On today's schedule for our optional prayer time was evangelism. My thinking when I planned this was... our worship and prayer has to lead us to action.
I put up a message to the staff that we'd meet in the prayer room at 1230 to pray and then we'd go out by twos and do some evangelism.
As the time came closer... I started dreading it. Not wanting to go. I posted on this on facebook so I couldn't get out of it.
"I'll be spending lunch today doing some evangelism. I wish I could tell you I was really excited about it, but stepping out in faith is always hard. I believe this is a season for me to do the hard things. Prayers appreciated
Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"
I went to the prayer room at 1230 and there was no one there. At 1245 I left. I went to the lunch tables and asked a few of guys that are usually in the prayer room if they wanted to go. Two of them said yes... one said what will you say if I say no, to which I responded, no judgement man!
So off we went, two of the School of Biblical Studies guys and me. We stopped outside of the cathloic school and asked two students if they needed any prayer for anything. Nope... we're good they responded. I said God bless you and we were on our way.
Then a couple of guys were walking up from the UH campus, same thing... nope we're good.
Then I saw a lady walking towards me... "Excuse me, we're from Youth With A Mission, and we're out here just asking people for prayer, do you need prayer for anything?"
"Actually I have a test coming up," she replied
"Oh whats the test on?" I asked
"Korean." She said.
"I'm Korean, but I wouldn't be any help to you with the language, I don't speak any. Can I pray for you right now?"
She said yes, and I prayed a quick prayer asking God to remind her of all of the things she's been studying, and then as I prayed I prayed out the gospel truth, that God loved her so much, that He sent His one and only son to die for her so that she could live in right relationship with Him. I also sensed that God was saying not only was this lady a good learner, but she was a teacher as well, so I shared that with her as well.
She thanked us and was on her way.
We got down to the UH campus and there was quite a lot of foot traffic. Jonny went up to two workmen in bright neon green shirts and asked them if they needed prayer for anything. What? They asked. Jonny repeated himself, and they kind of laughed, yeah, we need new jobs. So Jonny asked him if he could pray for them, and he did, and prayed for new jobs and then prayed the gospel truth.
Both guys softened up. The next ten minutes was spent in real conversation, Jonny talked to Josh and Jesse and I talked to Elijah. Elijah said that his mother was always praying for him, and that he used to go to church but hadn't in a while.
Jesse took over and just encouraged this guy to get back in church and prayed for him again. Jesse felt led by God to tell Elijah to seek reconciliation with his mother... to which Elijah started to blink a lot quicker trying to hold back tears. We got a chance to call forth who these guys were created to be and share the love of God with them. Elijah recognized that this wasn't just a coincidence.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jason (the guy who said he didn't want to come) was walking towards us with his skateboard in hand. I asked him what he was doing down here and he looked at me and said... I felt convicted that I should come down here. To which I lovingly laughed. I asked a couple of girls if they needed prayer for anything and they said they were good.
He went across the street to ask a guy if he wanted prayer and got rejected. We all walked back together.
Today I saw what Jesus meant by the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Those two workmen had tender hearts towards the Lord, and we had to GO and speak to them and pray for them. Even though we got rejected by a lot of people, God had these two guys in mind and wanted us to go share with them His truth.
I'm convicted lately that as a Christian... and especially as a person in full time ministry, I don't get around enough non-Christians and share what I believe. Isn't that at the core of following Jesus? We don't just live moral lives, we share the good news.
So for me I literally have to SCHEDULE evangelism times or I won't do it. Not in a legalistic way... (i'll write a whole other blog post on my recent thoughts on legalism soon)
Jesse reminded me today one of the slogans of a branch of our organization. "Save the lost, revive the saved and heal them both."
Sometimes evangelism looks like sharing the good news for the first time to someone. Sometimes it looks like helping people remember who God is and the call on their lives that they haven't thought about in a long time.
Engage: When was the last time you shared the good news of Jesus Christ with someone? What is your biggest hindrance? Let us know in the comments.
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