Recently, some of our MyFriends trainers got together to talk about a very practical question: How can we help people become more effective at connecting their friends to Jesus?
One simple idea really stood out to me: When you pray for someone, do you ever go back and ask what happened?
Suppose a friend tells you they are looking for a job, worried about their children, trying to find a house, or facing some other difficulty. You offer to pray for them — perhaps you even pray with them right there. Then, a week later, you simply ask, “How did that go?”
That simple question can do more than we realise. First, it communicates genuine care. You remembered what was happening in their life. Your prayer was not just a polite Christian phrase. But it can also create an opportunity to help your friend recognise what God may be doing.
Sometimes we pray, God answers, and everyone simply moves on. Your friend may not connect what happened with the prayer you prayed together. In fact, you may not make the connection either unless you intentionally check back. If something has changed, you might simply say, “That’s great. Remember we prayed about that last week?” Or perhaps, “I wonder whether God might be showing you something through this.”
Of course, we do not need to force the issue or convince someone that every good outcome is a direct answer to prayer. Our role is simply to notice, ask questions, point toward God when it seems appropriate, and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work.
And if nothing has changed, we can still care. We can ask how they are going, keep listening, and pray again.
This week, think about someone you have prayed for recently. Why not contact them and simply ask what happened? You may discover that God has already opened a door for a deeper conversation.
Pray. Remember. Check back. Notice. Connect.
P.S. Who do you think would be encouraged by this email? Forward it to them and let them know they can walk alongside experienced cross-cultural evangelists by visiting: https://hereslife.com/encouragement