Pray: Part 2 - "Active In Sharing Your Faith" with Craig Groeschel - LifeChurch.tv

Pray: Active in Sharing Your Faith

Scripture References

• Acts 2
• John 9
• John 4

Overview

Paul’s second “Pray” model centers on one request: that believers stay active in sharing their faith so they will grasp every good thing they already possess in Christ. Craig Groeschel shows why an outward-looking life fuels spiritual depth, contrasts it with the stagnation of inward religion, and equips the church with four simple ways to speak about Jesus this week.

Context

Part 2 of a four-week series examining specific prayers in Paul’s letters. Last week: praying for power. This week: praying for an evangelistic lifestyle, drawn from Paul’s personal note to Philemon on behalf of the runaway slave Onesimus.

Main Points

Paul’s Prayer Pattern

• Paul thanks God for Philemon’s faith in Jesus and love for the saints.
• He then prays,

  “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

• “So that” reveals purpose; every Pauline prayer ties a request to a desired outcome.

Why We Drift from Sharing

• Busy schedules, fear of being “that weird Christian,” and especially the feeling of not knowing enough keep many silent.
• We wrongly think: “If I understood more, I’d share.”
• Paul’s logic reverses it: as we share, understanding grows.

The Momentum Cycle (board illustration)

• Share your faith → Lives are impacted → You gain fuller understanding of Christ’s riches → Outlook turns outward → You share even more.
• The reverse cycle breeds lukewarm, inward-focused Christianity.

Four Everyday Ways to Share Your Faith

1. Be loving but direct – like Peter in Acts 2: “Repent… be baptized.” Use directness only when the Spirit prompts.
2. Tell your story – “I was blind, but now I see.” Your experience carries power whether dramatic or ordinary.
   • Story: the blind man of John 9 couldn’t answer theology but could testify to change.
3. Invite someone to church – simple “come and see,” mirroring the Samaritan woman in John 4.
   • Story: Craig invites a gym acquaintance without disclosing he’s the pastor; the man is stunned when Craig walks onstage.
4. Live a life others want – peace in suffering, integrity, and love make people ask, “What must I do to be saved?” (Paul and Silas in prison).

Expected Results of Sharing

1. You participate in a divine story – planting, watering, or harvesting in someone’s salvation.
2. Your own faith grows – Scriptures surface, prayers intensify, confidence rises.
   • Story: Craig’s parents in their 70s lead hospital patients and prisoners to Christ; their faith skyrockets.
3. You remember what you have in Christ – forgiveness, peace, Spirit-empowered living. Lukewarmness melts on the front lines.

Key Truths

• Praying for believers to share their faith positions them to understand Christ’s blessings.
• Evangelism is not the reward of maturity; it is the pathway to maturity.
• Inward-focused Christianity drifts toward judgment and stagnation.
• God provides specific opportunities once we start praying for them.
• Simple, authentic witness—story, invitation, observable life—opens hearts.

Response

• Pray daily that you and other Christians stay active in sharing Jesus.
• Watch for and step into the openings God sends this week.
• Tell someone your personal “I was…, but now…” story.
• Extend a genuine, personal invitation to attend church with you.
• Choose visible actions (peace under pressure, service, generosity) that make Christ attractive.

Closing

Craig challenged the church to weave this prayer into everyday intercession: “Lord, make us active in sharing our faith.” He promised that opportunities will surface quickly and that, as we obey, both others’ lives and our own understanding of Christ will expand.

“When you share your faith, lives are changed and you gain a fuller understanding of every good thing you have in Christ.”

Prayer

The congregation asked God for eyes to notice divine opportunities, courage to speak, and continued growth in the knowledge of every good thing found in Jesus.