Tom Mercer -
Prayer is the "fuel" that powers our partnership with God in reaching the people in our lives.
Everyone in our Oikos needs prayer from us. My wife and kids are at the center of my Oikos, and because of that I pray WAY MORE for them than I do for anyone else in my life. But also, the Great Commission in the Bible tells us:
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
… so at least PART of our Oikos needs to be filled with people who don’t know Jesus or we aren’t fulfilling that command of Jesus.
1. Pray that God will put people in your path.
Colossians 4:3-4
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
2. Pray for boldness and pray for God to speak through you.
Ephesians 6:18-19
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel
3. Pray for God to move in people that are not yet in your Oikos.
1 Timothy 2:1-5
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus
4. Pray daily for people in your Oikos that don’t know Jesus.
Amos 7:4-6
4 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. 5 Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”
6 So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.
God changes people in your oikos primarily through relationship—and prayer is how you partner with Him in that process.
