Teaching: HOW TO PRAY FOR THE LOST
Evangelist Jennifer A. Mears –January 2007
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.” Matthew 4:17-20 (NKJV)
Most of us owe our own conversion to friends and family who prayed us into The Kingdom. Prayer is the big weapon for the salvation of souls. Not arguing, debating ---seeking to see the lost saved is empty, dry, and fruitless without FERVENT prayer! Don’t waist all your time with getting into arguments with unbelievers. Stand in the gap and pray on their behalf. Cry out to Jesus for their souls to be saved! Let’s begin to really get serious about this thing! Let’s pray The Power of God down from Heaven with strong prayers on the behalf of those you want to be saved…to have their sin covered by The Precious Blood of Jesus.
Reasons To Pray DAILY for The Lost…
1. Because of Love - if we love God, we MUST love our neighbor - if we love our neighbour as ourselves we will want EVERYONE to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior…and for Him to become The King of their Eternity! We will want them to choose LIFE, through accepting Jesus Christ, just as we have.
2. Because of Our Holy Fear Out of Holy Fear - if we would but get the revelation that Hell is real…and it is the eternity for many people we know and love! If we would develop the burden for our loved ones and friends…even others that we do not know…if we would but realize that Hell is the destiny for these lost souls, then we would not want ANYONE to go there.
3. Because of Our Knowledge of God and His Word – God’s Nature is that He loves to be merciful and desires that all men and women…and they ALL should be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth...His Way and His Truth…He IS THE TRUTH! Hallelujah!
4. Because of We Know The Power of Prayer – “the fervent and effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much” James 5:16 (NKJV). Prayer often will succeed when everything else has failed. Prayer is a powerful tool…our communication with God, The Father is how we ask God to move in someone’s life and heart. Prayer, according to The Will of God, is answered. We know that it is God’s Will that ALL be saved. God is a Gentleman and He does not manipulate us from a distance, but as we pray, we begin to see clearly and make Godly choices. Prayer to God diminished the power of the enemy over our lives and the lives of our loved ones. We can also pray that someone will make the choice to come to Jesus and receive His Mercy and Grace…that they accept Him as their Savior and Lord…and ask for remission of sin. We can pray for their deliverance and watch The Holy Spirit move onto the scene and make a difference…ALL to The Glory of God. Blinded eyes of the lost can be opened when we call out to Jesus!
This Is Our First Priority
Paul says it best in I Timothy 2:1-8…he writes, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.”
God wants us to pray! He needs for us to pray! We are His Vessels here on earth. We must pray so that people may be saved and come to a knowlege of His Truth. Many forget how important praying for the lost really is. Pray that those who have no knowledge of Him would receive information of His Gospel (missionaries, evangelists, etc.) God wants EVERYONE to be saved from EVERYWHERE…ALL CREATION! Pray that His Good News reach them without any hindrances. Pray for our leaders, schools, government, and other countries to get the revelation that God is real…and Jesus came to save ALL the lost….not condemning them but that through Him ALL would be saved and come to repentance
How Do I Pray Effectively For The Lost?
1. We need to realize that when we pray for the lost that the price for their soul has already been paid by Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago. They just need to know that, believe it, receive it, confess it openly, and ask for forgiveness of sin through The Blood that He shed on Calvary, and then accept Him ---accept His Priceless Purchase and LIVE FOR HIM! You must have the revelation that when Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for each and every single man and woman here on the earth. Each and every sinner! When we pray for the lost, we need to remember that THE PRICE HAS ALREADY BEEN PAID!
2. We must claim the lost for The Kingdom of God, in Jesus’ Name. Ask for The Lord to remove the chains that bind and the blinding darkness that surrounds them. Bind the devil in Jesus’ Name and pray for God to come and minister to them. When we realize that Jesus has already paid the price for their lost souls, this will give us Holy Confidence and we will be able to pray boldly and with POWER! Yes, THE PRICE IS PAID! Your loved one belongs to God who is trying to bring them out of the slavery of sin. He has already paid the price for them to come to repentance…but we need to pray that they see their need of Him and accept that payment. Since the wages of sin is death, we must pray that they will choose life, which comes only through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
3. Be persistant! Pray Regularly! Read Luke 18:1. Here, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that when we persist, it will pay off and be worth all the struggle. He says that we must “pray and not grow weary” In our weakness, we can find strength in Him.
4. Pray expecting something! Expect God to move on! Know he hears your prayers and come to Him expecting great and mighty things. Watch and wait! It is also important to pay attention…God may be trying to tell you what He wants you to do. He may want you to get involved in witnessing or talking about Him to this lost person. He may want you to buy them a book, a Christian CD, or send them a card or email or invite them to dinner, to your home, or directly to church. We must always stay sensitive to what The Spirit is trying to tell us…in our own lives and on the behalf of those we pray for and lift up to Him. Be a Saint that The Lord can rely on. Be willing and He will make you more than able to perform all that He has planned.
Let’s Get Specific In Our Prayers!
1. Pray that God will cause them to become curious about Him and that He would stir up their spirit and that they would begin to seek The Truth.
2. Pray that God will cause them to be open and receptive to His Ways and His Truth.
3. Pray that they will clearly realize that they are a sinner. That they are sinful and are in need of cleansing and that they know that they are wrong and His Way is right…and for them to want to be in the right, in The Light, and in The Kingdom of God!
t God gives them the revelation of what redemption of sin is and how to receive this remission of sin through Jesus Christ.
4. Pray that God will cause them to grow hungry for Him and His Word. Pray that He will make them thirsty for His Spirit!
5. Pray that they will receive a clear understanding of Who Jesus really is and that they have a need of Him in their life. Through Him they will find LIFE!
6. Become an intercessor on the behalf of those who are lost and are in need. They are being held under satan’s power! Demand him to release them…ask God to release them from his bad influences. Bind satan in The Name of Jesus…ask God to move on their behalf according to His Will…freeing them from the enemy’s influence so that they may see The Lord for who He REALLY is and that they would believe and receive Him.
7. Constantly ask God to have grace on the lost. Pray that He would give them a Holy Appetite…ask God to give them a taste of who He is as he leads them unto salvation.
8. Remember, we have the power of life and death in the tongue. Sin is death….so let’s begin to speak LIFE to the lost! Call them into The Kingdom! Claim their souls for Jesus! Be the mouthpiece for God here on earth!
9. Keep on praying! Don’t give up! Don’t throw in the towel yet! Jesus can win this battle against the devil in the life of the lost! Hang in there! Pray, yield to God, and lift up the lost every day. And, just watch what my God can do! Hallelujah!
Put yourself in the shoes of that lost soul you are praying and believing for. Can you remember where God has brought you from? And, now…take a look at where you are now! You know it is The Lord who has placed you here! Get under the burden for the lost…pray for The Grace of God to rain down and draw the lost to Him! Time is running out and the enemy knows it. He uses the same old devices and weapons against us and we must get wise to his antics and learn to dodge his darts! It is our duty to help the lost come to understand that the devil is real and that we can have victory over the enemy through The Blood of Jesus. Let’s be determined to PRAY THE POWER DOWN---and get these lost souls saved, in Jesus’ Name!
I love you all, and pray that ALL of your household WILL serve The Lord! I pray that ALL your friends and loved ones come unto repentance in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
In His Service,
Jennifer
