Have you ever experienced this, where you’ve shared the gospel with someone and they brushed you off?
They made fun of you
They kindly said that it wasn’t for them
They said they’d think about it later
What do you do?
When you’ve shared your faith with someone and they refuse to listen, it can be extremely uncomfortable and disappointing.
But your response in that situation may determine whether or not there will an open door at a later time.
I believe that every believer bears a grave responsibility to share the gospel with as many people as they can in their lifetime, but the response of the listener isn’t our responsibility, it’s God’s.
To be sure, there are methods often used that turn off people to the gospel and close a potentially widely open door, but ultimately, someone’s decision to receive or reject Christ isn’t our responsibility.
If you have shared the gospel with someone, and they rejected you, understand that you did not fail.
Successfully sharing the gospel isn’t dependent on “the sale.”
In fact, we are not “selling” something at all. The gospel isn’t a product that someone may find useful in their life. The gospel is far more serious than that and it is God’s desire that everyone receive Him, because rejection of Him ends badly. Very badly!
So, what should our response be when someone won’t listen to the gospel?
The answer is simple:
Prayer!
In fact, prayer should sandwich sharing the gospel.
We should always earnestly pray before and after we’ve shared the gospel with someone, regardless of the outcome; but especially when someone won’t listen.
When someone rejects the gospel, their heart is hard, and the enemy is preventing them from hearing the truth that will set them free.
And this is a great battle.
The battle for someone’s soul is a spiritual battle between heaven and hell, a battle to plunder hell and populate heaven.
Below is a printable I made based on something I learned from a Billy Graham Crusade I participated in back in 1991.
On this form, you write down 5 names—be sure not to avoid names of people that you feel are not likely to get saved. Imagine how much glory God would receive if that person got saved!
You know whom I’m talking about. We all have that person in our life.
Write these names down on both sides of the paper, and then cut along the dotted line. Put one list in your Bible and the other list next to your bed.
This way, you’ll remember to pray for these 5 people twice each day!
To download this Salvation Prayer Card, click on this link. {eoa}
Rosilind Jukic, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her hero. Together they live in the country with their 2 active boys where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an Associate’s of Practical Theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of A Little R & R where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.
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