Evangelism

If I were a betting man, I'd wager dollars to donuts that for the vast majority of Christians, evangelism is the hardest part of their personal walk with God. And I'm sure I'd win a lot of donuts. I know that this is something that I struggle with. In fact, almost all of my evangelistic encounters were to fulfill requirements from school. Why is it so hard??

I've got several observations that I've made from my personal experience that I hope will help whoever reads this to be the witness for Christ that we are each called to be.

#1- The single, absolute most important component to evangelism is prayer. Pray for specific people by name for their salvation. Get others to pray for them as well. Pray for boldness to steer conversations into religious waters and not to shy away from difficulties. But above all, PRAY!

#2- An often overlooked part of actually presenting the gospel is listening. Ask open ended questions. In my experience, people have a lot to say about religion and their beliefs, and they are not really shy about it, when asked politely. Also, part of good listening is showing genuine interest and respect for the other person. This is part of what is commonly called "winning the right to be heard." Most people are turned off by sales pitches and high pressure tactics, but many will respond positively and listen politely when they are treated like a person and not a prospect.

#3- Say anything!! I want to encourage people to take baby-steps. For me, personally, I don't like to do things unless I know I will be good at it. I know my wife is the same way. That makes evangelism intimidating, like if I mess up, the other person will go to Hell. Remember, God can do a lot with our little bit, but we have to do something: talk about who God is, invite them to church (and make sure to meet them there and sit with them), tell them how Jesus changed your life, tell them what Jesus did, just as long as you say something. Especially when you pray beforehand, I know you'll be surprised at what God can do with your "little" efforts.

You don't have to give an amazing answer for everyone's questions. Jesus didn't. Just realize that there are millions of Americans who want to go to church, but don't feel comfortable because they don't know anyone. They are waiting for someone to go with them. Will you invite someone to meet Jesus??