The Work of the Spirit in Salvation
There are times that in our zeal to see people come to Christ, we have a tendency to forget that salvation is still a work of the Spirit of God in the heart of someone who puts in their faith in the message of the gospel. We are always looking for “foolproof” methodology to use on people who are not saved.
We must remember that the message of the gospel is “foolishness” to those who do not believe. Without the work of the Spirit of God in our hearts we will not believe. As Donald Bloesch states, “We do not fully understand the gospel until our inward eyes are opened by the Spirit of God to discern the depth of meaning contained in the gospel.”
What does this mean for us as believers who want others to come to Christ? My interpretation is that any proclamation of the gospel, whether it is by printed page, preaching in a church, one on one witnessing or at a special outreach MUST be saturated with an appropriate prayer covering.
On more than one occasion the Apostle Paul asked the churches that were under his care to pray for open doors and boldness in proclaiming the message. Because so much of my ministry has been focused on reaching students at school, one of my dreams is to see at least two people praying for each school in the USA on a regular basis.
While I appreciate the special events pray focus such as SYATP, National Day of Prayer and the new Cry Out America, I believe the students of America would be better served over the long haul by a company of parents, grandparents and other concerned adults who would commit to pray for schools on a regular basis.
A mighty Prayer Force.
