying "evangelistically" means that you pray for:

(1) Laborers in the harvest (Luke 10:2).

(2) The Gospel to have "free course" (II Thessalonians 3:1-2). "Free course" means to "run or swiftly advance."

(3) Opportunity: In Colossians 4:3, Paul asks for prayer for himself that God would open a "door of utterance" that he might share the Gospel. 

(4) Boldness: Paul asked the Ephesian Church to pray that he might share the Gospel boldly (Ephesians 6:19).

(5) Salvation: It is Biblical to pray for people to get saved. Romans 10:1 indicates Paul prayed for Israel that they might be saved.

(6) Peace: In I Timothy 2:1-4, Paul tells us to pray for those in authority so we can lead a peaceful life. He says to do this because it is good in the eyes of God who "desires all men to be saved." The Gospel spreads more rapidly in peaceful conditions when it is not hindered by persecution, war zones, travel restrictions, etc.

A measure of success may follow our prayerless undertakings for the Kingdom of God, but our efforts fall short of what could be accomplished if we were to recognize the vital function of prayer.


PRAYER POINT:  Lord, give life to our prayer lives to bring souls unto you in Jesus name.


DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Jeremiah 13 – 15.

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ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional guide written by PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE, General Overseer, Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l. It is an extraction of God’s word designed to draw the sincere seekers closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word. Read, Meditate, Pray and Share this message to others. For prayers, Counseling and further enquiries, call or whatsapp +2347032993319; +2348056130469. Or Email: anchoroflifeministry@gmail.com 

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