Day 4: What do we pray?

Now that we know what successful evangelism is, we must begin praying for others. God gives us neighbors, co-workers, family members, kids' sports teams, baristas, and baggers at the grocery store. Each of them needs Jesus. Who might God want you to reach out to?

To hear the voice of the Spirit and grow in confidence that God will guide you, begin by praying for a heart for the lost. Ask God to give you eyes to see the lost around you. When our hearts grow in compassion, we will have less fear and more love to reach out to others. If you knew someone was lost on the side of the road, you would open up your GPS and help them find their way. If you see a child lost in a crowd, you will do all you can to help this child find their guardian. Jesus said that we are to leave behind the 99 sheep and go after the one lost sheep. Who are the lost sheep around you? What are they feeling and experiencing in life right now? How can you grow in compassion for them?

Psalm 107 talks about four types of lost people.

1. The wanderers have no community and are lonely. There are many lonely, isolated people out there who long to be known, loved, and belong.

2. The prisoners are stuck in their afflictions. They are in darkness and chains and feel trapped and hopeless. They long for freedom and a new beginning.

3. The fool makes decisions that lead to devastating consequences in their lives or others. They need to know that their identity is not in their past, but there is still a plan for their future.

4. The fearful live in anxiety, feeling stuck or out of control with the storms in their life. They need a way to find peace in times of uncertainty.

Each of these lost people, though on a unique journey, got to a point where they each did one thing: they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. For every person that cried out, God delivered them. Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.” God sent Jesus, the Word, to bring healing and deliverance to every person you know who is lonely, a prisoner, a fool, or a person experiencing storms in their life.

Begin praying for people to cry out to the Lord for deliverance. We know that if they cry out to Him, He will deliver them. They just need to surrender.

We not only pray for the person to cry out to the Lord, but we can also ask the Spirit to show us when and how we can discuss spiritual things with the people we know desperately need Him. Be expectant that He will open doors for conversations when we pray for people specifically and ask God to give them an open heart to talk about Jesus and the life-transforming message of the gospel.

Reflect on these questions:

• Who do you know that fits into the four types of people found in Psalm 107?
• What would you like to begin to pray for them specifically?

Listen to the Lord and see who He puts on your heart. Pray that they will cry out to the Lord. Pray for opportunities to begin a spiritual conversation with them. Pray you can show them this Psalm, ask them which person they most relate to, and then share how Jesus is the one who came to deliver them from their situation. Ask them if they want to hear how Jesus does that through His death on the cross.