The church grows when God’s people become more concerned about the fate of the lost than they are concerned about the comfort of the saved.
If we love our traditions more than the salvation of the lost, we will fail to reach them.
If we think our goal is perfect worship, we will fail to reach them.
If we fail to love them as God loves them, we will fail to reach them.
If we stop seeing the spiritual reality in the world around us, we will fail to reach them.
If we stop believing in hell and the devil, we will fail to reach them.
If we undermine the authority of the scriptures, we will fail to reach them.
But…
If we renew our love for God and the scriptures, we will understand our need to reach them.
If we love as God loves, then we will succeed at reaching them.
If we toss aside any tradition that is hindering our mission, we will reach them.
If we are willing to be vulnerable and expose our imperfect knowledge, we will reach them.
We have been called to reach the lost. I cannot tell you the last time I regularly prayed for the lost. I am ashamed of that and it changes today. Join me.
5 Responses
Interestingly enough, i don’t remember Jesus encouraging to pray (i.e talk. ABOUT them) for those who are lost but to talk TO them. Actual face to face conversations about their lostness. Leaving the safety of the sanctuary, meeting whereTHEY are rather than inviting them to come where WE are, so this other man can speak to them from a distance.
You may not remember it but that doesn’t mean it isn’t in the Bible 😉
See if you can find it in both the Gospels and Acts.
It is interesting thst we need specific divine directive to make something a good idea. First, we actually have it. But I don’t really get how praying for the lost is a bad idea.
Jesus did it. Paul did it. The believers in Acts did it. I don’t understand why this is contentious. Maybe I am reading you all wrong.
Matt. 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ASK the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.”
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and PRAYER to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”
You’re not reading him wrong 🙂
Thank you brother! Jesus made this clear! Are we listening? He has my attention.