God's Heart - The Work of God and the Prayers of His People

GOD’S HEART

This pattern of prayer may help you pray evangelistically for others: 

G = Pray, believers, beginning with yourself, will appreciate God’s grace. When we really appreciate what God has done for us, we naturally want to tell others about Him. That’s why new believers are often most willing to do evangelism — their salvation is so fresh, they almost can’t avoid telling the story. We stop evangelizing when we take grace for granted. 

O = Pray for believers to live in obedience to God. We can’t change another person’s heart. Only God can do that. If we’re not walking in obedience to God, our disobedience hinders our prayers (Isa. 59:1-2). Abiding in Christ really does matter when we pray (John 15:7). 

D = Pray believers will decide to tell others. Evangelism doesn’t just happen. Telling the story of Jesus is a choice, an action, a decision. Many believers know they should do evangelism but decide not to do it. Pray that won’t happen. 

S = Pray that believers will speak the gospel fearlessly and clearly. In fact, that’s the way Paul taught us to pray in Ephesians 6:19-20 and Colossians 4:2-4. If Paul needed others praying for him to do evangelism, how much more do we need that kind of support? 

H = Pray for nonbelievers to have a receptive heart to the gospel. Apart from Christ, all people are dead in their sin (Eph. 2:1), held under the devil’s trap (Acts 26:18). Only God can make our hearts open to the good news. 

E = Pray their spiritual eyes will be opened. Non-believers are blinded to the truth of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:3-4), and the “god of this age” does all he can to keep them in darkness. Nothing we do apart from the power of God can open their blinded minds. 

A = Pray they will have God’s attitude toward sin. We’re all sinners (Rom. 3:23), and we must see our sin as God sees it — as wrong against a holy God. 

R = Pray non-believers will repent and believe. The message of Christ is clear: we must turn from our sin and trust Christ for salvation (Mark 1:15). God gets the glory as He frees nonbelievers from their sin (Col. 1:13). 

T = Pray their lives will be transformed. Only God can change a man. When God does that, the nonbelieving world takes note. Find someone to pray for you to speak the gospel boldly and clearly. 

Are you praying for other believers to be evangelistic? Are you praying for non-believers? 

Are you asking God to save and transform a specific person? Even if you’ve been praying for someone for many years, don’t give up. 

God still responds to the prayers of His people. That’s His heart.