I heard a friend use this phrase, and I kind of like it.

There’s always hesitation, at least when you first start stepping out. Thoughts go through your head. “What will they say? What if they don’t get healed? What if I’m not hearing God?” And so many other thoughts. The hardest thing to do when walking in love and Power Evangelism is starting the conversation about Jesus.

The start

When I started to step out and pray for people in public, I had all of the same thoughts that everyone else has. I got to the point where I decided that if I’m going to be a fool, I’ll be a fool for Jesus. I’d rather be uncomfortable now, then when I’m in front of Jesus. I don’t have this down by any means, but I have learned a few things that will help you reach out and love on someone for Jesus.

I remember the first person I ever prayed for in public. I went to Marshall’s to get a new wallet. As I was walking up to the store, I saw a woman pushing a cart. She said to me, “hey young man, can you help me put these things in my car?” I said “yeah of course!” So I put her things in her car and she says to me, “sorry, I have a hard time doing it, my knees are really bad.” And I was like now’s my chance! So I said, “hey, I’m a Christian, and the Bible says if I lay hands on the sick, they’ll recover. Can I pray for you?” She said “uhhh ok. Go ahead.” So I put my hand on one of her knees and told them to be healed. I said “check it out.” She said “uhh… yeah… they feel… yeah.. better.” I could tell she was trying to make me feel good. So I prayed again, and she said the same thing. She was obviously not feeling better. So she thanked me anyway, and I walked into the store. I did this sort of thing for a while. God saw that I wanted it, so He made the way for me to see my first healing.

The issue that we have a lot with praying for people in public is that we think nothing will happen, and we’ll look stupid. Well, we’re going to look stupid either way, so we might as well do it until we see results. The Bible says that believers shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Ok, so the Bible says that we are believers. It says that we shall do this. So when we persist in laying hands on the sick, we are telling God and man that we believe God and His word. God will confirm His word. We are not that powerful in and of ourselves. Thankfully we are one with Christ, and He is strong. He is very mighty. Our prayers never heal anyone. The more you remain in trust and faith in God, the more powerfully the kingdom of God will be demonstrated.

When I saw the first healing at church, I decided that I was going to keep touching people and seeing the kingdom manifest. Words of knowledge came later, as I applied this same principle. I looked like an idiot asking people if they had cancer or diabetes or pain in their shoulder. A lot of them gave me the strangest looks and said “uhhh… no, why do you ask? Are you selling something?” But when you have a genuine word of knowledge for someone, it’s very powerful. These are the tools that God has given us to reach the lost.

Getting out of the boat where Jesus is

As John Wimber used to say, “the meat is on the street.” This is so true. It is said that you remember 10% of what you hear, but you remember 90% of what you do. Doing the gospel will actually form who you are in Christ, and you will understand the Lord’s will. Here are a few verses that explain this perfectly:

““Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”” Matthew‬ ‭7:24-27‬

“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” ‭‭John‬ 7:17

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James‬ ‭1:22-25‬

The most powerful moments in God are out in the market place. Jesus loves everyone! I know that sounds cliche, but we often either focus real hard on the poor, people on the street, or people in the church. God is not holding out on anyone. He will touch people in church just as readily as He will on the street. He loves them all! I think sometimes we get a bent on us because “we’re wasting ministry on people in the church when there are people dying outside.” God does not think this way. He loves the people in the seats just as much as the people in the streets. If you see a person, any person, they are fair game to love them in God.

I hear people say “I have to be lead by the Spirit to a person.” Well, you can and will be at times, but when I hear this phrase used, it’s almost always a fear of man issue. You may walk by thousands of people before you “feel lead” to touch them. Here’s the best formula for encounter with people; did Jesus die for them?

Yes? Ok go love them.

No? Ok don’t go love them.

Obviously Jesus died for everyone, I’m just making a point.

The takeaway

With all this being said, please don’t get condemned if you walk by people. You don’t have to talk to everyone, and you can’t anyway. Just talk to someone about the life you carry. Remember, this isn’t about you anymore, this is about the kingdom of God. It’s about Jesus getting what he paid for. So we aren’t just living to satisfy ourselves anymore. We are living to love God with everything we are, and love our neighbor as ourselves.