Christian Living

First off, you're going to have to play the judge. I know we are told “not to judge” and when you quote, “You will know them by their fruits”, you are told that God did not call you to be a fruit inspector. Although this is witty, it is not scriptural. Matthew 7:1 and Luke 6:37 tell us not to judge others but Jesus says in Matthew 7:16 and 20 that, “You will know them by their fruits” and “therefore by their fruits you will know them.” So which is it? I submit that Jesus is talking about people as trees. You will know a tree by the fruit it bears. He did not say you will know if the fruit is good or bad. We are to see the fruit and discern whether the people are saved or unsaved. Or for a better metaphor, are they partaking of the Tree of Life or the forbidden Tree of Knowledge? We are not to judge the fruit of service to God. That is His doing.

So why am I talking about judging? Our first action in praying for our co-worker is to discern spiritually if the co-worker is a Christ-follower (Saved, Born again, Christian or however you wish to say it). To know this gives you promises from God’s Word to use, and through the Word, know God’s will for the co-worker.

What is God’s will for your co-worker you may ask? In 1 Timothy 2:3, Paul says,
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” No matter what others say about there being a “predestined” people to be saved and others not, it is God’s will that all receive Him. He has no pleasure in the death of the godless. (Ezekiel 18:32)
If you are unable to discern if they are saved or unsaved, pray for their salvation. If you can’t tell if someone is a Christian then odds are they are not.

How do you start, realize you are in a battle for their soul. This sounds wild, but it is the truth. Not many preachers speak of demons and evil spirits but that does not mean they do not exist. The Bible is full of teachings on our enemy and that they will do anything to hinder someone from knowing Christ. Paul tells the Corinthians,
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
So without going into a deep discussion of spiritual warfare, we are to stand against this spirit that blinds the co-worker from seeing the truth and pray against it, and pray not only that they will see the truth, but believe it.

In the conclusion of part one, Discern their needs, their greatest need is to know Christ. Of course pray for any other needs in their life, and pray that they will see God’s hand at work in it.