Phil Miglioratti of @Pray.Network Interviews Kie Bowman, Author of New Book: Evangelistic Prayer: Engaging the Power of God for the Lost
“A lifetime consideration of prayer and evangelism, and evangelistic prayer, has culminated in this book.” –Kie Bowman, Evangelistic Prayer
PHIL>>> Kie, please share several moments in your journey that have prepared you for writing Evangelistic Prayer.
KIE>>> I’ve devoted my life to prayer and evangelism. From my earliest days walking with God in the 1970s I had a desire to grow as a man of prayer and I had a passion for sharing the gospel. These two passions have guided my life and ministry. Along the way I’ve received more training and experience and have been mentored by other leaders who have challenged me to get better. None of us are exactly the same in the Kingdom of God. But I know how I’m wired, and prayer and evangelism weren’t ministries I consciously chose–they were and are my calling.
“The goal of this book is the expansion of the Kingdom of God through a recommitment to prayer for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.”–Kie Bowman, Evangelistic Prayer
PHIL>>> Unpack the components of your statement.
KIE>>> I believe every believer can grow in the practices of prayer and evangelism.
PHIL>>> You could have stated your goal as “the salvation of souls” or a desire for “increased evangelism,” but you want us to think about expansion and God’s Kingdom; why?
KIE>>> If more people learn to pray for the lost to be saved, and more people practice a deliberate evangelistic lifestyle, and if more people are saved as a result, I believe the result will be the expansion of God’s Kingdom.
PHIL>>> You call for a recommitment to a specific focus of praying; why?
KIE>>> Over the years so many people, including well known leaders, have confided to me that they do not have an effective or consistent prayer life. As you know E.M. Bounds said the man who could get the church to praying would be the greatest reformer of all. Why did he even need to say that? The answer is obvious. In every generation people believe in prayer, but we do not practice prayer in a way that satisfies us. We know we can do better.
“Your culture will determine your future.”–Kie Bowman, Evangelistic Prayer
PHIL>>> Many Christians, even church ministry leaders, do not comprehend what that means. Some think “culture” is a worldly concept and therefore the Church is immune and has no need to shape ministry culture. Please explain the impact of “culture” on ministry and how to reimagine or reshape a culture of prayer in families and throughout ministries.
KIE>>> I get so fired up thinking about how our culture influences us, I feel like writing a book just about that subject! When I talk about “culture” in the book, I don’t mean American culture or our surrounding society in general. Instead, I’m talking about the ideas and practices we deliberately immerse ourselves in or are so unconsciously influenced by that we don’t even think about them anymore because they are so much part of our lives. For instance, to a fish, water is his culture. He doesn’t have to think about it because he is surrounded by it constantly. For some of us, politics has become our “culture.” For many ministers, the day-to-day grind of leading a church has become the air we breathe. The list could go on and on. Whatever we spend the most time engaged in, whatever we spend our greatest brain powers thinking about, whatever motivates us and stir us to action, eventually becomes our culture. That’s why I say culture determines destiny. I want my life, as a follower of Christ to be shaped in a culture of prayer and evangelism!
“Evangelism and prayer. The two things nobody’s good at.” –-Kie Bowman, Evangelistic Prayer
PHIL>>> How did we get to this point? And, if we, the leadership, are responsible, what changes do we have to make and what steps do we have to take to equip the saints for the work of the ministry of prayer?
KIE>>> I don’t know why more people don’t pray and evangelize. But I am absolutely certain that most Christians get under conviction when the subjects come up! In order to change that, pastors and leaders must constantly take people back to the Word of God showing them that prayer and evangelism are two of the most obvious birthmarks of the new birth. And we have to lead by example. People don’t always do what we say, but they usually do what we do. As we have all heard many times, “we teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are.”
“In the book of Acts . . . prayer preceded every evangelistic outreach mentioned.”
–Kie Bowman, Evangelistic Prayer
PHIL>>> Could it be the Church lost influence in our nation because we divorced prayer from evangelism? How do we reunite them?
KIE>>> Somewhere along the line, prayer did get divorced from evangelism. It seems to me that when we talk about prayer, many people regard prayer merely as a means of receiving personal comfort, rather than using prayer as a weapon of warfare! It is both, and more.
“You may never be more like Jesus than when you’re praying for other people.” –Kie Bowman, Evangelistic Prayer
PHIL>>> It seems that a prayer evangelism culture is part of the disciple-making process. Explain why you agree or disagree.
KIE>>> I agree 100%. The disciples of Jesus were trained in prayer and were sent out to evangelize. If we disciple people today in Bible study, prayer, loving their neighbor, tithing, serving others sacrificially, but do not include evangelistic training, we are reproducing more “disciples” who do not evangelize and that is not biblical. As a pastor, I provided an evangelistic training of some kind in a variety of settings year after year. The same is true of prayer training. Pastors may not want to hear it, but the prayer and evangelism culture of their church, under God, is their responsibility.
PHIL>>> What would you say to a pastor who knows their congregation’s prayer culture is weak? How would you encourage them to begin a journey towards discipling their members to pursue personal prayer and for leadership to lead with prayer?
KIE>>> The first thing I would say to a pastor is he is not alone–most churches need help. And I would encourage that pastor to develop his own prayer life starting immediately. Spend more time in prayer. Read great books on prayer. Bring in leaders who have a track record specializing in helping churches in prayer. Preach a six week series on prayer followed by deliberate training on prayer. Prayer must be a priority for the pastor. There is a chance of building a culture of prayer in the church, but if prayer is not a priority for the pastor nothing will change.
PHIL>>> Apostle Paul spoke of the “church in the city.” How would you encourage pastors to connect with other Christ honoring congregations to pray together and for their community?
KIE>>> I would say that every pastor should have three goals for prayer. Number one, he should develop his own prayer life. Number two, he should help develop a culture prayer in his congregation. Number three, he should gather with other pastors in the city and develop a culture of prayer for the entire city. I’ve been involved in that ministry for the last decade, and it is possible. But it requires commitment. It may not happen overnight, but if godly leaders don’t rise to the occasion, it won’t happen at all.
PHIL>>> Leave us with a question to ponder.
KIE>>> “If I’m going to get better, when will I begin? What price am I willing to pay to improve?”
“God doesn’t answer prayer. God answers desperate prayer.” Leonard Ravenhill
PHIL>>> Kie, please write a prayer of response we can pray together in agreement with you.
KIE>>> God, I am not satisfied where I am. Stir me to pray and intercede for the lost.
Evangelistic Prayer (PrayerShop 2024) by Kie Bowman is available in print and e-book anywhere you purchase Christian books. Discounted at prayershop.org.
