Reach Out Challenge

Talking about God can seem scary. The following challenge breaks it down into smaller steps to make it less daunting.

Remember, all you're doing is revealing God's heart.

Instead of worrying about your approach, think about

how God feels about the person in front of you.

Each one is His absolute favourite.

TAKE THE CHALLENGE

1

SEE SOMEONE WITH GOD'S HEART

Connect with the Holy Spirit and ask him to make a person stand out to you. Once he does, try to see God’s heart for that person then quietly pray a blessing over them from a distance.

2

SAY SOMETHING ENCOURAGING

Like breaking through the surface tension film on water, the first words you speak to someone breaks through fear. Challenge Two is to say something encouraging or kind to a passerby. Try “kia ora!” or “beautiful day!”

3

START A NORMAL CONVERSATION

Connecting to someone you don’t know takes courage, so if you need to, repeat steps one and two until you’re ready for a conversation. Don’t worry about bringing God into it yet. Look for things you have in common (like kids or sports). Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. Take a moment to hear Him before you go. The more you practice the easier it is to hear God’s voice. Be positive and try to brighten their day.

4

TELL THEM WHO THEY ARE

Wait for the Holy Spirit. Ask him to point someone out to you. Ask him to show you God’s heart for that person. Just walk on up and tell them! Be bold!

5

PRAY FOR HEALING

Look for someone with a limp, or a cast or who’s on crutches. Take a moment to connect with the Holy Spirit, then approach the person. Tell them you believe God heals and ask if they’d be willing to let you pray. Most people will. Keep your eyes open, only touch them only with their permission (a shoulder is good). Reconnect with the Holy Spirit again and pray with God’s love in your heart. He wants them healed and connected with Him! Keep your prayer very simple. It’s up to you to pray and up to the Holy Spirit to heal. Whether you see the healing right then or not, have faith that it will happen. Leave the person feeling loved.

6

WORD OF KNOWLEDGE

Ask the Holy Spirit for a word of knowledge for someone. Go with the first thing that comes into your head. Don’t add anything. Just speak what God shows you.

7

SHARE A TESTIMONY

Share something that God’s done for you with someone. No-one can refute what God’s done in your life. It’s a powerful way to share God’s goodness and heart.

8

SHARE THE GOSPEL

Look how far you’ve come! Fear is a thing of the past. You now know how to approach people and talk to them. You’ve prayed for healing and you’ve given words of encouragement. Sharing the Gospel (ie What Jesus did on the cross) is just one step further. If you see someone healed, that is an open door. Some goes for getting a word of knowledge bang-on; God is showing himself as real. So be bold. Ask! Say: God’s obviously real. Do you want to get right with him right now? You can swap your sin for Jesus’s righteousness. He dealt with sin on the cross. It’s not about church or religion or trying to be good. It’s about asking Jesus to do what we can’t. No-one can get right without Him. As ever, STAY AWARE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

9

LEAD SOMEONE TO THE LORD

They must BELIEVE AND ACCEPT JESUS AS LORD. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no-one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9