Week 2-Open Hearts, Speaking God’s Word with Compassion
Focus
Pray that God would open our hearts and mouths to share His Word boldly and lovingly.
“Lord, open our hearts and our mouths to declare Your truth with compassion.”
Description
Building on Week 1, this focus shifts inward, asking God to open our own hearts to see and feel as He does. Pray that we will be moved with compassion, courage, and conviction to speak God’s Word and testify of His goodness.
Prayer Points
- Pray for renewed sensitivity to the needs of the lost.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to remove fear or apathy in sharing the gospel.
- Encourage next-generation leaders to lead prayers for boldness and witness.
In Week 1, everyone prayed for open doors—opportunities for ministry within our neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. Now, as we enter Week 2, the focus turns inward. Open doors matter little if God’s people do not step through them. Ministry that transforms lives always begins with a heart full of the compassion of Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are called to speak the Word with courage and tenderness.
The apostle Paul understood this divine balance of compassion and boldness. He prayed, “Pray also for me . . . that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19). Fearlessness and tenderness were not opposites to Paul—they were companions. The courage to speak God’s Word flows from a heart anchored in God’s love.
Renewed Sensitivity to the Needs of the Lost
This week invites believers to pray for a renewed sensitivity to the spiritual, emotional, and practical needs of those who do not yet know Christ. Jesus embodies this sensitivity. Scripture repeatedly shows Him pausing, noticing, listening, and responding. In Luke 7, when Jesus encountered the widow of Nain grieving the death of her only son, the text says, “His heart went out to her” (Luke 7:13). Before He performed a miracle, He felt the weight of her sorrow. His compassion shaped His response.
To speak God’s Word effectively, we must first see people as Jesus sees them. Sometimes the greatest barrier to evangelism is not fear—it is distraction. We move too quickly, carry too many burdens, or become accustomed to spiritual darkness around us. Praying for renewed sensitivity is asking God to slow our pace, soften our hearts, and open our spiritual eyes.
One pastor shared an illustration of this transformation. During a difficult season, he prayed for God to restore his compassion for the lost. Shortly afterward, he began feeling an unusual heaviness whenever he saw a particular coworker. He did not know why. Weeks later, that same coworker approached him in tears, saying, “I don’t know who else to talk to. I feel like my life is falling apart.” God had been opening the pastor’s heart even before the conversation took place. Sensitivity prepared him for a moment of witness.
Asking the Holy Spirit to Remove Fear and Apathy
The second emphasis for this week is to ask the Holy Spirit to remove fear or apathy in sharing the gospel. Oftentimes, believers know what to say, and they even feel the nudge to speak, but fear whispers, “Not now. Not here. Someone else will do it.” Yet Scripture reminds us, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
Fear is not from God. Neither is apathy, which can settle into the heart like quiet dust. The people around us need the hope of Christ, and God has uniquely placed each believer in their own sphere of influence. Let this be the week we ask the Holy Spirit to sweep away hesitation and to fill our mouths with grace-filled words.
A young woman once testified that she struggled for years to share her faith at work. After praying specifically for boldness, she felt compelled one day to ask a coworker a simple question: “How can I pray for you today?” That single sentence opened a meaningful conversation, and eventually the coworker visited her church. Boldness does not always begin with preaching. It often begins with small, Spirit-led steps of obedience.
Encouraging Next-Generation Leaders
Throughout Scripture, God used younger voices to speak His truth: Samuel heard God’s voice as a boy, David testified of God’s power as a youth, and Timothy led believers though he was young in age (1 Timothy 4:12).
When children and youth pray for boldness, something remarkable happens: the whole church is stirred. Their sincerity, courage, and uncluttered faith often inspire older believers to step forward with renewed conviction. Encouraging the next generation to lead prayers also teaches them early that sharing God’s Word with compassion is not reserved for adulthood; it is the calling of every disciple, regardless of age.
One youth group began praying weekly for opportunities to share Christ at school. Within weeks, students reported conversations with classmates who were struggling, curious, or seeking direction. One student shared a Bible verse with a friend battling depression; another prayed with a teammate before a game. Their simple acts of faith became testimonies that encouraged the entire congregation.
Hearts Opened, Mouths Filled, Lives Changed
This week is not simply about speaking—it is about speaking from a heart transformed by Christ. When God opens our hearts, our words change. They become gentler, truer, more Spirit-guided. When He opens our mouths, the gospel advances in ways we could never orchestrate on our own.
As you pray this week, invite the Holy Spirit to shape your heart with Christlike compassion and to fill your mouth with bold, loving truth. Ask Him to make you attentive to the lost, fearless in witness, and ready to testify of His goodness.
May our prayer echo the psalmist:
“Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:15 NIV).