What is the prayer of 3?

The prayer of three is a system we use at City of Hope Church to encourage our members to pray for the lost.   This is how it works. 

<!--[Decide who you will pray for.  Each member is encouraged to pick 3 non-believers to pray for.  Who should you pick?  Well, try praying that God shows you who to pick.  But don’t make it too complicated.  Usually the person God wants you to lead to Him is right there in front of you, so pick the obvious people in your life.  Write down the three names and share them with others in your cell group.  This is going to require some dedication from you.  Nothing improves dedication like accountability from friends who will check up on you.  Also, it is best if the people you pick to pray for would fit into your cell group since you will eventually be inviting them.  (ie: if you are a man in an all male over 40 group, picking a female or a youth will not work as well.)

<!--[Next, begin to pray.  The more often the better.  You are encouraged to pray consistently for 30 days for this person.  Understand this is not a magic formula.  It may take 60 days or 3 years until the person responds.  However, 30 days is the place that we start.  Get others in your cell group to join you in prayer.  Prayer is more powerful when we pray together.  (Praying together also brings more of that accountability stuff we all seem to need.)  Also, consider fasting as a part of your prayer.   Fasting 1 day a week for the 30 days is a good place to start.  Fasting brings focus and sincerity to our prayers.   If you need help knowing what to pray, check out the article on “Praying for the Lost.”

Pray with a goal in mind.  Vague prayers have little power.  Our goal is that the person comes to know Christ as Savior.  This is the most important thing.  Secondary goals might be that they would come to a cell meeting or church service, that your friendship with them would deepen or that they would gain understanding in some specific area that is keeping them from Christ.

Pray with Persistence.  In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus “told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”  This must be our attitude as we pray our Prayer of 3.  The greatest hindrance to our bringing our friends and family to Christ is a lack of commitment on our part.

<!--[Invite the person to a Net-Meeting, Cell meeting, church service or other event.  Any of these can be a great time for unbelievers to see the gospel being lived out by a group of people.  The Net Meetings are especially appropriate since these are events specifically designed for un-believers.

Share your testimony with the person.  This often is intimidating but it doesn’t have to be.  Your friend doesn’t need a sermon or a big theological lecture.  Just explain, very simply something that God has done for you.  In Corinthians 2:13 Paul states “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”  If you pray for wisdom and then open your mouth and begin to speak, the Holy Spirit will place the right words in your mind.  If you wait to speak until you are sure you know what to say, you and your friend will most likely both die of old age before it happens.

<!--[Remember, this is warfare.  There is a real enemy and he is not going to allow you to rescue a prisoner from his grasp without some resistance.  His main weapons are fear, intimidation and distraction.  He will use these weapons and others to try and discourage you from persisting.  If prayer is hard, keep on trying.  If you forget for a few days, don’t be discouraged, try again.   If your friend says no to the first invitation, don’t stop.  Invite him again and again.  If your friend comes to an event and walks away unchanged, don’t worry.  You are not a salesperson trying to close a deal.  This is not a debate you need to win.  God is the one who saves them.  We are just his messengers.  Be faithful and He will do the rest.