We all know someone that we are hoping will come into a relationship with Christ. It could be someone in your immediate family or one of your close friends. Since we have been in relationship with Jesus, we know how much of a blessing it is and we want others to know that joy and have that eternal security as well. The reality is that everyone comes in their own time. It’s up to us to pray and be obedient to God in order to lead them to Christ. This episode will encourage you as you pray for your friends and loved once to know Christ. Listen to the podcast episode below.
“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws. They will be My people, and I will be their God.” – Ezekiel 11:19-20
When praying for your unsaved loved ones, pray to God for their heart that God will give them an undivided heart and remove the heart of stone. Also pray that God would remove all idols that may have taken up space in their heart.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
This is a promise from God that He is faithful to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. When speaking to unsaved loved ones it’s important to let them know that God is faithful to forgive regardless of their past. They don’t need to clean themselves up or be perfect before they come to God.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Like the previous verse, once someone comes to Christ they are new and their past is covered by the blood of Jesus. Your unsaved loved ones do not understand this so this is an critical point that you would want to communicate with them if you have the opportunity, but even more, you can pray that you will come to the realization that they are made new in Christ.
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” – Acts 16:30-31
When praying for one of your loved ones remember their family. Most of the time there is a spiritual gatekeeper to that entire household and once that person into a relationship with Christ, the rest of the household will follow. This is especially true if the gatekeeper is a father however it is possible for someone who is not the gatekeeper in a family to come into relationship with Christ first.
Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. – Hebrews 7:23-25
These verses say that since Christ lives forever he will forever be our high priest interceding on our behalf and He is able to save us completely. In your prayers thank God that Jesus is able to save completely and always interceding for your friends and loved ones.
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. – Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9
I put these two verses together because we sometimes need to be reminded that God is faithful and will keep his promises to us. Keep praying for your loved ones to come to know the Lord and trust God to answer your prayers.
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV
As believers it’s may be challenging to talk to others about Christ or eternity but we need to remember this verse. Those without the Spirit do not accept the things of God and may actually consider them as foolishness. So our prayer strategy should always be for God to prepare the hearts of our loved ones so that Gods Spirit would work on their hearts even before we begin to talk to them about Christ.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. – John 6:44
This verse takes the pressure off of us to try to lead our friends or loved ones to Christ. This verse says that God is the one who draws people to Jesus. So our prayer in our personal prayer time should always be that God would draw those to Him in the right time to receive salvation. We need to be ready and sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit to be able to respond accordingly.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love – Ephesians 1:4 NIV
This is going to be the final verse that I’m going to leave you with today. Continue to pray for your loved ones and remember that God chose them before the creation of the world. That being said, God has a plan for them that is already determined. Psalms 139:16 confirms this as well. Pray and trust God that they will hear Gods call on their live in the appointed time. Also remember there was a time that you were not saved and running in the opposite direction from God… But God was able to still save you. If he if he was able to change your heart and you saved you He can save your friends and loved ones as well.