Photo credit: Spiritual Parenting: How to lead someone to Christ?
Why we are on this earth?
We are created on this earth by God to fulfill His purposes and will. It is essential to understand God's purpose in our life to find the real meaning of life on this earth and in eternity. One of the primary purposes of our life on this earth is that we are created to serve or minister to God. Since we are part of the body of Christ, we all have a ministry. At least, every one of us has three important ministries:
- Ministry towards God: Our personal relationship with God, worshipping Him.
- Ministry towards our co-believers (Mt 22.39; Gal 5.13; Acts 2.42-47; Titus 3.8).
- Ministry towards others/world:
- Matthew 28:19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
- Luke 5.10: "And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.'"
- 2 Corinthians 5:18-20: "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."
- 1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
What is Spiritual Parenting?
Spiritual parenting is an effective method or program through which we can minister to the world or others successfully. The basic principle of spiritual parenting is a series of systematic, time-bound, focused, and continued efforts and works toward a non-believer with the aim of bringing him or her to Christ. 1 Corinthians 4:15 says: "For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel." Thus, spiritual parenting aims to give birth to new believers in Christ through sharing the gospel. It is also a strong, loving relationship in which we share the gospel and make them our disciples. Caring for, nurturing, and facilitating the growth of new believers are part of spiritual parenting.
SPIRITUAL PARENTING: STRATEGIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Aiming/Targeting
The first step of spiritual parenting is aiming at a few people to bring them to Christ. Mainly we can target two particular groups:
- Our Friends/Oikos: Family members, friends, colleagues, classmates, roommates, neighbors, Facebook friends, and social networking friends.
- A Community: People in a particular locality, institution, or company; specific groups like youth, eunuchs, specially-abled children, etc.
2. Prayer
Since we are priests of God, it is our responsibility to pray for perishing souls we are targeting. Prayer is the price for perishing souls. This prayer is a war, and the basic principles of this spiritual war are as follows:
- Exercising spiritual authority in your prayer: Lead your target people to spiritual freedom by using your spiritual authority in prayer (Mt 16.18-19). Open their spiritual eyes for the gospel (2 Cor 4.4). Pray to break mental strongholds like traditional faith, social fear, or other beliefs (2 Cor 10.4-5).
- Pray with faith: Pray with faith that your target people will come to Christ (Mk 11.22-24, Hb 11.1).
- Take fasting and pray: Nehemiah and Daniel prayed and fasted for their people (Neh 1.3-4; Dan 9.1-3).
- Pray persistently until God answers your prayer.
- Conduct prayer walks.
A Prayer Model
Thumb finger: Commit the perishing soul into the authority of Father God.
Pointing finger: Exercise your spiritual authority and pray for their deliverance from demonic influences.
Middle finger: Ask God to release the Holy Spirit to work in the targeting perishing people so that they hear the gospel and are convinced.
Ring finger: Pray that God may help us share His love with our targeted people, especially in their point of need.
Small finger: Pray that God may use us to bring the targeted people to Him.
3. Lead Them Into Christ: How to share gospel to others?
Step 1: Develop a strong relationship
Engage in small talk, help meet their needs, encourage their benefits, invite them for food, go for an outing, spend time together, make regular calls, respond to their Facebook posts, give surprise gifts, etc.
In this stage, you need to discern their spiritual status and ability to accept the gospel.
Step 2: Share either your testimony or a spiritual truth
Your testimony should consist of:
- How your life was without Christ (apply discretion).
- The particular event or circumstance where you met Christ.
- What Christ did in your life.
- How your life changed with Christ.
When sharing your testimony, ensure you are not hurting the religious feelings of the other person or people of your former faith. Also, try to connect your testimony to the life of the other person and use it to share the gospel.
You can share spiritual truths with your targeted people through everyday talk, discussions, or whenever the opportunity arises. You can also send SMS, emails, or write on social network walls.
Step 3: Share the Gospel
What is the Gospel?
Fact 1: God loves everyone. But sin creates a gap between us and God. Everyone is a sinner before God. Sin is missing the mark or the standards/will of God.Fact 2: We cannot reach God solely through moral living, good works, or religion because they cannot solve the issue of sin.
Fact 3: Jesus came to this earth in the form of man. He was born of the virgin Mary without sin, lived a life without sin, did things only God can do, died for the sins of humanity on the cross, resurrected from the dead, still lives, and will come back to earth very soon. Through Jesus, your sins can be forgiven.
Fact 4: To experience the forgiveness of your sins and become God’s child, you need repentance and faith.
Repentance: A decision to turn away from sin and commit the rest of your life to live for God according to His word or standards.Faith: Trust in Jesus—that He died for your sins, resurrected from the dead, and lives now.
Fact 5: When you accept Jesus into your personal life, you become a child of God and receive eternal life.
A Model Prayer:
"Father God, thank You for loving me and sending Your Son to die for me. I acknowledge that I have violated Your law and sinned against You. But now I place my trust in Your Son, Jesus, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and that You raised Him from the dead. I receive the forgiveness made available through Jesus and Your gift of eternal life. I receive Jesus as the Savior and the Lord of my life. Please come into my heart, Jesus. For all this, I thank You. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen."
Fact 7: What’s next? Prayer, worship, Bible study, fellowship, and church.
What Are the Effective Methods of Presentation?
- One-to-one sharing through the bridge illustration (see the last two pages for the bridge illustration).
- Using videos.
- Sending emails.
- Using social networking spaces.
- Giving effective books.
- Sharing the Bible.
- Inviting someone to a special evangelistic program.
- Using special days like Friendship Day and occasions like birthdays.
- Organizing evangelistic programs.
- Developing your own innovative methods.
- Giving Christian movies followed by discussions.
Nurturing New Believers
- Meet personally and teach the basic truths of Christ.
- Introduce them to a mature co-believer and pastor.
- Invite them to a care cell.
- Invite them to church.
- Help build them up as mature believers.