Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."
Acts 26:28
Paul almost persuaded King Agrippa to become a Christian. We want our family and friends to become Christians, do we not? We began a couple of posts ago, considering some goals when talking about the Lord. Yesterday the first goal was to be accurate with the gospel. The second was to be loving. If you did not read the previous two blogs, may I encourage you to do so now? This time let’s think about the goal of being persuasive.
By persuasive, I do not mean “pushy!” What I do mean is that we want those to whom we speak about the Lord to understand the importance of making a decision for or against Jesus. Again, this does not mean using any high pressure tactics. It can be as simple as asking the person, “Does what I am saying make sense?” Don’t ask, “Do you understand?” as that can put them on the defense, as though their cognitive abilities are suspect. By asking “Does what I am saying make sense?” you are asking them to rate your communication skills, not their intelligence.
Another question you can ask is, “What do you think about what I’m saying about Jesus?” This invites the person to say what they think—no pressure! And be sure to listen without being critical of what they might say. Remember, this may be new to the person. Depending on what they say, affirm them for sharing their thoughts. Kindly answer any questions they may ask.
If the person does not flat out reject what you’ve said about Jesus, ask, “Would you like to receive Christ?” This invites the person to give an “up or down vote” on Christ and the gospel. If the person says no, tell him or her that you understand. Invite the person to give it some thought and invite further conversation then, or at another time.
If the person says yes, simply invite him or her to pray a simple prayer in his or her own words, asking God for forgiveness of sin and for help getting started in a new life of following Jesus. Then offer to talk more, as well as inviting the person to join you at church the following Sunday.
One more goal next time: aim to be prayerful.