We long to see spiritually-dead hearts revived. This session explores what it means to be spiritually-empowered through prayer, leading us to an authentic revival in our own hearts that in turn we can offer to the world.
Session in a sentence
Prayer is a bedrock of evangelism, and it puts the power where the power belongs – not in human effort but in the hands of God.
Session background
The presbyterian minister and missionary Arthur Tappan Pierson made this striking assertion: ‘There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.’ We’d be hard-pressed to find an example that contradicts his statement. It describes God’s mandate to his people throughout scripture and the promise of what will follow. During Solomon’s reign, God speaks to the rebellious Israelites and offers them hope in the face of their chaotic disobedience and the inevitable disastrous consequences that follow:
‘…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’
2 CHRONICLES 7:14
In the same way, the gospel of Jesus is an opportunity to humbly relinquish lordship over our own lives, submit to Christ, confess that he is Lord and allow him to bring us healing and new life. We move from rebellion (our sin), to revelation (of God’s truth), to repentance (faith in God), to revival (transformation that offers transformation to others).
The meaning of the word ‘turn’ used in 2 Chronicles is the same as the word we translate in the New Testament as ‘repent’. Jesus began his preaching ministry with a call to do exactly that (Mark 1:15). The Israelites’ problem in 2 Chronicles is the same as our own today – we too frequently look to other gods (including ourselves) in an attempt to command our own destiny. This disobedience can only lead to death, brokenness and chaos. God has been calling us to turn back to him from the moment we turned away. The gospel reveals that despite our rebellion, hope is found in the grace of God, and our humble response to him.
Pleading with a judge usually involves a plea of innocence in the hope of being exonerated, but here we are told to bow before the eternal judge and admit our guilt. Only then can we be pardoned. Justice demands punishment of our guilt in light of the appalling reality of our rebellion against a holy king, but God instead extends pardon to us via the perfect justice of the cross. Instead of death, we are offered healing, restoration and life. God revives the humble.
Another example of the power of prayer and unity (with God and with one another) for revival is found in the story of Job. The turning point for Job is not when he gets a heavy perspective check from God, but when he obediently prays for the friends who had been part of the problem of distorting his perspective in the first place. At this point in the story, Job lifts his eyes from his own circumstances, graciously prays for others (who have wronged him) and is restored (Job 42:10).
Revival starts with one person choosing obedience to their heavenly Father and declaring their allegiance to the kingdom of peace. It takes just one person to declare that Jesus is Lord in word and action, relying on the Holy Spirit to empower them to be born again. By the grace of God, revival starts with us – and by that same grace, revival can spring up wherever a once-rebellious people unite in humility to call upon the power of God to heal the land.
Session guide
Catch up (20–30 mins)
Take time to catch up with one another, sharing stories, encouragements, feedback on opportunities and anything else that would encourage the group. Use this time to talk about the gospel talk clip exam (Session Four – Application). What did people find helpful or unhelpful? What have we learned from the example that will help us to grow as proclaimers of the good news?
Prayer
Commit the time to the Lord and pray over any situations, positive or challenging, highlighted in the catch up time.
Teaching (20–30 mins)
Work through the following teaching material in your own way, either by reading it word for word, or by reworking it into your own presentation.
‘I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.’
1 TIMOTHY 2:1–4
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul gives his protégé some clear instructions for the worshipping life of the church in Ephesus. Paul tells him to give priority to prayers and intercession for all people, because it pleases God. It pleases God because he wants all people to know the peace of his kingdom. Prayer is the way by which we call upon God to do what only he can do – bring peace in chaos and bring life from death.
Prayer is a bedrock of evangelism because it is where we seek God’s power for the task, putting the power where the power belongs – not in human effort but in the hands of God.
“The Bible is God’s Word; it is his story of his work in bringing rebellious men and women back to himself. It tells, not of man’s seeking a lost God, but of God seeking lost men. The Bible does not present an art of prayer; it presents the God of prayer, the God who calls before we answer and answers before we call.’
EDMUND P. CLOWNEY
United States founding father Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.’ We must prepare our hearts for evangelism through prayerful submission and petition to God. We could reframe the saying as:
‘By failing to prayerfully prepare for evangelism, we are preparing to fail in evangelism.’
Even with faithful prayer and a spiritually empowered gospel message, people can still choose to reject the gospel. But the power of salvation is God’s alone, and we can trust God to be at work through our prayers even when we don’t immediately see an outcome. The outcome of our evangelism is in the hands of the one who hears our message and God himself. Our success and failure in evangelism isn’t measured by how many people are saved, but by our obedience to do what God asks us – to pray and to proclaim.
Our primary motivation to pray is that God commands us to do so. However, this motivation should mature from responding to God’s simple command as we grow in relationship with our heavenly Father, to the extent that we would lovingly desire to glorify him and seek his goodness and blessings for our own lives and for those we pray for. We discover God’s will more clearly as we know him more fully. The more we pray, the more we know God. The more we know God, the more we desire to pray so that his will may be done on earth as in heaven.
What is the state of our prayer lives? For some, prayer comes naturally. For others, it takes more effort. Preachers could ask themselves this question to self-evaluate: ‘Do I find it easier to preach or to pray?’ How often would you happily continue to preach beyond your allotted sermon time, and how frequently do you continue to pray beyond the limits of your regular devotion/quiet time? What about singing worship songs? Many find it easy to get lost in the music and experience of corporate singing, yet not so when it comes to prayer.
If we want to be effective in evangelism we need to be prayerful people, whether it comes naturally or not. The length of our prayers doesn’t matter, but the sincerity does. As we continue to sincerely petition the Lord for his transforming work in our own lives and the lives of others, we find that our capacity to spend longer in his presence will grow. This time will honour him, be good for us, and be a blessing to others.
Discuss: The Westminster Shorter Catechism describes prayer as, ‘an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.’ How does this description shape your understanding of prayer, specifically in relationship to evangelism?
Beyond offering to pray for others as part of our evangelism, we can understand and apply prayer in at least three ways when it comes to preparing ourselves to share the gospel:
First, as part of the process through which we can grow in maturity as children of God and as disciples of Jesus Christ who help others to grow likewise (Ephesians 4:14–16).
Second, as the way by which God’s power can bring opportunities to witness and work through us and shift our evangelism from merely marketing the Christian faith to stirring hearts from death to life (Colossians 4:2–6).
Third, as the way by which we can be equipped with spiritual armour to defend against the attacks of the enemy as we go onto the front lines of spiritual battle, and to open the eyes of any who may have been deceived by his schemes that they may instead see and know the light of Jesus (Ephesians 6:10–20).
Just as Paul did with Timothy, let us urge and encourage each other to be prayerful for all people, and that it would be pleasing to God as we submit to his power in the hope that the world would come to know and submit to his saving truth.
Discussion (10 mins)
- What are your prayer habits or disciplines before preaching the gospel or engaging with a specific witnessing opportunity?
- Do you use prayer within the task of your evangelism? If so, how?
- How do you understand and deal with the issue of ‘unanswered’ prayer, and how would you help someone understand this idea if asked while sharing your faith with them?
‘The coming revival must begin with a great revival of prayer. It is in the closet, with the door shut, that the sound of abundance of rain will first be heard. An increase of secret prayer with ministers will be the sure harbinger of blessing.’
ANDREW MURRAY
Prayer And Accountability, Part One (20-30 mins)
In pairs or threes, spend some time reflecting on your prayer life, patterns and habits. Be honest with each other about your strengths and weaknesses in your approach to prayer and resolve to grow in making space for personal prayer each day.
Pray together in the following three ways.
- Pray for each other. Pray that God would help us to be a humble people who grow daily in our relationship with him.
- Spend time praying for your community, town or city. Pray for the lost to be saved and ask God to heal our land. (Broadly: ‘God, give me opportunities to share today; God, stir hearts to life today’).
- Spend time praying for yourself. Pray to be equipped in the full armour of God as you head out onto the front line.
Application (5 mins)
Write a list of at least five friends, family members, colleagues or even strangers that you are aware of who do not yet know Jesus as Lord. Keep this on your phone, in your wallet, in your Bible or somewhere accessible where you will see it every day. Faithfully pray for these people every day, asking God to revive them and bring them to trust in him and commit to having one gospel conversation with any known personally to you in the near future as you pray for them.
Accountability, Part Two (15 mins)
Complete accountability forms, share in pairs or smaller groups and pray for one another to close.
Don’t Forget…
We love to hear how God has been at work in your prayer and through your evangelism. You can share your stories with us at advancegroups.org and encourage others in their journey as you do.
