Praying for the Lost
- Salvation has already been purchased for all mankind and forgiveness awaits all who will receive it.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Salvation has already been purchased for all mankind and forgiveness awaits all who will receive it.” quote=”Salvation has already been purchased for all mankind and forgiveness awaits all who will receive it.”]
Hebrews 10:10-12 NIV And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (11) Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. (12) But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
The Bible teaches us that Jesus paid the price once for all mankind. He purchased our salvation so the work of redemption has been completed.
Colossians 1:13-14 NLT For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, (14) who purchased our freedom [with His blood] and forgave our sins.
- Salvation must be received.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Salvation must be received.” quote=”Salvation must be received.”]
So, for us to pray prayers such as, “Lord save so and so…” are unscriptural because the work of salvation is complete and in God’s heart and mind it is established and mankind just needs to receive what God has already done.
Romans 10:13-15 NIV for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (14) How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (15) And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
A preacher is one who simply proclaims, declares or shares the truth. A preacher is not necessarily one who stands in a pulpit.
That means that all of us who are believers today are believers because someone was sent to us to tell us the Good News of the Gospel.
Why were they sent?
- Preachers are sent because someone prayed.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Preachers are sent because someone prayed.” quote=”Preachers are sent because someone prayed.”]
Matthew 9:35-38 NIV Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. (36) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (37) Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. (38) Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
We work with God in asking Him to send forth the laborers into the harvest and He does the sending. The laborers do the preaching and start the process.
Someone might say, “Well, if the Lord wants to send forth laborers into the harvest, why doesn’t He just send them?” But God cannot do any more on earth than what we permit Him to do. We permit God to move in our lives and in the earth by obeying His Word and by praying.
It is still up to the person to receive God’s free gift but at least they shall have heard.
God knows exactly the right person who can reach your unsaved loved one and can influence them for the Lord.
You can also pray that God will pour out His goodness in their lives so that it will bring them to a place of repentance.
Romans 2:4 NKJV Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
The correct way to pray for lost friends or loved ones is like this:
Lord, I ask You, the Lord of the Harvest, to send forth perfect laborers into the life of _____________ to share the Good News of the Gospel. Let them say it in a special way so that they will listen and understand it. I believe that they will not be able to resist the drawing of your Spirit as you bring them to repentance by overwhelming them with your goodness and love. I thank You for it, in Jesus’ Name.
You can also pray for their supernatural protection especially if they are involved in activities that could endanger them.
Praying for the Found
I believe that most Born Again believers genuinely want to follow after the things of God and His direction for their lives.
Sometimes the enemy is able to come in and bring confusion and questions because they do not know what they are supposed to be doing.
- When people do not know what to do, they always revert to do what they do know to do.
[clickToTweet tweet=”When people do not know what to do, they always revert to do what they do know to do.” quote=”When people do not know what to do, they always revert to do what they do know to do.”]
Proverbs 4:18 NIV The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
1 John 1:7 NIV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (9) For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
- Light or revelation from God’s Word is essential for our lives to be different and better.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Light or revelation from God’s Word is essential for our lives to be different and better.” quote=”Light or revelation from God’s Word is essential for our lives to be different and better.”]
It is still the individual’s choice to walk in the light they receive.
Paul outlined the prayers that we can pray for believers (and for ourselves) in the following epistles:
Paul prayed for:
Ephesians 1:15-16 NKJV Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, (16) do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
Ephesians 1:17-18 NKJV that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, (18) the eyes of your understanding being enlightened…
- Wisdom and revelation in the deep, intimate knowledge of God.
Ephesians 1:18 NKJV …that you may know what is the hope of His calling…
Hope = expectation
Calling – invitation to a banquet, (metaphorically) an invitation to the Kingdom and its benefits
- Knowledge and expectation of obtaining the benefits and privileges of the Kingdom.
Ephesians 1:18 NKJV …what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
- Knowledge of what we will inherit eternally.
Ephesians 1:19-20 NKJV and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
- Knowledge of the resurrection power of God at work in us and for us.
Here is an example prayer you can pray for loved ones or friends that are saved (and yourself):
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I pray for ____________. I pray that You would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the deep and intimate knowledge of You. I pray that they would discover and obtain the benefits and privileges of the Kingdom and that they would know the depths of their eternal inheritance in Christ. I pray that they come to know and experience the immeasurable and unlimited power of God that is in work in them and for them which is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Amen.
Other Pauline prayers can be found in:
Ephesians 3:14-19 NKJV For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (16) that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, (17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height– (19) to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19 AMP [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
Colossians 1:9-12 NLT So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. (10) Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. (11) We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, (12) always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.