D.L. Moody on Evangelism

Mr. Moody was adept at turning adverse circumstances into favorable witnessing opportunities because he was always on the alert to win souls. Dr. Clinton N. Howard relates the following interesting incident which occurred in Moody's Buffalo, New York, campaign in Howard's boyhood:

As Moody was returning after a night meeting on a crowded Madison streetcar as a strap-hanger, a rider asked who the big man was. Told he was Moody, the revivalist, the scoffer asked him a question, "Hey, Sky Pilot! How far is it from Chicago to heaven?"

Quick as lightning, Moody answered, "One step; will you take it?"

Pushing his way to the door, the man dropped from the rear platform into the street, followed by Moody, who reached the platform, funneled his hands, and shouted to the fleeing sinner, "One step from Chicago to heaven. One step! Will you take it?"

On the following night, Moody related the incident at the close of his sermon, and repeated, "One step-one step-one step, from Chicago to heaven. Who will be the first to take it tonight?" Out from the rear of the house came a man pushing his way to the platform, saying, "I'll take that step tonight!" It was the man who had asked the question of the "Sky Pilot" the night before! 5

D. L. Moody recognized that no two persons were exactly alike and that it was impossible to lay down hard-and-fast rules for dealing with inquirers. But he did practice and teach some general principles for dealing with souls. A few of them are included in the following quotation from Mr. Moody:

Always use your Bible in personal dealing. Do not trust to memory, but make the person read the verse for himself. Do not use printed slips or books. Hence, if convenient, always carry a Bible or New Testament with you.

It is a good thing to get a man on his knees, but don't get him there before he is ready. You may have to talk to him two hours before you can get him that far along...

Sometimes a few minutes in prayer have done more for a man than two hours in talk. When the Spirit of God has led him so far that he is willing to have you pray with him; he is not very far from the Kingdom. Ask him to pray for himself. If he doesn't want to pray, let him use a Bible prayer; get him to repeat, for example, "Lord, help me!" Tell the man, "If the Lord helped that poor woman, He will help you if you make the same prayer. He will give you a new heart if you pray from the heart." Don't send a man home to pray. Of course, he should pray at home, but I would rather get his lips open at once. It is a good thing for a man to hear his own voice in prayer. It is a good thing for him to cry out, "God be merciful to me, a sinner!"

Urge an immediate decision, but never tell a man he is converted. Never tell him he is saved. Let the Holy Spirit reveal that to him...

Always be prepared to do personal work...

Do the work boldly. Don't take those in a position in life above your own, but as a rule, take those on the same footing. Don't deal with a person of the opposite sex if it can be otherwise arranged. Bend all your endeavors to answer for poor, struggling souls that question of such importance to them, "What must I do to be saved?"