praying for unsaved loved ones

[Godislove94]

Hi all! For months I've been praying for the salvation of 2 very dear coworkers. One is agnostic atheist and the other is caught up in the New Age/occult stuff. I haven't seen any changes and it feels like my prayers are hitting the wall. Anyone else have an experience/advice they want to share? Did your loved ones end up getting saved? Thanks!

 

[A New Day]

Dear Godislove94 the jews waited for a Messiah to save them from the rule of the romans yet he came a spiritual messiah, Jesus wants us to be healed spiritually and to have an eternal life with him. And Jesus respected the laws yet he healed people and he is still with us and he heals us. Have faith and wait on the Lord.

 

[BFine]

It's taking a long time?... that's how stoney their hearts have become or
it can also be warfare with the enemy.

I know some have stood against the gospel for decades before getting saved...
I have some loved ones who were like that.
I know some who got saved quickly...I had a friend who died resisting the gospel,
she did a lot of good in life and would give you her last bit of food-- but she did not
want to hear about God and or the Bible...sad but true.

Advice?
Diligently keep lifting them up in prayer and living out biblical standards for all to see.

 

[Rawtheran]

Hi all! For months I've been praying for the salvation of 2 very dear coworkers. One is agnostic atheist and the other is caught up in the New Age/occult stuff. I haven't seen any changes and it feels like my prayers are hitting the wall. Anyone else have an experience/advice they want to share? Did your loved ones end up getting saved? Thanks!

Yeah first off don't ever give up and keep praying for your coworkers because believe me God is still waging war in the invisible world for your coworkers in answer to your prayers because Afterall "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth" much as James 5:16 states, meaning that your prayers are important to God, and he is going to wage war against the enemy for the souls of your coworkers, but you have to be patient because sometimes it can take years for God to win souls over because he can't force people to believe in him they have to choose God for themselves, and God takes people through a process in order to get saved. Keep up the good fight!

 

[Goodbook]

If they're hitting a wall there may be a stronghold and Jesus says to bind the strongman first so those walls can break down. Which reminds me of the passage about the walls of Jericho. I will look it up.

I'd like some help to. Im wondering how I can intercede for my family, as Rahab and all her household were saved. How did whole families come to Christ? its tough being the only one.

My church prays for hearts to be softened, so they are able to receive the gospel with gladness. I have just been learning about eye openers and redemptive analogies in my course. It may be your coworkers dont see Jesus as relevant..well you need to present Him in a way that answers their longings and needs.

with occult new agers the thing is they are seeking wisdom. But the Bible has all the wisdom they need. so it may be that all they need to do is be open to reading it. i don't know about agnostics atheists though..wouldn't have a clue how to reach them. They are the most frustrating annoying people I have met. They love to argue their view of the Bible though. pray that God reveals himself to them..but thing is, he already has but they wont acknowledge him or submit to Him. However I do believe we can make them jealous because we have the joy of the Lord and they don't.

 

[parsley]

I found that a few drifted out of my life, and then came back excitedly telling me what changes happened in their lives. Some people from years ago, that I barely even remember praying for or inviting places, ended up starting storefront churches or taking on elder responsibilities. God does the work.

We express our hopes about others to God, and He carries them out. We carry His presence and avail ourselves to others, and they come when they are ready to learn more. Some amount of counsel and informing is needed, but the larger part of the iceberg is solidly underwater.

 

[Scottmcc1]

How To Pray For The Lost And Backslider.

Live in the Word of God. John 15:7
Live with Jesus obeying Him and talk to Him often throughout the day. John 15:7

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7 Amplified

Be about God's purpose and not yours. Luke 9:23
Forgive all. Mark 11:24,25
Have a clear conscience before God and yourself. 1 Timothy 1:19

Know that we don't approach God on the basis of our right living but on the basis of His finished work on the cross. Philippians 3:9

Now come to the problem and bring it to God knowing you can go to the throne of grace to receive grace and mercy in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Understand and find what the will of God is in this issue. James 1:5; 2 Cor 1:20

Take your place of authority. Matt 28:18,19; 2 Cor 5:20
Use it against the enemy. 2 Cor 10:3-5

Don't pray in a spirit of worry or fear. Pray in faith with confidence in God. Phil 4:6; Mark 11:24

Know that with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27
Don't accept a thought, statement, doubt against the word of God. 2 Cor 10:3-5

Pray that these things be accomplished in the person we are praying for. That the works of the enemy are being torn down. Matthew 11:12

Pray in the name of Jesus. John 14:13,14 ( In the name of Jesus, is to be living under His authority. )
To pray in the name of Jesus is to pray for the things Jesus blood has paid for. 1 Cor 6:20
Claim the person as God's possession because of His shed blood. Rev 12:11
-Claim the tearing down of the works of Satan. False doctrine, unbelief, hate, wrong political beliefs, putting science above the word of God. Putting pleasure above God. Putting sports or beauty above God. Putting money above God. Matt 11:12; 2 Cor 10:3-5

In the authority of the name of Jesus claim their deliverance. From the power and persuasion of the enemy. 2 Cor 5:20; Luke 10:19

Pray that God would grant them hearing ears and believing hearts and to deny the love of the world and the lust of the flesh.. God grant the quickening of their conscience.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving. 2 Cor 4:3,4 Acts 26:18 shows we have authority to open blind eyes to see the light of the gospel. This then allows them to make a choice for or against the gospel. Isaiah 42:6,7 also talk of this. God will give us the ability to open blind eyes. Let us pray that the blind eyes of the unbelieving will be open to see the hope of the gospel. And let us pray for ears to hear the gospel and act on it and not trample the word of God under their feet.


Pray that's God's purpose will be accomplished in and through them. Pray that they hear and read the word of God. Eph 2:10

Intercession must be persistent to beat back the enemy. Therefore we fight for the souls God has died for.
-Just as Paul prayed for the saints continually, we should pray for the backslider or lost to return to the Lord. 2 Thes 1:11

When results have been accomplished, prayer should continue. We must hold onto what has been taken from the enemy, until the person is established in faith. Luke 8:15

As we pray, the Holy Spirit will give new leads. Follow those leads.

Claim every detail of their life for God. Holding the blood against the enemy.

Fight against the enemy with patience and persistence.

Resist the enemy by reminding him of the defeat because of the blood of Jesus. Resist the powers of darkness, sin and unbelief, in the authority of the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus command the enemy to retreat. Eph 6:10-18

Satan's power is only in bluff and deception and causing us to lose our confidence in Christ. He has been defeated. Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:15

Rev 12:11 testimony is also a word spoken directly to Satan. We should confess the promise of the Scripture over the issue. Our trust is in God for the promise to be made real in their life. Our rejection of the enemy regarding the promise. And our thankfulness for the answer. We should also not consider our life as dear, always ready to serve.

Speak to the enemy and command depression oppression, affliction and bondage to leave in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And on the basis of His shed blood to leave and release the problem. Romans 16:19,20 Remember to rejoice and thank God for the answer. We have the victory and living in faith brings the answer. Romans 16:19,20

Always use thankfulness for the answer after commanding and praying. Phil 4:6.7

Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

We have confidence that God will answer. 1 John 3:22; 5:14,15 Thank God for the answer.

The idea for this lesson came from the tract: “How I Learned to Pray for the Lost” by Pilgrim Tract Society

 

[The Fire Rises]

It can be very frustrating to pour your heart out in prayer but see no observable results. But most of God's work takes place behind the scenes, working in subtle ways to break down a person's resistance and bring them to a point of surrender. Keep in mind that you are not the one doing the saving, God is - certainly, we do have a part to play - but no one is saved apart from the grace of the Lord. It starts and ends with Him.

So my advice would be: Don't stress out over it! You are doing your job, and rest assured that God is doing His. Of course we should be concerned with the spiritual condition of others, but there's a difference between being concerned with something and becoming overly-anxious or worrisome. Don't let feelings of guilt or discouragement stop you from praying - those feelings are NOT from God.

Finally, to what extent have you spoken to your friends about their beliefs? You said one is an atheist/agnostic (he can only be one or the other), and you said one was some sort of New ager. People love to be asked questions, especially when those questions are about them - so why not do some friendly research?

There's a great book called Tactics by Greg Koukl that has some brilliant strategies for sharing discussing beliefs with other people, especially those who are hostile to your own view. I'd recommend you check that out - message me if you want any more details.

Praying for you,
Ryan

 

[Godislove94]

It can be very frustrating to pour your heart out in prayer but see no observable results. But most of God's work takes place behind the scenes, working in subtle ways to break down a person's resistance and bring them to a point of surrender. Keep in mind that you are not the one doing the saving, God is - certainly, we do have a part to play - but no one is saved apart from the grace of the Lord. It starts and ends with Him.

So my advice would be: Don't stress out over it! You are doing your job, and rest assured that God is doing His. Of course we should be concerned with the spiritual condition of others, but there's a difference between being concerned with something and becoming overly-anxious or worrisome. Don't let feelings of guilt or discouragement stop you from praying - those feelings are NOT from God.

Finally, to what extent have you spoken to your friends about their beliefs? You said one is an atheist/agnostic (he can only be one or the other), and you said one was some sort of New ager. People love to be asked questions, especially when those questions are about them - so why not do some friendly research?

There's a great book called Tactics by Greg Koukl that has some brilliant strategies for sharing discussing beliefs with other people, especially those who are hostile to your own view. I'd recommend you check that out - message me if you want any more details.

Praying for you,
Ryan

Love this! Actually, the night that I gave my testimony to my New Age coworker (who is quite a bit older than I am, early 40's in fact), she and I talked until 3 a.m. at work until her shift was long over, and she did explain some things to me. However, I being a baby Christian (only saved for 2 months....she was my first witness ever) was a little more condemnatory than I should have been and kind of scared her off....we still do talk though because she's a lovely person. The other lady is pushing 60 and keeps to herself a lot..very brash personality so I'm not sure how to start a conversation about faith with her. Thanks!

 

[Goodbook]

I dont know.. maybe each Friday you can say Thank God it's Friday and see if she agrees...

 

[The Fire Rises]

Love this! Actually, the night that I gave my testimony to my New Age coworker (who is quite a bit older than I am, early 40's in fact), she and I talked until 3 a.m. at work until her shift was long over, and she did explain some things to me. However, I being a baby Christian (only saved for 2 months....she was my first witness ever) was a little more condemnatory than I should have been and kind of scared her off....we still do talk though because she's a lovely person. The other lady is pushing 60 and keeps to herself a lot..very brash personality so I'm not sure how to start a conversation about faith with her. Thanks!

It takes a great deal of courage to witness to anyone at all, don't get discouraged if it doesn't go perfectly every time (or any time, for that matter). You don't have to hit a home run every time you get up to bat, simply stepping up to the plate and showing that you're willing to discuss your beliefs can be a very powerful example to people. Most people quietly live their lives believing whatever makes them feel good, not bothering to discuss it in the public square to test if their ideas are true.

Remember this: if they ever bring up objections to Christianity, it's not your job to refute them, it's their job to support their statement - they are the ones making the truth claim about your beliefs, so don't let them coast by on vague generalities, ask them to explain why they believe what they believe. You may be surprised at how little people actually think through their positions.

For your friend in her 60's (the atheist woman), would you feel comfortable giving her a book to read? If so, I highly recommend I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, by Dr. Norman Geisler and Dr. Frank Turek, probably the most accessible book for all ages (high school and up).

 

[Inkachu]

Keep praying. The fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman!) is powerful and effective. Your prayers are not useless or pointless. Keep going!

 

[kayfeather]

It can be very frustrating to pour your heart out in prayer but see no observable results. But most of God's work takes place behind the scenes, working in subtle ways to break down a person's resistance and bring them to a point of surrender. Keep in mind that you are not the one doing the saving, God is - certainly, we do have a part to play - but no one is saved apart from the grace of the Lord. It starts and ends with Him.

So my advice would be: Don't stress out over it! You are doing your job, and rest assured that God is doing His. Of course we should be concerned with the spiritual condition of others, but there's a difference between being concerned with something and becoming overly-anxious or worrisome. Don't let feelings of guilt or discouragement stop you from praying - those feelings are NOT from God.

Finally, to what extent have you spoken to your friends about their beliefs? You said one is an atheist/agnostic (he can only be one or the other), and you said one was some sort of New ager. People love to be asked questions, especially when those questions are about them - so why not do some friendly research?

Yes this

This reminded me of a coworker I had years ago when I was still a "New Ager" She was a devout Christian and openly prayed (silently) even at her desk. She would ask me questions from time to time with no judgmental undertone and eventually we would just talk about differences just like we would talk about the weather. I had developed the notion that "all Christians are judgmental, sexist jerks" after some very negative experiences with a group of Christians when I was in high school, and this coworker, as we learned more and more about each other, served to put to bed that assertion I had in my mind.

I did not accept Christ for another three years after I left that job, but it was one "wall" that had to come crashing down in order for me to be open enough to allow Christ in.