How to Start a Gospel Conversation
As I stood in line, I looked at the merchandise. The smell of coffee was almost as loud as the music that was cranking over the speakers. No one was talking. The room was set up to stand in line, order your coffee and sit silently while looking busy. It’s my turn. I am the last one in line and they asked what I want … I smile and asked for my wife’s favorite drink. I was going to surprise her this morning. The cashier/barista did not say another word and walked away. They were not that busy. No one was behind me waiting. Was this a good time to talk about Jesus?
How do you start a Gospel conversation?
Ask how you can pray for the person. When asking to pray for someone’s needs, then you will get a direction if they are open to conversation or not. Often when I ask someone if I can pray for them, they stop … focus on the question … and sincerely answer. After they answer I assure them that I will pray and then I ask them if they have surrendered their life to Jesus. Psalm 6:9 stated, “The Lord has heard my supplication, the Lord receives my prayer.”
Start a spiritual conversation. Similar to the first but slightly different. A spiritual conversation is when you talk about anything concerning God, Jesus, the Bible, church, etc. How is that different than asking if you can pray? Asking to pray is a spiritual conversation commitment. You are not simply starting a conversation but offering to commit your life to serve them. Deuteronomy 11: 19 stated, “19 “You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
Personally pray. Most often we are not ready to start a Gospel conversation because we are not talking with the God of the Gospel. Personal pray keeps you attune to the will of God and helps you to be more susceptible to the moments where a Gospel conversation would start. Job 33:26 stated, “Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, that he may see His face with joy, and He may restore His righteousness to man.”
Hang out with people that do it. The best way to do anything is to hang out with the people that already do it. Having a Gospel conversation is very easy and contagious. Once you get over your personal anxiety, you realize the overwhelming joy that a Gospel conversation produces. Joy is contagious. Find people that you can watch and then allow them to teach/mentor you. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 stated, “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.”
Practice makes perfect. The best way to master anything is to keep trying. You may not be any good at it because you do not do it often. The only way to feel comfortable and confident is to practice. The more repetitions that you take the better you will become. Leviticus 20: 8 stated, “You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.”
As I retrieved my wife’s drink, the same guy that took my order handed it to me and looked at me (he didn’t look at me when taking my order). I smiled. He smiled. I then told him that I am a Christian and was about to spend time praying. I asked him how I could pray for him. It was like the world stopped for him. He gave me a couple of personal issues and I reassured him that I would pray. His smile grew as he said “Thank you very much.” I then asked if he had ever surrendered his life to Jesus.
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david evans is the Evangelism Director for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Feel free to contact david via e-mail devans@tnbaptist.org. In the meantime, for Great Commission ideas check out “The Reaching App” by searching in your app store or visiting www.TheReachingApp.com.