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Prayer Coach Prayer Coach : prayer guides : What to Pray for the Lost

What to Pray for the Lost

    Pray for Lost

    My church will be starting a campaign in the next couple weeks going through Bill HybelsJust Walk Across the Room. I started reading it this morning and was once again reminded that I am a sucker for stories of changed lives. The youth group I went to in high school had the slogan that God is in the business of changing lives, and that has penetrated my view of God ever since. With all of this in mind, I wanted to provide a resource on what specific things to pray when praying for the lost or non-Christians. I received this list many years ago as a handout, if any knows the source of the information please send me the reference so that I can give credit to them.

    15 Things to Pray for Non-Christians

    1. That God Draws Them to Himself
      John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…”
    2. That They Seek to Know God
      Acts 17:27 “God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”
    3. That Their Hearts be Prepared for the Gospel
      Mark 4:8 “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”
    4. That the Word Becomes Revelation Lifting of the Veil of Their Hearts
      2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
      Ephesians 1:17-18 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
    5. That They Believe the Scriptures
      1 Thessalonians 2:13 “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God…”
      Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
    6. That Satan is Bound from Blinding Them to the Truth
      Matthew 13:19 “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”
      2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, sot hat they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
    7. That the Holy Spirit Works in Them
      John 16:8-13 “When (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment… He will guide you into all truth…”
    8. That the Root of Pride Be Broken (in us and them)
      2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does… We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
    9. That God Sends Someone to Lead Them to Christ
      Matthew 9:37-38 “Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”
    10. That They Believe in Christ as Savior
      John 1:12 “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
      John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; He has crossed over from death to life.”
    11. That They Turn from Sin
      Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
    12. That They Confess Christ as Lord
      Romans 10:9-10 “…if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
    13. That They Come to True Repentance
      2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
      2 Timothy 2:25-26 “[that] God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they many come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
    14. That They Yield All to Follow Christ
      2 Corinthians 5:15 “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”
      Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”
    15. That They Take Root and Grow in Christ
      Colossians 2:6-7 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

    Definition of successful witnessing: to take the initiative to share Jesus
    by the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”
    Dr. Bill Bright

    Original Image: Ben Duchac / Unsplash

    4 thoughts on “What to Pray for the Lost”

    1. t paul,
      That is a challenging thought. Ultimately only God knows the heart, but it is sad when series of events make us doubt what we once thought true of someone. If you once thought this person was a Christian than more than likely they are familiar with some of the Bible. #4 above can be something to camp out on as you ask God to bring back to this person’s mind verse of Scripture that they have known.

      I have prayed you and this person. Remember that God wants repentance for this person more than you do. 2 Peter 3:9.

      Blessings,
      Kevin

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