The Natural Heart and the Spirit of God

Oswald Chambers wrote, "The natural heart needs the gospel of Jesus, but it does not want it; it will fight against it, and it takes the convicting Spirit of God to make men and women know they need to experience a radical work of grace in their hearts."

Jesus Himself said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." (John 6:44a ESV)

 

That is why evangelism via prayer is essential. We can talk the talk and walk the walk. We can be salt and light, but only God has the power to convict a heart.

 

Prayer is the work that is the foundation of evangelism.

 

Prayer is what invites the Spirit to work in this land of the living ruled by the prince of the air, "to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." (John 16:8 NJK)

 

Prayer is what opens eyes to turn faces from the darkness to the Light.

 

For all who call themselves His people, prayer is where the real battle is to spread the gospel of Jesus. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we are not battling flesh and blood but what is invisible to human eyes—principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness. That's an enemy you can't battle with physical weapons, only the spoken word of prayer.  

 

This world has hordes of people whose hearts are in the natural state of enmity with God. Jesus looked at them with compassion. But—

 

What did Jesus tell His disciples to do?

 

PRAY!

 

Matthew records His words, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send into His harvest." (Matthew 9:35-38) Jesus saw the weary and scattered multitudes. He knew their hearts and their need.

 

It is the responsibility of every disciple of Jesus—you and me—to pray and unleash the power of God among the people of this fallen world to do "a radical work of grace in their hearts."

 

This is what we do, praying moms, when we pray not only for our children but for those who influence their lives—their teachers, their coaches, their student leaders, their friends. May we be unrelenting in the labor of evangelistic prayer.

 

 

"The most important human factor in effective evangelism is PRAYER.

Every great awakening in the history of the Church from the time of the Apostles until today

has been the result of PRAYER."

R.A. Torrey