Waha Disciple Making ChallengeSample

How to get people asking you how to be saved

Making disciples can seem a little intimidating at first. If only it were as easy as getting someone to ask you what they must do to be saved! In today’s devotional, we will explore the idea of being spiritually conspicuous.

Read Acts 16:25-34:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Acts 16:25-34

Take a moment to consider these questions:

• Have you ever had a moment when God broke through, and you were convinced that He is real, like the Philippian jailer? Who did you talk to about it, and why?
• Out of all the prisoners in the jail, how do you think the jailer knew to ask Paul and Silas about salvation?
• What does this passage teach us about making disciples?

When sharing your faith feels intimidating

When you think about the most challenging parts of Jesus’ life to put into practice, does sharing your faith with others stand out? Unless you are a naturally gifted evangelist, the odds are it does! Studies show that most Christians today are afraid to share their faith. Most of us wish making disciples was as easy as it was for Paul and Silas in Acts 16, when the Philippian jailer came to them and said, “What must I do to be saved?”

But what if it could be that easy?

Spiritually conspicuous

Consider all this poor jailer had just been through. Charged to keep an eye on two prisoners, he was understandably alarmed when a sudden earthquake ripped the prison walls in two, and the cell doors miraculously opened! God was obviously on the move, so who could he possibly go to to help him make sense of it all?

Probably the two guys who stayed up all night singing hymns despite being imprisoned.

Paul and Silas did what Jesus taught them. This made them stand out as people who followed God. They were spiritually conspicuous people.

This is exactly what happened to Arnold in today’s video. His encounter with the believers who prayed for his coworker led him to discuss spiritual things at work. It identified him as a spiritually conspicuous person, so when his manager became curious about the Bible, she went to him.

Action step

Think about the different people in your life who are far from God. How many of them might think of you as an obvious source of spiritual guidance should they ever want it? It’s okay if you feel a little convicted; you’re not alone. But you can turn things around! We’ve seen thousands of people just like you make an impact on their friends and family with simple steps of obedience.

It all starts with making a simple list and asking for God to move.

In your journal or on a separate piece of paper, make a list of the people in your life who are far from God. Go through your list today and pray for each of them by name. Be sure to keep your list in your Bible,e or somewhere you will see it and be reminded again in the coming days, or make a list on your phone and set daily reminders to pray. As we begin praying for this list of people, and God draws them to Himself, being a spiritually conspicuous person could lead them to look to you for spiritual guidance.