Praying for The Lost

Jesus’ heart is clear… He doesn’t want one to go missing. He paid the price for all of us and all our sins. He leaves the 99 to go after the one whose gone astray and gone missing. Praying for the lost is how we can partner with His heart to bring them back into the fold and protection of the Shepherd.

Today’s post is an abridged version of probably my favorite ever prayer for the lost. It’s the one I go back to when I need help praying for someone. It’s written by Pastor Brandon Cormier of Zeal Church in Colorado Springs. One thing that is remarkable about this church is the number of people who get saved and come to Christ on a weekly basis. Silly me! I never connected that remarkable blessing with the power of this prayer until just now. But prayer is their priority, and one thing they do well is pray for the lost in our city.

I’m going to share an excerpt of this prayer today. That way it will serve as an introduction to the prayer. But what I want to strongly encourage you to do is go to ZealChurch.com and download their Seek 21: Prayer Guide. It’s one of the best resources I’ve found on the foundations of prayer. And if you scroll down to page 63, you’ll find this prayer today. You’ll also find your new favorite quick guide to prayer within those pages.

Praying for Those Who Need God:

ASK THE FATHER TO DRAW THEM TO JESUS

God draws people to Him. It’s not something we can make happen out of our own efforts, so we need to be faithful in praying that the Father would draw those He’s placed on our hearts to Jesus.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them…” JOHN 6:44

Think about the people you know who are far from God. Let your heart be open to God and anyone He may bring to your mind. It may help to write down their names as you focus on praying for them.

PRAYER: “Father, I pray for the people around me (list specific names), that You would supernaturally draw their hearts to You. Send Your Holy Spirit to them, and give them the desire to give their lives to You. Help them to recognize their longing for more in life as a spiritual thirst only You can quench. Open their ears to hear Your voice.”

BIND THE SPIRIT THAT BLINDS THEIR MINDS

The truth can be right in front of some people, and they still can’t see it because something is in the way blocking their view of God.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4

We can pray against whatever is in their way so that they can see the light of God. We can pray that they would see the truth without any obstacles or distractions interfering.

PRAYER: “Father, bind the evil spirits that are blinding the minds of the people around me. In the name of Jesus, I pray that they would be able to see clearly, to recognize who You are, and to give their hearts to You. Remove all hindrances the enemy would use to distract them from Your truth. Open their eyes, Lord, that they might see Jesus.”

PRAY THAT THEY MAY HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Many people think Christianity is just another religion. They only see God through the lens of the organization and institution of the church. They may even feel frustrated, angry, or betrayed by people in churches they have encountered or by religious legalists and their hypocrisy. But God didn’t come to build an organization. He came to have a relationship with His children.

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” “

ROMANS 8:15

God wants His beloved sons and daughters to come home. Praying for people to have personal encounters with the living God makes a huge difference.

PRAYER: “Father, I pray that people will understand how much You love them. Loose the spirit of adoption for the people around me, so that they come into a meaningful relationship with You. Stir in their hearts a longing to come home, to hear Your voice, and to see You welcoming them with open arms. Let them know You are always running to meet them and hold them close.”

PRAY FOR BELIEVERS TO CROSS THEIR PATHS

This is twofold: we can pray for other Christians to influence the people around them positively, and we can also look for opportunities to influence others positively ourselves. God’s plan to reach people is worked through those who already know and love Him. Jesus asked us to pray for people to go into the world to be salt and light. He came to bring the good news of the Gospel to all people, and His desire is that everyone would know and love Him.

“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

MATTHEW 9:38

As his “spiritual farmers,” we should be attuned to opportunities to plant spiritual seeds in the lives of the people we encounter each day. We may have no idea who has already been praying for them and the culminating impact our kind word, compassionate act, or loving attitude can have to draw them to Christ.

PRAYER: “Father, I pray for the lost around me to meet believers who will influence them in a positive way. Lord, let my life shine in such a way that people want to know the God I serve. Allow others to see my genuine love and concern for them in all that I say and do. Let me be Your hands and feet to serve them and let them know just how much You love them.”

RELEASE THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION ON THEM, SO THEY MAY KNOW GOD BETTER

It’s that “eureka” moment, that “aha!” when it finally clicks. The most important moment to have this kind of revelation is when the lights come on spiritually. People need to see their own sin, see what Jesus did on the cross, and see the hope that comes from giving their life to God.

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”

EPHESIANS 1:17

People need wisdom, not just knowledge, of spiritual things and insight into how spiritual realities directly impact them. We can pray for this kind of supernatural revelation that only comes from God.

PRAYER: “Father, I pray for the people around me to experience the spirit of wisdom and revelation. I pray that they would truly understand their spiritual condition and see what Jesus did for them on the cross. Help them to have the information and experiences needed to come to You, so they can understand all You have for them.”

Excerpt from Seek 21: Prayer Guide by Zeal Church in Colorado Springs, CO.

Download the full guide here: