Pricked in Their Heart

Acts 2:37

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Many lazy believers who rarely go soul winning make much about conviction before salvation. Their famous line is, “No conviction, no conversion.” Now, this sounds cute, but the only reason they say this is to accuse the soul winner of winning what they call “green fruit.”

The verse above says that when the people heard Peter’s message, they were pricked in their heart. The word pricked means their heart was punctured with the Gospel. In other words, because they heard the Gospel, that is what led to their heart being punctured and bringing them to the point that they needed to get saved. Let me share a few observations about the critical need for people to be pricked in their heart.

First, nobody will be pricked in their heart without first hearing the Gospel. Romans 10:14 rhetorically asks, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? It is the Gospel that pricks the heart for the need to get saved. If you are looking for people who are pricked in the heart before you give the Gospel, you will never find them because nobody can be pricked in the heart without first hearing the Gospel.

I have often asked people if I could share with them what my mother shared with me how I could know for certain that I was going to Heaven. There have been times when I started sharing with them that I did not believe they were interested in getting saved. However, the Scriptures command is for me to give out the Gospel; therefore, I must simply give it out to anyone who will allow me to share it. What I have discovered is that the countenance of these individuals changed as I presented the Gospel. Many seemed disinterested at first, but they were courteous enough to allow me to share the Gospel with them, which resulted in their heart being pricked as they heard the Gospel. Nobody will be pricked in their heart for their needs of salvation without first hearing the Gospel presented. You must give the Gospel if people are to be pricked in their heart.

Second, people will not hear the Gospel if you do not go. You can talk about the need for people to be saved, but talking to the saved about the need for the lost to be saved has never gotten the Gospel to one lost person. Yes, we should preach about the importance of soul winning, but we must go if people are to hear the Gospel. Nobody can be pricked in their heart for the need of salvation if you do not go soul winning.

Third, I don't worry about what others think about my presentation of the Gospel, for it is the Gospel that pricks the hearts of people, not my presentation. Let the critics criticize while you go soul winning, but the critics only criticize the soul winner because the critic is not going soul winning. The critic has to justify their laziness, and the only way they can do this is to criticize the one who is leading others to Christ. My friend, the key to people being pricked of their need for a Saviour is for you to present the Gospel. You will find many people will want to be saved if you will present the Gospel and let it prick their heart for their need of a Saviour.