Preparing the Soil with Prayer

If you’ve been journeying through our Empowered to Go series, you’ve gone through Bible reading plans on Prayer, Parties, and Person of Peace.

• Prayer focused on how to pray with purpose, boldness, and love for our lost friends, including using prayer walking.
• Parties looked at building relationships with those who don’t yet follow Jesus, through meals, parties, and everyday hospitality.
• Person of Peace followed Jesus’ extensive instructions in Luke 10 on focusing on the ones who are most open to the peace that He brings.

In this plan we’re focusing on the next step, which is Profound Conversations.

At some point, we need to open our mouths and share the good news of Jesus. As Paul writes in Romans 10, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14, NIV)

Prayer and parties prepare the soil, finding our Person of Peace helps us focus in, but we need to talk in order to plant the seed!

In Acts 26:15-18 Paul shares the story of his calling from God. He describes how Jesus appointed him as a servant and a witness of what he had seen and would see of God. The same is true for us. We have been sent to open the eyes of the lost and turn them from darkness to light, from the oppression of Satan to the freedom of God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who belong to Jesus forever.

The challenge, of course, is how to do this without burning all of our relational trust at once. No one wants to feel like a project! And yet, silence about Jesus is not an option either. The gospel is far too good to keep to ourselves.

Here’s the encouraging truth: the gospel spreads most naturally when we follow authentic relational pathways. Conversations about faith don’t have to be forced, awkward, or dramatic. They can grow naturally.

Conversations often begin casually, with the weather, sports, or kids. As trust deepens, they move toward the meaningful, like hopes, fears, and struggles. From there, the Spirit can open doors to the spiritual, such as our faith journey, God’s presence, and the ways Jesus has shaped us. And sometimes, by God’s grace, that journey leads all the way to salvation.

But before we speak, we must first pray. Romans 12:12 (NIV) reminds us to, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” This sort of praying is a daily choice! We will have personal passions, like Paul did for his fellow Jews (Romans 10:1), and we trust that the people especially on our hearts are placed there by God in His perfect sovereign plan.

We ask God to go before us and to open doors. Writing from Rome, Paul recognized this reality, along with the spiritual warfare that came with that. “A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” (1 Corinthians 16:9, NIV)

This isn't just about praying for a general opportunity. It's about being thankful and ready, recognizing that every conversation is a potential divine appointment. When we approach life this way, our attention shifts from ourselves and our own fears to God and the people He has placed in our lives.

Here are three things to pray for:

1. Pray for divine appointments - Ask Jesus to arrange ‘chance’ meet-ups, so that we are in the right place at the right time.
2. Pray for people by name - Specific prayers receive specific answers! We each have 3 lost friends we pray for by name every day, and it is so fun to see how the Lord works in their lives as a result.
3. Pray for God’s spotlight - If you’re going to enter a situation where there’ll be a lot of people (e.g. a party), ask the Lord to highlight those He wants you to notice. Think of the room as a stage, and God is going to spotlight certain people for you to move towards.

We remember that we are fully dependent on Jesus for the outcome of every conversation. The goal is not to share information, but to see God's truth and love touch people at the core of their being. Our very best way to prepare is through prayer.

Your Next Steps

1. Begin each morning by asking God to give you opportunities to witness.
2. As the day closes, pause to notice whom God brought into your life. Thank Him for the ways He helped you love well, bring Him the moments you missed, and invite His wisdom and courage for tomorrow’s conversations.
3. This week, invite the Spirit to help you watch for His divine appointments woven into ordinary life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of sharing Your love. Open my eyes to the people You highlight, give me courage when I’m timid, and fill my words with grace so others encounter Jesus through me. Amen.

More Resources for You!

Did this Plan stir something in you?

We created PROFOUND CONVERSATIONS - Empowered to Go to help you move from hesitation to Spirit-led prayerful action in your place of mission!

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