Pray for the Unsaved

QUESTION: How can I pray for the unsaved?

ANSWER:

Should we pray for the unsaved? Does it really help to pray to God about people who do not believe in Him? Does God hear our prayers for our unsaved friends and family? The answer to all of these questions is "Yes." We should definitely pray for the unsaved, because God does hear our prayers. Our prayers work with God's will, in ways that we cannot fully understand, to bring about miracles in the lives of those for whom we have prayed.

God desires to hear from us, and prayer is our means of talking with Him. When we, as believers, pray for the unsaved, God listens and He will honor our requests when our prayers are in line with His will.

Does the Bible tell us to pray for the unsaved? Yes, in Matthew 9:36-38, Jesus tells His disciples that there are many unsaved people throughout the world. He encouraged them to pray that God would provide people to share the gospel with them. God desires that all people learn the truth of salvation. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

In Luke 11:9-10, Jesus again instructs His disciples to pray, and this time He tells them to pray persistently for those things they would like to receive from their Heavenly Father. Would you like your unsaved friends and family to come to know Jesus as their personal Savior? Then pray persistently for them.

Finally, James 5:16 tells us that "the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." We should pray fervently with the expectation that God will answer our prayers.

Will you pray for the unsaved today? Knowing that God hears our prayers and knowing that Jesus instructed us to pray persistently, will you commit to praying for the unsaved? Pray for the unsaved people in your life and have faith that God will answer your prayers.