In 1998, Bethany World Prayer Center established a new kind of cell group called "prayer cells." One objective of these 60 prayer cells was to provide a prayer covering to other cells as they ministered to the lost. According to Prayer Cell Coordinator Shelly Hollins, over 1,000 people were saved or received prayer during three months when teams of cell believers went into the streets and homes across their area in a "F-A-I-T-H Outreach" campaign.  Even now, Bethany averages 40 salvations a month in their 600 cell groups and 300 salvations a month in their church services. "Prayer cells," declares Hollins, "are key to evangelism in our church."

While you rejoice over the evangelism in Bethany's cells, you might be thinking, "That's great, but what about me? We don't have a prayer cell praying for us. Can I still see God's hand move in my cell group as I pray for the lost?"

Take heart! God wants to answer your prayer for the lost. Consider these five basic guidelines as you reach your world for Jesus.

1. PREPARE YOUR HEART AND MIND
Forgive and ask forgiveness. Before you can pray effectively, you must both forgive (Matt. 6:14-15; Mk. 11:25) and ask forgiveness (Matt. 5:23).

Kyongboon Shin of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Korea understands this vital lesson. After Kyongboon learned in her cell meeting that Christ had forgiven her and she was to forgive others, she called her father. Kyongboon hated her father for his long-term addiction to gambling and its effect on her family. She told him about her decision to forgive and release the past and he accepted her forgiveness. The next Sunday, Kyongboon's father accompanied her to church and accepted Christ.

"I had prayed for him before, but nothing happened," Kyongboon commented. "Forgiveness for my hatred paved the road to my father's salvation."

Bring your motives to God. James explained that we sometimes do not receive what we request in prayer because we ask with "wrong motives" (James 4:3). Are you praying for this person's salvation because it would make life easier for you or because it is your religious duty?

Deal with unbelief and disappointment. In the past, you might have prayed for someone to be born again, and saw no results. If so, there could be a residue of disappointment in your heart that makes it difficult for you to have faith for this person's salvation. If that is the case, reject unbelief. Ask God to transform your disappointment into bold faith and confidence.

2. PRAY BIBLICALLY
I met several cell members who prayed that God would give them a scripture of promise for each lost person targeted.  When God did, they proclaimed that Bible passage and prayed fervently. Other cell members would simply search the Bible to find the best scriptural way to pray for the lost. (For ideas of biblical ways to pray, see below.)

3. PRAY SPECIFICALLY
For current events and changes . . . Pray that God would use any changes in that lost person's life . . . as minor as going on a vacation, as major as the birth of a child or death of a parent. Pray he will realize his limitations, and adopt a new openness to receiving Christ.

For significant relatives or friends . . . Pray that God would block the influence of ungodly people in his life, and strengthen believers to respond in ways that increase his hunger for God.

Needs . . .  If appropriate, when your friend mentions a need, ask if you can pray for him. Let your friend know that Jesus is concerned with his daily needs.

Interests . . .  Each person has an area of interest; a hobby, a favorite type of book to read, an activity, participating in or viewing a favorite sport. Imagine my delight when God used a church softball league as part of a process to bring my athletic cousin Rachel to salvation!

4. COORDINATE YOUR PRAYER EFFORTS WITH YOUR CELL AND YOUR CHURCH
Remember Bethany? Coordination of prayer efforts in cells and their local church yielded dynamic evangelism results. Bill Henning in Glen Burnie, Maryland and Susanne Kuttruff in Zurich, Switzerland, recently e-mailed me with similar results. Even though they were from different sides of the globe, both staff pastors told how unbelievers targeted by praying cell groups finally came to the Lord through a coordinated prayer or harvest event at their churches.

If your church organizes regular half-nights of prayer for your cell groups, be sure your group participates. If your church holds a special prayer or harvest event, make sure you put "feet" on your prayers and invite your target friend to come with you.

5. PERSIST!
Jesus told His disciples the parable of the persistent widow "to show them that they should pray and not give up"  (Luke 18:1b, NIV). In our world of instant gratification, God asks that we not give up our persistent prayer for the lost.

Is there a lost person you sense God would have you target in prayer? There's no better time to start than now. Begin by preparing your heart and mind, then pray biblically and specifically for that lost person. Coordinate your prayer efforts with your cell and your local church and above all, persist! God delights in answering persistent prayer as you pave the road to salvation for your lost friend!

Scriptural ways to pray for a lost person

* Pray that God would lift the blindness brought by the enemy, and open his mind to see the Gospel (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

* Pray for the Holy Spirit - as He did at creation and with Mary - to hover over him, creating in him a hunger for the Gospel (Gen. 1:2; Lk. 1:35).

* Pray for godly people to be in his pathway every day (Matt. 9:37-38).

* Pray for God to bind all wicked thoughts and lies the enemy would try to place in his mind (2 Cor.10:5; Jn. 8:44; Mat. 16:19; 2 Cor. 11:3).

* Pray for God to place His armor on him, to protect him from the attack of the enemy (Eph. 6:10-18).
 

CellGroup Journal, Volume 9, #3
1-800-735-5865