What is the first thing you can do so that non-Christians will believe in Jesus?

I remember my son and daughter’s baptisms. I’ve always loved baptisms because of the promise God gives us that through baptism. He will give us saving faith. It’s a victory over satan! God has brought another person into His kingdom!

That’s Awesome!!

In fact, Jesus says the angels rejoice every time someone receives faith. That’s right, there’s a party in heaven every baptism and every time someone hears the Word, believes, and is baptized.

The Scriptures tell us that faith is not something we achieve, but rather it is a gift, a work of the Holy Spirit. That’s one reason we baptize infants. Since the gift of faith is God’s act, He can give faith to a child just as well as an adult.

God Gives Faith To Adults, Too
Interestingly, when thinking about evangelism and adults, we tend to forget that it’s God who creates the faith. We get all worked up about saying the right thing as though if we say this word instead of another, it will determine whether the person goes to heaven or hell.

Even in adults, it’s still all the work of the Holy Spirit which is why you don’t have to get so worried about saying every right word. It’s also why it makes perfect sense for us to start with prayer.

In our passage from Ephesians, Paul is saying that he is praying that the “eyes of [their] heart[s] would be enlightened”. In other words, he is praying that they would receive faith so that they would know the hope of Christ.

Since it is God who gives faith, shouldn’t we pray for those who don’t know Him to receive faith?

Absolutely!

This doesn’t mean that we don’t need to bother talking with the people about Jesus. After all, Romans tells us that the Holy Spirit works through the hearing of the Word. However, we begin by praying for the people. Then we share the Gospel. Then we keep praying.

Who do you know that you could be praying for?

I encourage you to pick 5 people who you know that do not believe in Jesus and start praying for them every day that God would open the eyes of their hearts to receive faith and come to know the hope that He has called them to in Christ Jesus.

If you need some help, how about praying for the people who live in your neighborhood. One way you can do this is with the help of BlessEveryHome.com. You can sign-up for free and they will give you neighbors to pray for.

Let’s start today!

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

You are our source of life and salvation. Thank you for the gift of faith. I know several people that do not believe in You. I pray that You would give them faith. I pray for these five people in particular…

(Pray for the 5+ people on your list.)

Please give them faith and please give me the opportunity and boldness to share the Gospel with them.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.