The Goal Is Souls
Annette Capps
I was walking across the floor of my house one day. I wasn’t praying; I was just going about my business when I heard something loudly in my spirit. Not out loud with my physical ears, but on the inside, I heard: The goal is souls.
I stopped and said it back to myself. “The goal is souls.” I knew it was an impartation from the Spirit of God. It came straight from the heart of the Father, and it landed in me with a weight that has never left.
Of course, if you ask any Christian whether souls matter, they will say yes without hesitating. We all know about the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18–19 says, “Jesus . . . said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . .” (esv).
But I’ve been aware for a long time that we’ve mostly been preaching to ourselves. We need to keep the Word before us always — I’m not taking away from that. But when I heard those words, suddenly there was a shift, and it came in the Spirit.
If People Won’t Come to Us, We Must Go to Them
Everybody ought to know that “the goal is souls.” But what have we really done about it? I hear people say all the time, “We need to bring sinners to church so we can get them saved.” And yes, praise God when that happens. But honestly, how many people who don’t know Jesus are going to walk through church doors on their own? I just don’t see it.
Look at how Jesus ministered. He didn’t wait for people to show up at the synagogue. He was walking along the road, or He was out by the lake where people already were. That’s where He touched their lives. Every one of us touches somebody’s life. The question is: Are we’re paying attention when an opportunity to share Christ arises?
Here’s something that can take the pressure off about witnessing. Instead of making it a law — “I have to talk to five people today” — what if you prayed, “Lord, send me to somebody who’s hungry for You”? Then it’s not your responsibility. It’s God’s responsibility to put you in front of someone with an open heart.
You Don’t Have to Know Everything — Just Jesus
My dad, Charles Capps, traveled the country in the 1960s teaching personal evangelism seminars. I sat in those seminars and noticed something. The moment you said witnessing and personal evangelism, people froze. They immediately started thinking about everything they didn’t know and every conversation they were afraid to have.
Satan will use everything he can to keep you from sharing what you have. But you don’t need all the answers. You just need four things:
First, you must have witnessed something yourself. Acts 1:8 says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses. . . .”
If you’re called to testify in a court of law, why do they call you as a witness? Because you witnessed something and experienced it for yourself.
Are you born again? Then you qualify.
Second, you become a witness because you’ve received the power of the Holy Spirit. He is your helper to reach others.
Third, the anointing of the Spirit. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me . . . (Luke 4:18). Guess what? That anointing abides in you. It isn’t just for the fivefold ministry. It’s for every Christian.
Fourth, love and compassion. “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (Romans 5:5). If the Holy Spirit indwells you, you have the love of God.
That’s it. That’s your equipment. Now, let’s talk about how to use it.
Start With Baby Steps
The simplest and least threatening place to start is with a tract. I wrote one called The Purpose of Your Life. It’s available at annettecapps.com. You can download it and print it for free. Or you can buy it in bulk. God downloaded it to my spirit. I woke up one morning and before coffee wrote down what the Spirit of God gave me.
It speaks directly to questions every human being, young or old, has asked at some point. Why am I here? Do I have any value? Does my life have any purpose? It also answers questions like: If God knows me, why are things so bad? Why hasn’t my life turned out differently?
Tracts are great because you can simply hand it to someone. You don’t have to make a speech. Just smile and say, “This is for you.” You can leave it at the dentist’s office. You can tuck it inside a tip at a restaurant or drive-thru. No one is offended by a generous tip. Your smile and generosity will likely make their day and increase the likelihood they will read the tract.
Make a Connection
Beyond the tract, your greatest tool is a genuine connection. A witnessing conversation shouldn’t start by walking up to a stranger and yelling, “REPENT!”
What is something you really care about? That is your open door. Find people who love the same thing and form a connection. Something will come up where you can introduce them to Jesus. Begin where people are with something they love.
One time I was talking to a woman about animals, and before I knew it, the conversation turned to Jesus. She ended up getting born again! I can’t tell you exactly how it happened, except that it was all arranged by the Holy Spirit.
Maybe you see someone with a dog and comment, “What a beautiful dog.” As you talk with them, you may find out the dog has a health problem they’re worried about. You can say, “You know what, I believe God loves our animals more than we do. Do you mind if I pray for _____ (name)?” You’ve just introduced them to a Jesus who cares about what they care about.
Use the Faith You Already Have
We are people of faith, and we’ve been using the Word of God to believe for healing and finances. But I want to ask you something: What about using your faith for souls? If God said, “the goal is souls,” then I want to use my faith to see souls brought into the kingdom.
We pray over these tracts at Capps Chapel and declare that each tract will have a minimum of one soul won to the kingdom of God. Do you have faith for at least one soul for every tract you give to someone? Be sure to first lay your hands on it, pray over it, and release your faith that the anointing of God will touch the heart of whoever reads it.
I’ve been meditating on the parable of the sower. My dad taught on it for years. As a farmer, he knew something about sowing seed. Here’s the part that jumped out at me. If equal amounts of seed were sown along the wayside, in stony ground, among the thorns, and in good soil, only 25 percent of the seed produced. But that 25 percent produced 30, 60, and 100-fold (Mark 4:14–20).
If you share Jesus with 100 people and only 25 receive Him, those 25 will also produce fruit, and their fruit will produce more fruit. You don’t need a perfect record. You just need to keep sowing.
I encourage you to put your faith to work. Pray, “Lord, send me to someone this week who is hungry for You.” Then go where He leads. If you don’t know what to say, don’t worry. He is not going to send you somewhere and leave you empty-handed. The Holy Spirit is in you, and He will flow through you.
Let’s Get Started
People are hungry. They are asking the questions they’ve always asked — Does my life matter? Is there something more? — and they will rarely walk into a church to find the answer. But they will talk to you in a checkout line. They will open up when you ask about their pets or their children. They are right in front of you, and you have what they need.
I believe if you ask God to put a desire in your heart to see others come to Christ, He will do exactly that. It’s already His desire. It’s what He gave me that day when I walked across my living room floor, and it has never left.
Ask Him for it. Pray for someone to cross your path who is hungry. Download our tract, lay hands on it, and release your faith. Follow the leading of the Spirit concerning where to leave it or who to give it to. Start where you are. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
To read more teachings online Click Here
Order pamphlets of this teaching to share Click Here
