How to Pray for Those Without Christ

1.12.2022

Jesus’ coming is delayed because of God’s desire for as many people as possible to be saved from the coming judgments and hell.

James 5:7-8 (NKJV)

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

James 5:7-8 (NLT)

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

3 ways to pray for Non-Believers:

1. Pray for God to draw them to Him.

John 6:44 (NKJV)

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:65 (NKJV)

And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

The human heart is corrupted and self-centered

Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,

and desperately wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?

Matthew 15:19 (NLT)

19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.

Romans 3:10-18 (NLT)

10 As the Scriptures say, No one is righteous— not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” 13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “They rush to commit murder. 16 Destruction and misery always follow them. 17 They don’t know where to find peace.” 18 “They have no fear of God at all.”

Any desire you have for God comes from God, not you!

2. Command Satan to stop blinding their minds

Counteract the darkened mind.

1 John 5:19 (NLT)

We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

1 John 5:19 (CEV)

We are certain that we come from God and that the rest of the world is under the power of the devil.

1 John 5:19 (MSG)

We know that we are held firm by God; it’s only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One.

1 John 5:19 (TPT)

19 We know that we are God’s children and that the whole world lies under the misery and influence of the Evil One.

Ephesians 2:2 (NLT)

You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NKJV)

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (TPT)

Even if our gospel message is veiled, it is only veiled to those who are perishing, 4 for their minds have been blinded by the god of this age, leaving them in unbelief. Their blindness keeps them from seeing the dayspring light of the wonderful news of the glory of Jesus Christ, who is the divine image of God.

3. Ask For people who know Jesus to cross their path of life every day.

Matthew 9:36-38 (NKJV)

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Matthew 9:37-38 (NLT)

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Isaiah 66:8 (KJV)

Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things?

Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?

or shall a nation be born at once?

for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Galatians 4:19 (KJV)

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

Wayward believers

We all know believers who have for some reason fallen away in their walk with God. As Paul said they have become “shipwrecked” in the faith. In some way the world, the flesh, and the devil have made inroads into their faith life, and they are away from God and out of fellowship.

Notice James 4:4 in the Amplified:

You are like unfaithful wives having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.

 

I have found James 4:5 to be a real key in praying for these prodigal sons and daughters of God.

Listen to it in these various translations:

(NKJV)

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?”

(NIV)

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

(Wuest)

Or, do you think that the scripture says in an empty manner and to no purpose, The Spirit [Holy Spirit] who has been caused to make His permanent home in us has a passionate desire [to control us] to the point of envy [of any control indwelling sin may have over us]?

(New Century Version)

Do you think the Scripture means nothing that says, “The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for Himself alone”?

 

When we are born again, the Holy Spirit becomes a jealous lover! He wants no person or thing to take our focus off of Jesus and the Father. He becomes intensely jealous whenever Jesus and the Father’s place are taken by another.

 

The most miserable people on earth are not happy-go-lucky sinners. The most miserable people are those who have walked with God and have fallen into sin. Their every action is a grief to the Holy Spirit. He is jealous to win them back to the Father.

 

In praying for a wayward believer, pray for the jealous yearning of the Holy Spirit to rise up within them every day. Pray for God’s jealous love to draw them back to the Father every waking moment. Pray that they will have no rest or peace until they are back in fellowship.

 

Years ago I had a friend who attended the same Bible school as I did, and attended my church. In fact, we worked together for a while on the church staff as custodians. After he completed school, he found another job and I lost contact with him. I saw him one day while running some errands, and there was my friend, cursing, blowing cigarette smoke in my face, and telling me of his sinful escapades. I affirmed my care for him and encouraged him to come back to the Lord.

 

I had such a burden for him after I left his presence. I cried out to God for my friend to come back to Jesus, and I prayed for this jealous lover to draw him back to the Father. I prayed that he would find no rest or comfort until he came back to the Father in repentance. I prayed for the jealous lover to draw him every day, and I prayed that the Father would send believers across his path of life daily to encourage him to come back to Jesus.

 

Some time later I received a phone call from my wayward friend. He had come back to God and had cleaned his life up. He had been set free from the deception of the enemy.

 

Take some time today to pray for the jealous lover to rise up in those that you know who have fallen away from God. He will draw them back to Himself as you give yourself to praying in faith for them.