7 Ways to Pray Evangelistically

Do you have a desire to see others come to faith in Jesus Christ? If so, then pray for them to be saved! And what should you pray?

I’m glad you asked.

Ephesians 6:18-20
¹⁸  Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. ¹⁹  Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. ²⁰  For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.

Here are seven (7) ways to pray evangelistically.

1. Pray at all times (v18). Don’t limit your prayer times to Sundays when you go to church. Discipline yourself to pray at all times. Practically, this means when you think of someone or talk to them or see them, take a moment to silently pray for them. If they are not yet a follower of Jesus, pray for their salvation!
2. Pray in the Spirit (v18). The Holy Spirit always speaks in line with the Word of God, always glorifying the Son (John 16:13-14). Praying in the Spirit is praying in sync with the Word of God and also the Spirit of God, who is always wanting people to believe in Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit strengthen, encourage and guide your prayers.
3. Pray for other believers (vv18-19). You can only be at one place at one time. God has placed us all at different jobs, different schools, different neighborhoods and even different countries so that we can collectively be witnesses to all nations. Pray for other believers that they may stand strong in their faith (Ephesians 6:10-17) and that they might be witnesses for Christ. How great will it be the next time you see your friend to tell them you have been praying for them to be a witness for Jesus?
4. Pray for the lost to be drawn to Christ (John 6:44). No one can be saved unless God draws them to Jesus. On our own, we are all lost in our sins. One of the ways we pray for people evangelistically is to pray that God would draw them to Jesus. Pray for them by name. Pray they will see how glorious Jesus is and how utterly hopeless they are without him. Pray that they would be curious about Christ, miserable without Christ, and drawn to faith in Jesus Christ.
   • John 6:44
     ⁴⁴  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.
     
5. Pray for open doors for the gospel (Colossians 4:3). The world, the flesh and the devil try to keep doors closed so that people do not come to faith in Jesus. Pray that God will open doors of opportunity for the gospel. These opportunities may be personal invitations to church, praying with someone, sharing the good news, distribution of Bibles, or other means of proclaiming the gospel.
   • Colossians 4:2-3
     ² Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. ³  At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains,
6. Pray for boldness in sharing the gospel (vv19-20). It is interesting that one of the boldest Christians ever to live, the apostle Paul, asked his friends in Ephesus to pray for him to have boldness as he shared the gospel. He didn’t want to allow fear to keep him from speaking the truth in love. When you pray for yourself and others in regards to sharing the gospel, pray for grace-filled boldness in your words.
7. Pray for people to be saved (Romans 10:13). As you pray for specific people by name, pray that they will receive the message of salvation that they hear and surrender their lives to Jesus. Pray that they call upon the name of the Lord, trusting in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
   • Romans 10:13
     ¹³  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Allow the Word of God to guide your prayers. And through your prayers and the witness of many believers (including you!) may many people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.