The Dire Need to Pray for the Lost
Living as a disciple of Jesus in the modern world has its’ share of challenges. Culture is changing at a breakneck pace and is leaving very little room for the conservative Christian. Daily attacks on the traditional, biblical views of marriage, family, sexuality, sin, heaven, and hell can cause even the most peaceful follower of Jesus to respond in apathy, anger, or retribution.
I want to caution against this mindset. Remember, Christian; the world is lost without Christ. Do not expect the lost world to act as if they have been found in Christ. Jesus provides us words of instruction when he says, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). Jesus lets us know the world will hate us; he allows us to see the world will treat us as enemies. Knowing this truth, Jesus also instructs his followers to, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Mt. 5:44).
We are commanded to love those who are our enemies. We are commanded to pray for the world when it seeks to harm us, shut down our churches, keep us from practicing our faith. We are to seek God on behalf of the lost. There are at least three reasons we should pray for the lost.
Praying for the Lost is Biblical
In addition to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5, the New Testament is replete with instructions and examples to pray for the lost. As the apostle Paul was writing to the Romans concerning his Jewish kinsmen, he stated, “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation” (Rom. 10:1). Paul’s deep yearning was to see those who did not know Christ come to faith in Him. Do we live with such a passion to see the lost among us saved? As the apostle Peter was encouraging his readers about the coming of the Lord he wrote, “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Pt. 3:9). The heart of God desires that all persons created, every person who bears his image, come to faith through repentance. The very reason God is delaying judgement is so that more people will come to faith and be spared his eternal wrath. Should those who follow the risen Lord, not live with such a desire? This desire to see the lost saved begins in our hearts and is demonstrated most pointedly in our prayers. Our heart’s desires are poured out to the Lord in prayer, and our prayers reflect our values. Are we praying for the salvation of the lost? Writing to young Timothy, Paul instructs the church to pray for all people to come to know Christ because God desires all men to be saved through the knowledge of Christ (1 Tim. 2:1-4).
Praying for the lost:
is to be a regular part of the life of the believer
demonstrates a heart that follows the heart of God
shows compassion for those who are a breath away from eternal judgment
Instead of anger, may the mercy of God rise within us and cause us to plead to him for the salvation of those who do not have a relationship with Him.
Praying for the Lost Helps us Value our Salvation
We have an uncanny ability to forget our own past. God has carried many of us away from lives of selfishness and sin that we’d rather forget. We can quickly and easily look out at the world and complain about the culture, society and those living in it. We quickly cast judgment on the lost and wonder why God has not intervened and “set them straight.” The fault with this mindset is that we have forgotten the beginning of our own journey. We were previously the ones standing under the wrath of a holy and righteous God. Only through His grace are we now saved through the blood of Christ. Paul reminds the Ephesian church of this truth, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. … 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” (Eph. 2:1-5).
Praying for the lost reminds us that:
we too were once lost and under the judgement of God
someone at one time was praying for our salvation
our salvation is of great value
God has extended his great mercy in our lives
Praying for the Lost Reminds us to Prioritize Evangelism
Intentional prayer for the lost will lead to a life of intentional evangelism. When we pray for the lost it brings the need of salvation directly before us, reminding us of the essential nature of salvation for the entire world. Praying for lost friends, family, coworkers, and strangers demonstrates a heart for those we love. The more we think on an idea or behavior, the more energy we give to a thing, the more our life begins to follow a particular pattern. What better way to follow Christ than to live a life of intentional evangelism? Praying for the lost brings the sinner directly before us and helps us to see all we encounter as either those in the family of God or those needing to be in the family of God.
Let’s commit to pray for the lost.
Pray God will show grace to them
Pray the Holy Spirit will convict them of sin and reveal the depth of God’s love to them
Pray they will confess their sin to God and commit to follow Christ
Pray that God will use you any way he sees fit to bring them to faith in Christ
May the Lord answer our prayers!
God Bless,
Bro. Brad