In Evangelism, Pray for Holy Spirit Fire

Sharing Jesus with someone the Holy Spirit is not drawing is like mixing all the ingredients for dinner and putting them onto a cold stove. You may have the freshest meats and vegetables, the perfect blend of spices, and the most expensive cookware, but if there is no flame under the burner, it will just sit there. It’s the fire of God that makes things happen. The Holy Spirit draws men unto Himself. This week, I experienced this exact phenomenon. It reminded me that prayer is the single greatest ingredient to our witness for Christ. We must pray for Holy Spirit fire.

Talking to people about Jesus can be tough these days. If people are healthy, wealthy, and wise, they feel like they don’t need God. If they are sick, poor, and foolish, they can be bitter about a God who would allow their suffering. Despite the obstacles, for a while now God has been dealing with me about doing more to share my faith with others. Recently, I found a book with a great system for doing that, so I tried it. 

Share Jesus Without Fear 

The book Share Jesus Without Fear is by Jim Fay. It’s a method of evangelism in which you start with a few questions and then request that you be allowed to share some Bible verses. You flip to Romans 3:23 in your little sharing Bible that you have highlighted beforehand and then have the person read it out loud. The person then says what the verse means. Then you move to the next verse and then next until the gospel is shared. It’s all from the Word of God and all interpreted by the people themselves.

The last verse is Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” This gives you the chance to ask if the person is ready to open the door to Jesus. Throughout the book, the author seeks to decrease the pressure of evangelism by reminding readers that the victory is not in the winning of souls but in the obedience to share the Gospel. 

This past weekend, I asked someone I love very much if she would allow me to “practice” on her. It was the first time I used the system, and I was trying to remember to do everything just right. We went through all the scriptures, and she interpreted every one of them perfectly. But when we came to the end, nothing happened. I felt like I had put a great meal onto a cold stove. No sizzle. No fire. The Holy Spirit had not been working on her heart. 

No One Comes Without Holy Spirit Fire

One of the hardest truths of the Bible is that people are not able to come to God on their own. He is sovereign and has a say about man’s salvation. Ephesians 2:5 says, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” That quickening is God’s gracious drawing unto Himself.

John 6:44 says “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:65 says, “And he said, ‘Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.’” These verses remind us that people, by themselves, cannot come to God. That means that no fancy verbal footwork or stunning sales techniques will do what only the Holy Spirit of God can do. It’s the grace of God that allows people to respond to the Gospel message.

Pray for Fire

To me, though, that’s not the bad news at all. That’s the good news. While there are those all around us who are not interested in the things of God today, that doesn’t mean that they will stay that way forever. It means that it is up to us to pray for God to draw those people to Himself. We can pray for Him to soften their hearts (Ezekiel 36:26), prepare their hearts (Psalm 10:17), open the door of faith (Acts 14:27), and give them eyes that see and ears that hear (Matthew 13:16). We can pray and fast for the salvation of souls.

Pray for God to Lead Us to Fire

We can also pray for God to show us the people in which He already has a fire burning. Romans 10:14 says, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” God is always working, always dealing with people, but they are not always quick to respond. In fact, the Share Jesus Without Fear book asserts that it takes people an average of 7.6 times of hearing the Gospel before they respond. That’s why we don’t have to be sad and give up hope when we share the gospel to no effect. That’s also why we must pray and be on the lookout for hearts that are ready to receive.

Prayer and the Obedience to Share

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”

Revelation 3:20

God initiates salvation. Jesus does the knocking, and Jesus does the calling. HIs Spirit enables people to see the Truth of the Gospel when others would call it “foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23). But for those whom He has called, Christ is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). We must pray for the fire of God to come upon our loved ones and acquaintances. We must also beg to be led by God to those who are ready to open their doors. Only then will the meal be prepared and Jesus come to dine.

If you like analogies, try 3 Reasons We Can’t Stop Trying to Save the Lost. It uses the parable of the starfish to explain evangelism. Or, try Christian Deception & Monopoly House Rules. It’s an article that categorizes all the ways churches are finding to change the “game.” Please sign up to receive my blog in your email inbox. You can find that at the upper right of your screen (or at the bottom on a phone). Also, check out my YouTube Channel where I read the blogs out loud. I also have a playlist of hymns from my church.