Soul winning is an obligation every Christian must be involved in. It is a way of showing our love for God. Jesus told Simon Peter, if you love me, feed my sheep (John 21:17). How can the sheep be fed if they are scattered all over the field? There is a need for a shepherd who brings them in and makes sure they are fed and well taken care of. Soul winning is likened to the hunt of these scattered sheep. No good shepherd sits back and assumes the sheep are okay wherever they are. He goes out to make sure the stray sheep are brought back to his fold. How can they hear without a preacher at the door? (Romans 10:14). The preacher in this context is the shepherd that calls out to the lost sheep through the mandate of soul winning. Is soul winning all about bringing in lost sheep? Why then do we have people come and go out of the church? Soul winning cannot be effective without the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the power of God.
Jesus said to His disciples, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is comeupon you: and ye shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and inSamaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). Jesus himself knew if the disciples were to go out on the soul-winning mission without the power of God and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, they would be embarking on a futile and frustrating mission. Except the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it (Psalms 127:1). There are preachers everywhere, and people hear the word of God almost every day. How come many don’t get converted after several sermons until a particular day? A preacher once said “every day is God’s day but ONE DAY is your day. We all have our “one day.” That is the day the Lord has chosen to bring us into His fold Himself; irrespective of the one acting as the shepherd. The Bible says no one comes to the Lord except the Lord draws him (John 6:44). Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except by me” (John 14:6). Not until the sheep fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, there would be nothing like an effective soul winning. Everyone needs anunderstanding of the truth (Jesus) to be set free. John 8:32 says, “and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
Now, do we just sit back and expect God to bring them in Himself? No! There is a place of prayer in soul winning. Every soul winner must go to God in prayer, committing the heart of the sheep they intend to win to the hands of the Lord. Only God has the power to convince a man. The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will (Proverbs 21:1). When we pray, soul winning is easierand more effective. This is why some people remain adamant to the gospel after several efforts only to surrender with little efforts from another preacher. Saul kept on persecuting the Christians until he met Jesus on his way to Damascus to destroy the body of Christ as usual. I am very sire the Christians had prayed concerning him, and God decided to step in and drew Saul to Himself. Saul could have denied his faith easily when he was subjected to torture for preaching the same Jesus he once persecuted; but because he had a personal encounter with God, he was strongly built in faith and would rather die preaching Jesus than denying him. A little wonder he (Saul converted to Paul) wrote most of the books in the new testaments. He became a man of revelation. Surpassed the 12 disciples of Christ in ministry.
Lastly, you as a soul winner must be filled with the Holy Spirit. To speak the right words,we need the Holy Ghost. “Open your mouth, and I will fill it up” (Psalms 81:10). Our ways must be right with God, and we must live what we preach. Jesus lived his words; that is why he was able to escape the hypocritical judgment of the Pharisees. When the people saw the disciples in Antioch, they said: “these are Christians.” Why? Because they were like Christ in their deeds. Pray, live right and be filled with the Holy Ghost; soul-winning would be fun!