Have you ever tried to share the gospel with someone and hit a wall of spiritual resistance? In order to effectively share the gospel and pray for people to receive it, you must pray against spiritual resistance. Here are eight simple prayer suggestions for counteracting spiritual resistance and strengthening evangelism opportunities.
praying woman hand in the dark ( praying in secret room concept )in white tone
Have you ever tried to share the gospel with someone and hit a wall of spiritual resistance? If we are to effectively share the gospel and pray for people to receive it, we must pray against spiritual resistance. Here are eight simple prayer suggestions for counteracting spiritual resistance and strengthening evangelism opportunities.
Notice Spiritual Resistance in Yourself
Believe that the Lord is able to reach even the most resistant people. Affirm Jesusโ words: โWith God all things are possibleโ Matthew 19:26 (NIV).
Recognize the Spiritual Resistance in Others
Pray for the names of those who donโt know God personally. Stand on the Scriptures โone died for allโ 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NIV), God โwants all men to be savedโ 1 Timothy 2:4 (NIV), โnot wanting anyone to perishโ 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV). Though there is no guarantee that someone will say yes to Godโs grace, God has said โYESโ to all people in the atoning sacrifice of His Son.
Ask the Lord to prompt those who need redemption to seek it. Jesus said clearly, โNo one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws himโ John 6:44 (NIV). Ask the Holy Spirit to make this person sick of his or her sin or empty lifestyle, plant seeds of truth, and stir a desire to seek reconciliation with God. In light of eternal destiny, we can be bold in asking God to do whatever He needs to do to shake and wake a person to spiritual reality.
Name Causes of Spiritual Resistance
Ask the Spirit to reveal the reality of sin, the requirement of righteousness to be reconciled to God, and the fearful inevitability of judgment (John 16:8 ) to those who donโt know Christ.
Ask God to reveal himself and to reveal what Jesus did on the cross for those who need hope (1 John 2:2 ).
Boldly confront the enemy. Pray with precision, faith, and authority to silence and subdue the influence of any evil spirit that devours the understanding of the Word of God. Pray that the strongholds spoken of by John will be bound: โthe cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and doesโ 1 John 2:16 (NIV). Satanic spirits energize and exploit these strongholds. If we first ask God to reveal Jesus to a person, then we can move on Jesusโ authority to get right up in the enemyโs face and break his blinding and binding grip.
Rise Up Against Spiritual Resistance
Ask the Lord each day for โdivine appointmentsโ with people who donโt know Jesus. An effective ambassador should be able to pray with authority and be able to give answers that open a door to Godโs redeeming grace.
This is harvest time. The devil surely knows it. Letโs rise to the occasion and move on the commission our Lord gave to Paul: โI am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in meโ Acts 26:17-18 (NIV).
Share this Navigators Discipleship Tool
Download a print friendly PDF of the Praying Against Spiritual Resistance resource to pass along. Navigators Discipleship Tools are designed for sharing with your Bible study, church groups, and those you are discipling.
Adapted from Pray! magazine, Issue #2, 1997. Written by Tom White. Used by permission from NavPress .
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