Leading People to Christ I - Spiritual Growth for New Believers

Scripture Readings:

Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

Romans 10:14: "But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?"

1 Timothy 2:4: "This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Mark 16:15: "And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.’"

As we mentioned in the previous lesson, once someone believes in Christ, they should testify for Him. Now, we will discuss how to lead others to Christ. If we do not know how to lead others to the Lord, many of our testimonies may be in vain. To lead others to Christ, there are several essential steps to learn. We can divide these into two parts: First, bringing people to God; and second, bringing God to people. Additionally, we will touch upon the matter of distributing tracts.

I. Bringing People to God

1. Prayer is the Fundamental Work in Leading People to Christ

The fundamental work of leading people to Christ is that before speaking to them, we must first speak to God. We need to pray to God before we approach others. It’s essential to speak to God first, not to people. Some brothers and sisters are eager to lead others to Christ but have not prayed for them. We must understand that if people do not have a burden before God, even though they may be interested, the work of salvation cannot proceed. People must first have a burden before God, and only then can they testify to others.

Jesus said, "All that the Father gives me will come to me" (John 6:37). Acts 2:47 tells us that God added those who were being saved to the church daily. Therefore, the first step is to pray to God for people, asking Him to give them to Jesus and to add them to the church. Salvation comes from God’s hand, and people’s hearts are the hardest to deal with. It is not easy to bring them to Christ. We must first pray earnestly for them before God, asking Him to bind the strong man (Luke 11:21–22), and then carefully speak to them. We must bring each person before God in prayer before we can effectively lead them to Christ.

Those who can lead others to Christ are those who know how to pray. If the prayer has not been answered, or if you are uncertain about prayer, you will also lack certainty when leading others to Christ. Therefore, the practice of prayer must be learned carefully and should not be done carelessly.

2. Prepare a Prayer Journal

To pray effectively for others, it’s best to prepare a prayer journal. Ask God to place the names of those He wants to save on your heart. When you first believed, you compensated for your past wrongs by seeking out the people God put on your heart. In the same way, God will put people on your heart to pray for, and as you do so, you will develop a burden for them, praying for several or even dozens of people.

In your journal, it’s crucial to write down the names that God has placed on your heart. Don’t just randomly make a list; do it carefully, because how you start matters. You should ask God for a few specific people—your family, friends, coworkers, classmates, and others you know. When you pray for them, you will feel the burden to see them saved.

Your journal should include the following sections: First, a number; second, the date you begin praying for someone; third, the person's name; and fourth, the date they get saved (or, if they pass away, the date of their death). Once you write someone’s name in the journal, do not stop praying for them unless they die. If they haven’t been saved yet, continue praying until they are. For example, one brother prayed for someone for eighteen years before they were saved. Salvation may take a long time, but it will happen if we persevere.

3. Sin is the Greatest Hindrance to Prayer

Prayer is a test of our spiritual condition before God. If we are spiritually in the right place, people will be saved one by one. If we continue to pray, after a while, people will be saved. But if after a long time our prayers have not been answered, it means something is wrong in our relationship with God. We need to go before Him and ask for His light to show us what the problem is.

The greatest hindrance to prayer is sin. We must learn to live holy lives before God. Any known sin must be rejected. If we are careless about sin, prayer will be hindered.

Sin has both objective and subjective aspects. Objectively, sin blocks God’s grace and His answers. Isaiah 59:1–2 says, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” If we don’t deal with sin in our lives, our prayers will be blocked.

Subjectively, sin weakens our conscience. When we sin, our conscience becomes weak, and it becomes harder to pray. 1 Timothy 1:19 says, “Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” When the conscience is defiled, prayer becomes difficult.

Therefore, if you want to be someone who prays effectively, you must deal with sin in your life. Confess your sins before God, reject them, and cleanse your conscience by the blood of Christ. Once your conscience is cleansed, your prayers will be unhindered.

4. Prayer Must Be Done in Faith

Another crucial thing is that prayer must be done in faith. If your conscience is clear, your faith will be strong, and your prayers will be more effective. Faith means that you pray without doubt and trust in God’s promises. God commands us to pray, and He says, "Ask, and it will be given to you" (Matthew 7:7). If you pray, God will answer. You must believe in the faithfulness of God's promises, trusting that He will fulfill them.

You must learn to be a person of faith from the beginning. It’s not based on feelings or intellect, but on God’s Word. God's promises are as reliable as currency, and we can claim them in prayer.

5. Desire to Be a Person of Prayer

Brothers and sisters, you must have a deep desire to be someone who prays effectively. Some people have influence with God in their prayers; others do not. If you have influence with God, your words will be heard, and God will be moved. That is the most glorious thing—when God listens to your prayers.

You must bring the people you care about before God, praying for them by name. If your prayers seem unanswered, you may need to examine your own heart or engage in further prayer. Prayer often requires perseverance and negotiation with God. If your prayers aren’t being answered, there’s a problem—either with your conscience or with your faith.

6. Pray Every Day

You should pray daily for those around you. There are people in your family, at work, and among your friends who need your intercession. Pray that God will place specific people on your heart and intercede for them daily.

Designate a time each day for prayer. Whether it’s an hour, half an hour, or fifteen minutes, make sure you have a regular time for prayer. Without this commitment, prayer will become sporadic and ineffective. Regular, persistent prayer leads to visible results.