I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one (John 17:15 KJV)
Charles spurgeon once said “Save some, o christian, by all means, save some. from yonder flames and outer darkness, and weeping and wailing…”, the salvation of the world is no more at Calvary but in the good news of the cross given to the church whom God has divinely privileged to preach to the dying world. It is amazing however that this gospel is not designed to start with the mouth but from the knee. This is known as power evangelism, it rests on the confidence of prayer not mere eloquence; a higher type of evangelism called knee evangelism.
This type of soul winning is not done through the mouth but first through the praying knees of the evangelist. It is sad that the church today assumes that the moment we set up our gigantic equipment, the world would be harvested and souls would be won, but the field of souls is a spiritual field, there are contending spirits and territorial demons who make sure that the gospel is not heard. Jesus at the eleventh hour of His death prayed for the souls whom He was to die for, He understood that the physical display of God’s love to the world through His excruciating pain and eventual death at the cross must be preceded by a spiritual battle which must be won on the knee by prayer. Paul knew this:
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you… (Galatians 4:19).
The apostle knew that the travailing of the church is what produces the finished work, he prioritized prayer because you can’t deal with the spirit of the world from the flesh;
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Did you see that? The god of this world is constantly fighting from the realm of the spirit. Who is the god of this world? Satan! He owns worldliness; he doesn’t blindfold but mind-fold. No wonder Jude said: ‘Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints’ (Jude 1:3) Jude was not suggesting a physical riot or distribution of fliers which many have sadly adopted as the height of evangelism, here Jude referred to the highest level of contention; the knee evangelism because the people we are contending against are not flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).
Every harvest has a price, the knee is the birthplace of power-evangelism drawing souls from the abyss of hell into God’s Light, there is no time for religion, folks, real revival in church begins at the knees. In the Old Testament, a prophet realized that the next generation of generals were dependent on his spiritual move; anointing them for the next move. Elijah, Jehu and Hazael were a knee away (1 Kings 19:15-16). Spiritually, souls are not cultivated with hoes, like we do with farm produce , they are harvested in the place of prayer.
Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession (Psalms 2:8)
We win the heathen by prayer! Are your knees very clean? Clean knees means barrenness! It must be rugged for evangelism; I’m talking about travailing knees.
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:37-38).
Why must we pray for labourers? It’s because the size of the labourers determines the size of the harvest. The issue therefore is not the harvest but soul winners of the harvest. Labourer in Greek is ‘ergates’, which refers to a toiler or a teacher. Are you toiling on your knees for the souls to be won today? Only by this would you experience the easiest harvest in winning souls. Jesus is still at work today! It’s time to call in labourers from your knees:
Simply because the knee is not taught to be a reproductive adjunct in the body does not change the truth that it is in the body of Christ. Jesus did it and so do we. Win the world at all cost!
Rhema Word: The great commission is only great when it is backed up with travailing prayer, then by sharing.
Confession: Lord I resolve to be prayerful concerning soul winning, as I pray I ask for the heathen as possession. I declare that Your Love will radiate through my word to the saving of souls in Jesus name. Amen
Further Reading: John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9