The more one grows in his relationship with Christ, the more one grows in his burden for the lost. Christ’s words in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” become more than a verse in the Bible. They become a passion of his heart. He then wants to know, “How can I grow my evangelism skills?”

Such growth does not happen overnight, but it does happen. Five “action steps” will make a huge difference.

1. Begin with prayer.

It starts where anything meaningful in our walk with the Lord begins – prayer. God is more concerned about the lost than we are. So, when we ask Him to increase our skills in evangelism, that is a prayer we know He will answer, not simply one that He might answer. We can claim the promise of John 15:7. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

2. Take an action step.

I often tell people, “God gets serious with those who get serious with Him.” The action step I am referring to is to become a friend of sinners. It is difficult to share the gospel with those one does not know. So, seek to have the reputation Christ had. Luke 15:2 tells us, “And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” Take a hard look at your calendar. Where and how can you spend time with non-Christians with a view of sharing the gospel with them?

3. Ask God for an open door.

Remember! It is not your job to open a door for the gospel. It is God’s job. Your job is to walk through it. So, pray what Paul prayed – that God would open a door for the gospel. He said in Colossians 4:3, “meanwhile praying also for us that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I also in chains.”

God might open that door a lot faster than you thought He would. A person having difficulties or problems they have never had before might be more approachable than you thought they would be. A closed door today might be an open door tomorrow.

4. Learn how to share the gospel.

Examine passages such as Acts 5:42. It becomes obvious that those used in evangelism knew how to talk to others about the Lord. If there is one thing I have learned in more than 50 years in evangelism, it’s that those who share Christ the most have a basic method they use – one that allows them to explain to the lost the matters of sin, substitution, and faith. Sometimes one goes into a method or comes out of it a different way than before, but their knowledge of a basic method gives them confidence and boldness to talk to others about the Lord.

5. Start today.

The comment has been made, “Satan does not care how much you share the gospel as long as you don’t start today.” Procrastination is one of Satan’s favorite tools. Begin now to take the above steps that God can honor and use. You might find that an open door may come sooner than you thought it would.

Conclusion

I applaud anyone who asks, “How can I grow in my evangelism skills?” Those words reveal a heart and mind that are in the right place for God to use. Once more, a prayer to that end is not a prayer He might answer but a prayer He will answer. Months from now you will be excited at how your voice became an extension of His in helping people understand that greatest message they will ever hear – Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead.