Praying For Lost Friends Series

This morning, I want to reintroduce you to something that has the potential to impact your friends and family for all of eternity. I want to see you make an impact on those closest to you through a simple campaign called Prayer, Care, Share. Many of you already have this insert. If you have this with you, would you just lift your hand and hold it up?

Prayer, Care, Share is a simple plan to reach anyone with the gospel. The goal of prayer-care-share is to create natural relationships with people in your life and then find a way to tell them how Christ has changed you.

The process begins with you choosing someone you want to introduce to Christ. This is likely someone who is already in your life – a family member, coworker, or friend. Then, you pray for discernment, direction, and love toward that person.

Think of the Prayer, Care, Share campaign as a time-release capsule where the active ingredients are designed for release over time. On the back of the card, you’ll see a schedule that you can follow for the entire emphasis. Notice Prayer Care Share culminates on Easter Sunday, when you would invite the person you’re praying for to church with you. I’m getting way ahead of myself. For now, focus on the small card inside.

I’m happy to report that our church is praying for 974 friends and family members who need the love of Jesus Christ. You’ll have an opportunity to add your loved one to this growing number today.

There are three layers to Prayer, Care, Share. You might think of them as three lanes or three stages. First, you pray for your unchurched friends and loved ones daily. You call out to God to bring the people closest to you close to Him. Second, you actively show love and serve those closest to you. You can serve in a thousand ways. You cook a meal for neighbors or invite them over or out to eat with you. It’s offering to help with yard work or give them a ride – whatever is needed. Third and lastly, you share the gospel with those you love the most. Prayer, Care, Share combines two of the greatest commands Jesus gave to us: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

In the moments to come, I want to develop your prayer life for your unchurched loved ones. Throughout today’s message, I will invite you to pause and pray with me for your friends and family members to embrace Christ. In the moments to come, I will share a personal story where I prayed for someone to embrace Christ.

Sermon Preview

3. The Hound of Heaven

2. Praying for Me

1. Praying for My Loved Ones

1. Praying for My Loved Ones

1.1 Prayer Evangelism

Prayer plays a crucial role in evangelism. When you pray for someone to know Christ, you bring this person before God over and over until they are saved.1 Prayer evangelism is going on behalf of God for the unsaved person. Over the next few minutes, I want to show you a couple of passages that you can use to pray for your friends. You’ll want to write these down.

1.2 The Father Draws

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).

Jesus said the only way you can come to Him is when the Father draws you. Let me offer you a picture of this. The word “draws” is used elsewhere in your New Testament, where Peter draws his sword to strike the high priest’s servant (John 18:10). The very same word is used with Peter hauls his net ashore after catching a large amount of fish (John 21:11). And the very same word is used to describe how Peter and Silas were seized and dragged into the marketplace because they were preaching the gospel (Acts 16:19). Does this give you a clear picture of the work the Father does before anyone comes to Christ? Whether it is hauling in a net of fish, drawing a sword, or dragging men off to punishment, God does a work in our hearts. Now, praying for your friends and loved ones is cooperating with God to ask Him to draw people to Christ. You pray that God draws them to deliverance. It’s praying that God will haul your friends and family to the hope in Christ.

1.3 Prayer Relaxes You

Praying for your loved ones to come to Christ relaxes you. This is a supernatural thing when someone embraces Christ. You don’t have to pressure or manipulate anyone. So, we pray for our friends and family members to be drawn to Jesus.

Here’s something you could pray based on John 6:44: “Father, would you overcome all my friend’s objections to faith and draw them to you? Would you draw them to you, despite me being a poor witness for you? Would you haul them to like Paul and Silas were dragged into the marketplace? You know what is better for my family members than they do. Save them from themselves. Bless them with you, Lord. Grant them faith and cause them to turn away from their broken life to put their trust in you. Please do this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”