Evangelism: Prime the Pump

When I was in high school I worked in landscaping: trimming hedges, mowing lawns, planting trees, hooking up decorative fountains and surrounding it with decorative rock. It was hard work, but something I enjoyed as a young man. And it provided me with a killer tan.

The owner of the business lived on a farm that had a well. This wasn’t a bucket on a rope well; it was equipped with a pump. And if you’ve ever pumped water from a well you know that the pump never works right away. You have to “prime the pump” by cranking the lever a few times. A pump that hasn’t been used for a while is full of air from the pump down closer to water level. It takes a couple of pumps on the handle for the water to fill the tube that delivers it above ground. It’s those first couple of pumps that bring the water to ground level and to usefulness. 

As missionaries and evangelists for the supplier of living water, we have to prime the pump in our own hearts so that we are ready to tell all of our King. We need Gospel-readiness and Spirit-reliance right there at ground level. We need to battle with sin and push back against apathy. Evangelism is one of those things that takes God-confidence, courage, and risk. We need a heart that has been primed through dying to self, a reoriented life, a renewed mind, fixing our eyes on Jesus, filled with His Spirit, meditating on His Word, loving Him with all our strength. 

Too often we haven’t prayed as we should and wrestled with our fleeting emotions, doubts, and timidity. We haven’t developed a state of readiness and anticipation. We won’t dispense living water efficiently and effectively unless we prime the pump of our hearts, remembering who God is, what God has done, who we are, and what God has called us to do. We need daily motivation for Gospel-readiness.

When we drink from the stream of living water at the outset of our day, and throughout our day, we’ve already brought it to ground level and are ready to point others to it. We will not only find our thirst quenched, but we will be motivated by our own satisfaction in Jesus Christ to help others to quench their thirst. 

What do you do to prime the pump for evangelism? What resources do you use other than Scripture?

Comments

[Philipcdavis]

I just listened to this sermon by Darrin Patrick last evening that was helpful: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/do-the-work-of-an-evangelist-evangelism-as-though-conversion-were-supernatural

Also, praying for specific unbelievers reminds me of their standing with God and lays a weight on my soul to reach out to them with hope.
Thanks for the helpful analogy.

[Steve McCoy]

Thanks Philip. Looking forward to listening to Darrin's talk.

[the Old Adam]

We use the law. it's already there, pounding people. Having their lunch.

So we find people who are being had, tell them of how we also are being had by the law (all the demands that are placed upon us in this life) and then tell them what Christ Jesus has done about it.

And then let the Spirit do the rest.

Thans, Steve.

[Steve McCoy]

Thanks for the comment, Steve.

[Peter]

I use my yard, and all of the other resources that God has given me. My wife and I see all of our 'stuff' as tools for ministry. This is why we have bbq's in the back yard, play cornhole, and hang around when picking up our kids after school...

Good stuff...

[Steve McCoy]

Great ideas, Peter.