“You are working together and struggling side-by-side to get others to believe the Good News.” (Philippians 1:27b CEV)

This holiday season, make evangelism a team effort. Work together with other Christians (1 Corinthians 3:9) to accomplish more than you could alone. (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

For example, instead of trying to plan and prepare a holiday party meant for your neighbors, get together with some of your Christian fiends and collectively host a party for your collective neighbors. Like the four friends who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus (Mark 2:1-12), you can draw strength and encouragement from one another as you bring our own friends into the presence of Jesus.

The first step for your small group is to pray together. Here are four ways your group can pray for your non-believing friends and family members:

First, pray for an opportunity to talk about Jesus (Colossians 4:3) – Ask God to give you an opportunity to tell others about Christ, and to invite them to your Christmas party. And don’t doubt it, God will answer the prayer!

Second, pray that God will prepare the hearts of those you try to reach. – Do you know how God softens hearts? He sends the rain. Anytime you see someone going through a storm in life, you can know God is softening that person’s heart. Who do you know who is in a storm this holiday season? How can you pray for that person? How can you support him or her?

Third, pray for God to soften your heart. – Say, “I’ll be honest, God. I don’t care that much about other people. I care about myself. I care about my own plans and priorities and my family.” Soon God will fill your heart with a “burden,” which is just an old-fashioned word that means your heart is now tender toward other people.

Fourth, pray that the words of Jesus “will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response” (2 Thessalonians 3:1 MSG), just as they did among the early Christians.