Standing Firm in One Spirit: A Call to Prayer
As followers of Christ, we are called to stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27, NIV). But how do we do this? How do we share the good news of Jesus with others and invite them to join us on this journey of faith? The answer lies in prayer.
Praying for Opportunities
The first step is to pray for opportunities to talk about Jesus. We need to ask God to give us openings to share the gospel with others and to invite them to join our community of believers. Colossians 4:3 reminds us to pray for this very thing. And when we do, we can trust that God will take us seriously and answer our prayer.
Preparing Hearts
But it’s not just about us; it’s also about the hearts of those we want to reach. We need to pray for God to prepare their hearts, to soften them and make them receptive to the message of Jesus. As Pastor Rick says, “God softens hearts by sending the rain.” When we see someone going through a tough time, we can know that God is at work, preparing their heart for the gospel.
A Tender Heart
We also need to pray for God to tenderize our own hearts. We need to ask Him to give us a burden, a sense of compassion and concern for specific people or groups. This is what drives us to share the gospel, to reach out to others and invite them to join us.
The Power of God’s Word
Finally, we need to pray that the words of Jesus will take off, that they will spread rapidly and bring a groundswell of response. This is what happened in the early days of the church, and it can happen again today. As 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (MSG) says, “Pray that the word of the Lord will simply take off and race through the country.”
A Call to Action
So let’s take up this call to prayer. Let’s ask God to give us opportunities to share the gospel, to prepare hearts, to tenderize our own hearts, and to spread the words of Jesus far and wide. When we do, we can trust that He will answer our prayers and bring a harvest of souls into His kingdom.
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