Come & See - Prayer

Stepping Up for Jesus

Have you ever had the opportunity to listen to a little kid pray? It’s quite humbling, especially when you remember that Jesus said:

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3, NIV

They don’t have any preconceived notions about the “proper” way to pray. You tell them to talk to Jesus like you talk to a friend, and they do! They tell Him about the things on their minds, what they’re worried about, and what they want. “Help Grandma feel better.” “Let Santa bring me a bike for Christmas.” “I pray that Daddy comes to church with us.”

Last week, we left off with me encouraging you to pick up a few “Come & See” cards from the Welcome Center so you’d have one ready to give someone when you invite them to church. This week, I’m wondering if you have someone in mind, and have you asked Jesus about it?

You see, before we even considered asking a person to come check out Grace, the Holy Spirit has already been working on their hearts, drawing them to God and helping them to be receptive to your invitation. God’s just waiting for you to get on board.

So, have you prayed about who to ask? Maybe it’s someone that has been in your life for ages. Maybe it’s a stranger. Maybe your father-in-law who walked away from church years ago. What about the former student that wants some advice? How about the cashier who looks completely overwhelmed when you’re Christmas shopping?

Also, have you asked Jesus when to do the inviting? Like I said last week, I didn’t whip out a “Come & See” card during the first conversation I had with my former student. God may be setting you up for success in the first conversation, but often He’s wanting you to build a bit of a relationship with the person first. Are you praying and asking for guidance then waiting for a subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) nudge to broach the subject of church? I can almost guarantee that if you’re following behind the Spirit’s work, the conversation won’t be nearly as awkward as you think.

Your prayers don’t need to be anything fancy, just talk to Jesus like you talk to a friend. “Who’s ready to know more about you, Jesus?” is sufficient. “How can I build on what you’re already doing?” is another one. Then, listen! In your conversations with people, pay attention to both what they’re saying and how God is leading you to respond.

Be prepared though. These conversations are rarely one-and-done things. God’s looking for relationships. He wants to build a church family, not just fill seats on a Sunday morning, and your friendship and invitation may be someone’s first step into the Grace family!

Stepping up with you, in His strength!

Monica Lebsack

Lay Leader

At Grace, one of my responsibilities is to publish a weekly article in our e-newsletter, GraceNotes, about discipleship. Specifically, about the various components of our Discipleship Pathway and how a person could journey along it. This is my most recent article.