Many of the prayers from the subchapter "Endorsed Prayers for Making Disciples" reveal a prayer corridor. You could call it a corridor of authority. The prayers recognize that we are under authority, that God has the power to save souls and that we are His servants. I have arranged them in an acrostic.
The acrostic is HOW SO.
How do we pray for the salvation of the lost? The acrostic HOW SO answers this question.
Each of the five letters in the acrostic H.O.W. S.O. represents the main idea behind each of the five prayers.
H: Harvest.
O: Open
W: Words, Witness, Watch
S: Spread
O: One
Prayer Acrostic: HOW SO
H: Send workers into the harvest.
O: Open Doors for the word.
W: Give me words for witnessing as I watch in prayer.
S: Make your word spread rapidly.
O: Make us one.
All of these prayers were presented in subchapter 4.4 titled, "Endorsed Prayers for Making Disciples" and subchapter 2.4 titled, "Watching in Prayer". These prayers reveal a prayer corridor to conversion. They are also a prayer corridor towards maturity in Christ. They may be prayed for both purposes. I will present the prayer corridor represented by the acrostic H.O.W. S.O. below.
H: Prayer to Send Workers Into the Harvest
Before Jesus sent the disciples to preach the kingdom, He told them to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into the harvest. Then He sent them. They didn't send themselves. God is the sender. We ask under authority and go under authority. He chooses who to send, when to send them and what message to send through them. When I see a spiritual need in someone, I ask God to send a worker into that person's life to meet that need. I make the request as one under authority to the one who has the authority.
This prayer comes from Matthew 9:38. See micro-subchapter 4.4a for a deeper study into this prayer.
"Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:38).
O: Prayer to Open a Door for the Word
After God has sent a worker into the harvest, the next step is for God to open a door for the word. God creates opportunities in conversations for sharing the word as we ask God to open a door for the word. God is the one who opens the door.
This prayer comes from Colossians 4:2-4. See micro-subchapter 4.4c
for a deeper study into this prayer.
"praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word" (Colossians 4:3).
W: Prayer Requesting Words for Witnessing as We Watch in Prayer
After God sends a worker into the harvest and opens a door for the word, the next step is to share His word. It is His word that we are sharing, not our own words. We don't even choose our own words for sharing His word. We ask God to give us the words like Paul did.
The prayer asking for the words to speak as we witness comes from Ephesians 6:16-19. See micro-subchapter 4.4b for a deeper study into this prayer.
"praying at all times... that utterance (words) may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News" (Ephesians 6:18-19).
After God sends a worker into the harvest, opens a door for the word and we have asked Him to put words into our mouths for witnessing, we prayerfully watch for the open door in the conversation and then prayerfully speak those words as He gives them. In addition to watching for the opportunity to speak God's words, we watch, looking to see which prayers we should pray.
Sharing the Gospel involves intense two way spiritual communication between you and the Holy Spirit. If you walk by the Spirit, it will be like riding a bicycle. If you live by rules, it will be a work of flesh... like falling off of a bicycle. Walking by the Spirit is presented in subchapter 4.7.
Watching in prayer comes from Colossians 4:2-4 and Ephesians 6:18-19. See micro-subchapter 4.4c for an initial understanding of watching in prayer. For a deeper study see subchapter 2.4 titled, "Watching in Prayer".
"Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving, 3 praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ" (Colossians 4:2-3).
S: Prayer that God's Word Will Spread
After God has sent a worker into the harvest, opened a door for the word and given words to the worker to share, the worker shares scripture while watching in prayer. Then the worker asks God to spread His word rapidly. This prayer is a request that the words of God which were shared would spread from person to person... and do so rapidly. God does this through His Spirit and in response to prayer. When we share God's living word with another person and pray that His word would spread rapidly, we are beginning a chain reaction that can reach around the world.
This prayer comes from 2 Thessalonians 3:1. See micro-subchapter 4.4h for additional observations regarding this prayer.
"pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly" (1 Thessalonians 3:1).
O: Prayer to Make Us One
This fifth and final prayer in the acrostic HOW SO, provides a sign to those who hear God's word through the first four prayers. In this prayer, we ask God to make us one, so the world will see and know that God sent Christ. Yes, by the workings of God's Spirit and grace, unbelievers can recognize a supernatural miracle in God's children. Unity is a supernatural miracle to one who lives in the domain of darkness.
This prayer comes from John 17:20-21. See micro-subchapter 4.4d for a deeper study into this prayer.
"I pray... that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:20-21).
Summary
I will often pray HOW SO or parts of it as one continuous prayer. For example:
"Father, send workers into the harvest. Open a door for your word and give them words to share the gospel. Make your word spread rapidly. Make us one."
So, evangelism includes God in His sovereignty, by His power, mercy and love, drawing the lost to himself through His word and through His servants. By His grace, He allows us to participate in His divine actions to redeem mankind to himself.
As you pray the acrostic HOW SO, I believe that you will see God supernaturally answering those prayers in you. You will find yourself presenting scripture to believers and unbelievers... to the zealous and lukewarm.
Only God works wonders!
"Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders" (Psalm 72:18).
Praise be to God, forever and ever! Amen!
Scriptures in the Acrostic How So
H: Send workers into the harvest.
- "Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:38).
O: Open Doors for the word.
- "Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving, 3 praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds, 4 that I may reveal it as I ought to speak" (Colossians 4:2-4).
W: Give us words for witnessing as we watch in prayer.
- "praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: 19 on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News" (Ephesians 6:18-19). Note: The Good News is the Gospel.
- "Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving, 3 praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds, 4 that I may reveal it as I ought to speak" (Colossians 4:2-4).
S: Make your word spread rapidly.
- "Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified" (2 Thessalonians 3:1).
O: Make us one.
- Jesus prayed for the disciples, "20 Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:20-21).