Evangelism By Prayer

Evangelism by Prayer

This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4

WILLIAM CAREY, OFTEN CONSIDERED “the father of modern missions,” had a vision for taking the gospel to people in distant lands who had never heard the Good News. At one point, he was told bluntly to mind his own business—that God would convert the heathen if he wanted to—but Carey persisted. Hudson Taylor grieved over “China’s millions” who had never known of Jesus. John Hyde prayed boldly for one soul a day in India, then two, then four, each year receiving the numbers he asked for. Amy Carmichael served in India for fifty-five years without a furlough, calling missionary service “a chance to die.” History is filled with sacrificial hearts that have eagerly surrendered to God’s rescue mission in this world. People who get close to him know his desire to share his goodness and glory across this planet.

Most of us have heard appeals to give to missions, pray for missions, and consider becoming missionaries. Scripture is clear that God longs for people to be saved and know the truth. Theologically, most Christians are on board with that mission, even though it has long been under attack for cultural imperialism and alleged intolerance of other faiths. But even though we agree with it in our hearts, we tend to neglect it in our prayers. Why? Perhaps because we don’t know how to pray for those who don’t believe, or our culturally diverse society emphasizes the value of all perspectives, or our hearts have just grown cold. But we can love and value people of other faiths while praying for them to know the magnificence of salvation in Jesus. In fact, we are called to do so. God wants all to know him personally.

When we pray evangelistically, we do not have to wonder if we are praying in God’s will. We can ask that the gospel would be taught more sensitively, more compellingly, and more winsomely than at times in the past, but we still must pray that it would spread far and wide. God still loves the world, and Jesus still calls for faith. Prayer stands in the gap between him and needy souls.

To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map.