Mark 1:35-39 says, “35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. 38And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. 39And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.”

If Jesus had to pray, what in the world makes us thing that we can live for God without prayer? From a devotional life before His Father, Jesus was able to effectively evangelize the gospel. People wanted to hear His messages and be a part of the miracles. He even went to the synagogues, or churches, to “cast out devils”, indicating that they can be welcomed there. From this solitary place, the Spirit of the LORD guided Jesus to go to the next towns to preach. We must be careful not to do anything in ourselves when it comes to evangelistic words, but be led by the Holy Spirit. If evangelism is done to make ourselves feel better about ourselves and more accomplished, then we are doing them for the wrong reason. We will not win people by becoming another social club or trying to “out entertain” the world, but by truly mirroring God’s love to people through authentic evangelism. Love is not something that you change your mind and start doing in a day. If you have more of God, then you will have more love, for God is love (1 John 4:8). Love is not something you are taught or forced. You cannot make someone care. It is instilled and becomes natural through a kingdom family!

 

God longs to raise up the praying evangelists. They are not just the ministers who pray, but they effectively release conviction on people and strategically pray the manifestation of the kingdom in certain areas where the gospel must be preached. The intention is to set the tone for the harvest! Matthew 9:35-38 says, “35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” This is a command from Jesus to pray. Therefore, we must align our prayer with His, knowing that He would never instruct us to pray about something that He Himself would not pray. People were being healed and lives forever changed, but they were scattered because they were not enough shepherds taking these new converts under their wings. Soul-winning may belong to the evangelists, but spiritual fatherhood belongs to the shepherds! We need a shepherding generation of fathers and mothers who will take these adopted sons and daughters under their wings and raise them in the knowledge and fear of the LORD. That is how you sustain a harvest!