6 Ways to Pray For Others to Come to Christ It’s important that we pray for those who don’t know Christ. By Lesli White

 

6 Ways to Pray For Others to Come to Christ

It’s important that we pray for those who don’t know Christ.

By Lesli White

Christians are people of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and some of our prayer requests are in regards to the spiritual condition of our unsaved friends and relatives. We want them to be saved, and we pray to that end. We should be prayed for unbelievers and those who don’t know Christ. Our Savior comes to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and a principal theme of Luke’s gospel is Christ’s compassion for those often regarded as outcasts in Israel. Our Savior “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), so when we pray for the salvation of an unsaved person, we are simply sharing in the stated desire of Jesus. We all have people in our sphere of influence who are unsaved, and we should be praying for them because we care deeply about them and because we know that God cares for them and wants none of them to perish – His desire is for all of them to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Here are six ways to pray for others to come to Christ.

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Pray That They Will Know God

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God has honored and in many instances has answered the fervent prayers of believers for the salvation of unbelievers. Believers are commanded to pray in various ways for all people. We know from Scripture that in order to lead godly and reverent lives in peace and to please God with their supplication and prayers, we are called to pray for the salvation of all. When we do this, It’s important that we pray that unbelievers will know God: Dear Lord, in John 17:3, it says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Jesus was praying that people come to know You, our only means to eternal salvation. Today I choose to pray as Jesus did and ask that You help those who have yet to give their lives to Christ. May Your love and power reveal themselves to the nonbelievers, so that they will someday know You! Amen.

Pray That God Will Turn Their Stubborn Heart

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Those who don’t know Christ are closed off from Him. While their heart is turned away from Him, there heart yearns Him deeply. An unbelievers heart is in a stubborn place. It’s important that we pray that God will turn their heart around. Dear Lord, as I pray today for those that do not know Jesus I ask that You can break whatever it is that has control over their heart that takes them away from knowing You. Psalm 119:67 says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.” It is true that many have to fall to their lowest points in life before they turn their life over to You. It often takes painful circumstances to drive us to Christ. Addiction, lust, materialism, and other deadly sins are false gods that are stealing the hearts of those who need You the most. I pray for those who are unsaved that You will be able to rip the bondage of what is holding them back. May they seek You! Amen.

Pray That God Will Remove the Enemy’s Influence

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Since the dawn of time, the enemy has been out there scheming to take down the believer and those who don’t know Christ. We can't see him, but this does not mean he's not there. The devil whispers those lofty temptations into our spiritual ears and into our minds. It’s important that we pray for Satan’s influence to be removed from their life: Dear Lord, it is scary to know that unbelievers have been blinded by Satan. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 it says, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” How will they ever know You if they are blind? I pray that they are able to see and appreciate the gospel by You working within them. I pray God that You give them opportunities to see the light and glory of Jesus Christ. Bless them with the spiritual sight needed to break the influence that Satan has taken over them. Amen.

Pray That God Will Move His Spirit Through Them

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As a believer of Christ, the Holy Spirit is already an active force in your life, leading you and guiding you on your path towards the cross. We are told in Hebrews 9:14 that the Holy Spirit is eternal and in Psalms 139:7 that He is omnipresent. We should be open to the Holy Spirit working in our lives, and allow the Spirit to guide us in our decision-making so that God and His will for us is at the center of all that we do. It’s important that we pray for the Holy Spirit to move through them: Dear Lord, I pray that you would grant this honor to those unbelievers, that He would choose to take up residence within them. May He fill the hearts of those who have yet to see Him! As Ezekiel 36:27 states, “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” I am blessed to have the Spirit within me, and I pray for that blessing for unbelievers so that they can know true happiness. Amen.

Pray For Opportunities to Minister to Them

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Those who don’t know Christ may not be open to what you have to say to them about Christ so we should be cognizant of the place they are currently spiritually and look for ways to show them Christ that land for them. It’s important that we pray for opportunities to minister to them: Dear Lord, I know it is my duty to spread the Word of God and show others the glory that can be found within You. Many people come to faith after seeing Christ’s loved displayed through the ministry of Christians. So today, I pray for opportunities to minister to unbelievers. Help me to spread Your ministry effectively to those who do not know you. I pray that You work through other Christians, so that they have the ability to minister to nonbelievers too. Lead us all to opportunities to encounter those who do not know Jesus. Let us all be an example of Christian living. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Amen.

Pray For God to Extend His Mercy

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Psalm 23:6 states that “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” We will forever dwell with the good shepherd now and for eternity. His grace and mercy endures forever. This empower us to be victors now. It’s important that we pray for God’s mercy to be extended in their life: Dear Lord, I know that it is Your deepest wish to have all people have faith in You. It must break your heart in seeing someone choose false gods. I pray that You continue to be patient and merciful on those who have not yet found You. As it is said in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to parish but everyone to come to repentance.” How blessed are we to have a God that will wait for us to turn our hearts to Him! We are blessed by a merciful and loving God that receives no joy in watching someone perish without knowing His love. Amen.

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There is scriptural basis for praying on behalf of the unsaved. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16), and “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12). There is incredible power in prayer. God indeed hears the cries of His children. We know what happens to those who die in their sins, and that knowledge alone should prompt us to pray incessantly for our unsaved acquaintances in the hope that they, too, will respond to God’s call and join us in heaven.

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Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council.