With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:18-20 NAS95).
Having put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17), we are able by God’s power to stand against what the devil might throw at us. Being able to stand allows us to use the Word of God, our sword, offensively. To do so will require much prayer.
How often do you pray for God to open up doors so that you might share the Gospel? Paul, who by any account was prolific in sharing the Gospel, asked for prayer. He needed God to do three things. He needed opportunity, boldness, and faithfulness.
He needed opportunity, divine appointments to share. Sometimes, it is difficult to find the right moment to discuss faith. Really, it is more likely the moments are there, but we don’t recognize them because we haven’t prayed. Think about it. When you are worried about something, it is easy to pray about it. It is on your mind. If evangelism is on our minds, we will pray about it. Circular reasoning? Perhaps, but prayer overcomes our lack of focus.
Prayer also gives us boldness, which is Paul’s second request. Have you ever seen an opportunity to share the Gospel and not taken it? Likely, it was fear of something that took over when you let the moment pass. Make prayer for boldness a daily request, and you will see more opportunities and take more of those opportunities.
Prayer promotes faithfulness. Paul says pray for him that he may speak boldly as he ought to speak. He ought to speak, and we ought to speak. We should seek to be faithful in our outreach to the lost. It is easy to let our daily routines push aside spiritual matters. This is especially true when those spiritual matters, like evangelism, make us uncomfortable.
But be encouraged, remember what Christ said to Peter: I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it (Matthew 16:18 NAS95). Also, remember God has commissioned us to do this work. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20 NAS95).
May the Lord open up doors for the Gospel today. Amen.
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