PRAYER - PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE GOSPEL (12)
by Tim Melton
Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6
This content is part of a series.
Title: Prayer - Preparing the Way for the Gospel (12)
Series: The Book of Colossians
Author: Tim Melton
Text: Colossians 4:2-6
Imagine with me that you have someone in your life who is not a follower of Christ and God just keeps bringing them to mind. To the point that you would say that God has given you a "burden" for them and their salvation. It could be a neighbor. . . a coworker. . . or a family member. With all your heart you want them to come to know the precious love and forgiveness of Jesus. If that was your situation, where would you start? What would you do first to usher them towards Him. . .
Some may say be brave and just go talk with them about Jesus. Others might say invite them to church. Some might give them a gospel tract to read, meet a need that they have or take them to lunch to build a better relationship with them. There are many good next steps that might be done to prepare them to believe in Jesus, but there is only one first step. We must pray.
When we look back through the life of Jesus Christ, the early church and even church history the pattern is that God puts a burden in people's hearts to pray. They obey in prayer. Then God works.
F. B. Meyer was a Baptist pastor in England in the late 1800s. He was right when he said, "One of the greatest tragedies of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."
Prayer is necessary because our own strategies, knowledge, and persuasion are not enough. Without Christ we can do nothing. God alone can draw one to Himself. The Holy Spirit then convicts of sin, reveals the truth of Jesus Christ, open one's heart to the gospel, and grants faith. It is the work of God that brings one to repentance and faith. Because of this prayer is our first and main work when seeking to usher others towards faith in Jesus Christ.
Prayer prepares the way for the gospel, like a farmer prepares the soil for the seed. If a heavenly harvest is ever to come, the way must have been prepared by pr ...
Series: The Book of Colossians
Author: Tim Melton
Text: Colossians 4:2-6
Imagine with me that you have someone in your life who is not a follower of Christ and God just keeps bringing them to mind. To the point that you would say that God has given you a "burden" for them and their salvation. It could be a neighbor. . . a coworker. . . or a family member. With all your heart you want them to come to know the precious love and forgiveness of Jesus. If that was your situation, where would you start? What would you do first to usher them towards Him. . .
Some may say be brave and just go talk with them about Jesus. Others might say invite them to church. Some might give them a gospel tract to read, meet a need that they have or take them to lunch to build a better relationship with them. There are many good next steps that might be done to prepare them to believe in Jesus, but there is only one first step. We must pray.
When we look back through the life of Jesus Christ, the early church and even church history the pattern is that God puts a burden in people's hearts to pray. They obey in prayer. Then God works.
F. B. Meyer was a Baptist pastor in England in the late 1800s. He was right when he said, "One of the greatest tragedies of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."
Prayer is necessary because our own strategies, knowledge, and persuasion are not enough. Without Christ we can do nothing. God alone can draw one to Himself. The Holy Spirit then convicts of sin, reveals the truth of Jesus Christ, open one's heart to the gospel, and grants faith. It is the work of God that brings one to repentance and faith. Because of this prayer is our first and main work when seeking to usher others towards faith in Jesus Christ.
Prayer prepares the way for the gospel, like a farmer prepares the soil for the seed. If a heavenly harvest is ever to come, the way must have been prepared by pr ...
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