WWoman At The Well Model:
Prophetic Evangelism
I have often read the account of Jesus with the woman at the well, and it has been a model for evangelism for years. I would like to look at it from four steps:
1. Jesus met the woman and dealt “One-On-One” with her. His disciples were not present, there was no mass evangelistic effort, just Jesus and her. A Jew talking to a non-Jew was taboo, and talking to a woman who was not Jewish was beyond taboo, but that is not the reason for his talking to her privately.
2. He met with her privately because he had a “prophetic” insight into her life he wanted to share. He read her private mail: she had five husbands in the past, and the current man she was living with was not one of them. Not only did he break the social taboos of his time, but the personal taboo of dealing with a non-Jewish woman at a personal level. Because of this she perceives he is a prophet.
3. He then goes beyond her perception of who she thinks he is, but reveals that He is the Messiah, not to his disciples or even a Jewish gathering, but to a non-Jewish, adulterous Arab woman! With the knowledge of knowing who Jesus is, for she had personally met him, she runs back to her town and tells her story.
4. The town responds by having Jesus stay for a few days as revival breaks out. Results: (paraphrased) “Wow, her testimony was great, but since we have seen Him and personally heard him, we too believe.”
Group evangelism can be spawned through personal evangelism. The fruit of one on one contact can bring powerful group evangelism results. Again, how does the model work:
1. One-On-One Contact: Personal evangelism is usually the most effective way to minister the gift of salvation.
2. Minister Prophetically: Allowing the Holy Spirit to use you through personal prophetic words, reveals the power of God in your life and in theirs, complementing step one as God being personal to each individual.
3. Let Jesus Reveal Himself to the person. Teach them early that when in the Presence of God, He will reveal himself to you. Jesus certainly did that to the Samaritan woman in revealing Himself as the Messiah while in her presence.
4. Respond to the Leading of the Holy Spirit: If the Lord takes you beyond the initial personal contact to minister to others do it! They too need to know for themselves of His reality!
So, maybe we should look at the possibility of prophetic evangelism as a new mind set for the Church. It certainly is not new to Jesus who effectively did it at the well to the Samaritan woman. It was an effective method for him; thus it should be an effective method for you and me.