"Pray For 5" is a commitment to pray for five people who need Jesus by name for 5 minutes daily. Place the list of names inside your Bible, on your dashboard, or in your BLESS app. Start each day asking God to use you to bless someone in your world who does not know him. Not sure what to pray? Here are some ideas:

• Pray that ___________ will become thirsty for God (John 7:37-39).
• Pray that the Father will draw ________ to Jesus (John 6:44-45)
• Pray that ___________ will become open to God’s truth (2 Corinthians 4:4-6).
• Pray that _____ will become receptive to God’s grace (Romans 3:23-24; Titus 3:4-7).
• Prayer for _____’s heartfelt conviction of sin and their need for God (John 16:8-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)
• Pray for ______ to take genuine steps of repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).
• Pray that _____will clearly experience God’s love (1 John 4:7-10, 19-21).
• Pray that _______ will develop a heartfelt and willful belief and acceptance of Jesus as King and Lord (John 10: 27-30)
• Pray for ______to develop deep spiritual rootedness in Christ (John 15:5; Colossians 2:6-7).
• Pray for _______ to reproduce God’s mission to others who are far from God (Matthew 28:18-20).

This can be as simple as running into a neighbor while walking your dog or taking out the trash. If you want to be a good listener, think of yourself as someone who comes alongside another person not to give advice but to learn their story and love them well. Not sure how to listen? Here are some ideas:

• Introduce and share about yourself. Relational equity is a two-way street. Sharing about yourself helps others feel comfortable to share about themselves.
• Jesus was an excellent listener, willing to meet people where they were.
• There's no talk too small. Simple questions like "How's life?" and "How's family?" have a way of evolving into not-so-small talk over time.
• Be genuinely interested in them as a person Jesus loves. Ask genuine questions and get to know each other.
• Don't just listen to the person; practice listening for the Helper to guide your conversation.

Here are some ways you can eat with people who do not know God:

• Have dinner together in your home or at a restaurant.
• Share a pizza.
• Enjoy a cup of coffee together.
• Host a holiday party.
• Organize a block party or backyard neighborhood BBQ.
• Include others in your family celebrations.
• Try new restaurants together.
• Add one person to one meal per week.
• Throw a small dinner party.
• Join with another couple to connect friends to friends.
• Teach someone how to cook.
• Attend their party or event.

List the opportunities you recognize to serve the people on your prayer list. Which act of service will you do this week? How can you fit that act into your schedule? What do you need to eliminate from your life to make room to serve others in love? Here are ways to serve the people in your life who do not know God:

• Serve through small acts of kindness.
• Volunteer to take care of a tangible need (cook a meal, babysit, shovel snow, etc.)
• Make their birthday special.
• Send a greeting card.
• Join a community service project with someone who is journeying toward God.
• Offer to pray with them.
• Keep them company.
• Give or lend something.
• Don’t miss the big needs – Births, deaths, trials, sickness, etc.
• When you Listen to people and Eat with them, they will tell you how to love them.

Ways to allow others to reciprocate and in turn serve you

• Accept invitations (dinner, parties, etc.) and offers of help.
• Share your needs with your neighbors openly.
• Be generous with your gratitude.

When in your life was God most real to you? When has your relationship with Jesus most influenced your life? When have you most connected to the reality of the spiritual side of life? Here are ways to share with the people in your life who do not know God:

• Ask for permission and don’t be pushy. “Would you mind if I tell you a little about a way God has changed my life?”
• Be clear and use common language. Try to avoid “church” or "religious" language. Words like, “born again,” “Savior,” “accepting Jesus,” etc., are beautiful and meaningful to Christians but have little or no meaning to people outside the church.
• Keep it short. Share more as it becomes appropriate. Keep it to two minutes or less. If you want to write it out, 100 words is a good length.
• Be humble and focus on what God did. “Look at what God did in my life!” Focus on Jesus as the source of change.
• Use a before-and-after pattern. How did God change you?
• Tell your story with joy and passion.
• Tell a story from your life that connects with their life.