PRAYING AGAINST SPIRITUAL RESISTANCE
(by Tom White, Frontline Ministries)

Have you ever tried to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with someone and hit a wall of resistance? If we are to effectively reach people outside God's family, we must understand the spiritual warfare dimension of evangelism "behind the scenes." Then we can pray to God with spiritual authority that penetrates the veil of blindness that hinders many from trusting Jesus to save them. God tells us in 2 Corintians 4:4, "Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them." Below are some suggestions for practicing prayer evangelism more effectively:

1. Pray for Yourself

Ask God for an infusion of Christ's love for lost people in your heart (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Ask for balance and fearlessness (Ephesians 6:19 and 2 Timothy 1:7).

Ask for clarity and sensitivity when sharing the Good news (Colossians 4:4-5).

2. Believe that the Lord is Able to Reach Even the Most Resistant People

Affirm Jesus' words: "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

3. Present the Names of Those Who Are Lost or Fallen Away Before the Throne

Stand on the Scriptures: "God...wants all men to be saved" (I Timothy 2:4); "not wanting any to perish, but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

4. Ask the Lord to Compel a Lost Person to Seek Redemption

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

Ask the Holy Spirit to make the person acutely aware of the emptiness of life without God; to raise their level of spiritual thirst; and to stir a desire to seek a right relationship with God.

Ask God to do whatever it takes to shake and wake a person to spiritual reality.

5. Ask the Holy Spirit to Reveal the Reality of Sin (John 16:8).

6. Ask God to Reveal Supernaturally the Deity of His Son (Matthew 11:27).

Ask God to illuminate the mind of a lost person with the revelation of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as the only hope for reconciliation with God (I John 2:2).

7. Boldly Confront the Enemy

Ask God in the name and authority of Jesus Christ to silence and subdue the influence of any evil spirit that devours the understanding of the Word of God (Matthew 13:19).

Ask God to bind the strongholds that grip that person: "the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he says and does" (I John 2:16).

8. Ask God to Give You Clear Evidence of the Lord in a Person's Life

Ask God for wisdom and discernment to know when to move forward and share the Good News of Christ, whether directly, or by asking spiritual questions, sharing your story/personal testimony, etc.

9. Ask the Lord Each Day for "Divine Appointments"—and Then Share Jesus!