-1 Timothy 2:1, 3-4 NIV

PRAYING FOR LOST PEOPLE

Should Christians pray for the lost? Won't God just save whomever He wants to save without anyone asking? Can our prayers really influence those who so far have rejected Christ as their Savior and play a part in winning them to the Lord?

The answers are yes, no, and yes. The Scriptures give us clear statements of God's intended will for lost, unsaved people. Because these inspired words express God's will, they significantly inform the way we should earnestly be praying. Lost people matter to God—so much so that He sent His Son to seek and to save them. Can we do less than pray for them ourselves? Prayer for the lost does not convince God to do more for the unsaved and unchurched: its real power is seen in what it does to us and to the believers we influence. Prayer partners strengthen the pastor's challenge and call for your church to be a soul-winning church.

Here are a few intercessory prayer requests for the lost. Ask God for . . .

• The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on workers and witnesses who minister to lost people
• Compassion for those whose life styles and needs we have trouble understanding
• Power from God for believers to be consistent in holy living and to use care in not being stumbling blocks to the lost
• Divinely-arranged circumstances and events that will attract lost people to Christ
• Ability for the lost to understand and believe the Scriptures
• Release for the lost from satanic bondage and blindness to God that block repentance
• Capable teachers in the church to instruct new believers
• Continued obedience and spiritual growth of those who believe in Christ
• Success in starting new congregations to expand the church's witness to the lost and to reach people who might never attend your present congregation

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