Praying for the Lost -Part 4

Praying Effectively for the Lost – Part 4

³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow…. ⁸ But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” Mark 4:3,8 NIV

Principle: A Prayer Warrior anticipates God’s word will produce fruit.

There has been great joy throughout my life of the randomness of God to meet people at their point of need.  As I have preached, God has used a verse, an illustration, or even a mistake to speak His thoughts to those in attendance.  But one of the most evident times of God’s reach into a person’s life occurs while I am traveling.

I pray for the people that will be sitting next to me on the plane.  On more than one occasion we get to talk about the Lord Jesus.  Sometimes the person might be lost and other times they have been “running away from the Lord”.  Either way, I press the point that God loves them.  They proceed to tell me about all of the troubles they have had and sometimes the mess they have made in their own life.  But I say, “ God loves you so much, that He randomly placed us on this plane.  Then he randomly placed us in seats beside each other, so that I could remind or tell you that God loves you and He is pursuing a close relationship with you.”  We both realize that this is more than just random chance, God is somehow orchestrating this event.  I tell them, “this may be a little odd, but would they mind me praying with them right on the plane.”  If they say yes, then I pray in the loudest Billy Graham voice that I have…NO, just kidding.  It is a tender moment when you realize that God has allowed you to plant His seed in fertile soil.

Recapping the steps by Lee Thomas in Praying Effectively for the Lost.

1.     Ask God to set the person apart (sanctify them)

2.     Ask God to bless them- it is His kindness that leads to repentance

3.     Ask Holy Spirit to bring conviction of the sin of Unbelief in Jesus- His love and salvation

4.     Ask Holy Spirit to illuminate the mind to the truth of God’s word –God needs to remove the blinders placed there by the god of this world through revelation

The last step is to ask for God to bring someone into their life to share God’s word.  To pray for the advancement of His word has many tributaries.  But the brokenness in our life over the lost soul for whom we are praying is revealed in our letting them go.  By this I mean, that we allow God to prepare the soil of the heart in any way that He chooses.  Only God knows what needs to happen in a person’s life to get their attention.  He knows what events are necessary for them to be ready to receive God’s word.

Here are some examples of God seeking others to make His purposes known to encourage you.

1.     Jesus found Zaccheus hiding in a tree and salvation came to his house that day.

2.     Phillip was translated into the desert when an Ethiopian eunuch was passing by trying to understand the scriptures.

3.     Cornelius had a dream in which he needed Peter to come and explain it to him.  He and his whole household were saved.

4.     Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia ask for him to come and help share the word of God to them.

5.     Paul was taken prisoner which allowed him to share the word Jesus to change lives to Roman rulers. 

6.     I have a friend who travels 3 times a year to Africa to share the word of God to the Maasai tribal people.  He takes the word of God on SD cards they can listen too by putting them into their phones.  Hearts and land are being transformed.

Jesus was moved with compassion and encourages us to pray for more laborers.  He expects us to join in with God’s desire to spread His love, by asking Him to send even more people into a harvest that is ready.  We also need to pray for the Word to be spoken.  God’s word has the power to transform.  The Bible says that His word will not return again without accomplishing that for which it was sent.  His word is living and active, dividing thoughts.  It pierces through excuses that we make for not believing in Jesus.

I have a friend that loves people and witnesses often of God’s love.  One of the first questions that he asks at the beginning of the conversation is this, “Do you believe the Bible is God’s word?”  If they say “Yes”, then he proceeds most of his statements like this, “the Bible says that…”  I asked him why does he do this?  He said “when they confess with their mouth that the Bible is God’s word, then they align themselves with God’s authoritative power of His word.  As I quote the Bible, He brings greater conviction.  If they said No, I have less positive immediate results.”  We live our lives in agreement with God’s word, that helps carry great power when we speak God’s word.

Father, open our eyes to see that the harvest is plentiful.  God the one for whom we are praying has not yet made it to fertile soil.  The enemy has taken the seed away quickly and life has choked the word.  But, we are asking that you continue to prepare the hearts to be able to receive the word that can transform their lives.  Father, sometimes you use us to lead others into a saving relationship with you.  Help us be prepared to recognize when someone is ready to receive the word implanted.  Fill us with the boldness of Holy Spirit so we can be effective witnesses.  May we get to be the answer to someone else’s prayer for a loved one, in the same way we are praying for another to share with our special person.  Fill us with hope to persevere in pray for the lost.  We place all of our trust in you to bring the word of God to our loved one.  Thank you, Jesus, for seeking and saving the lost, just like me.  In Jesus name, Amen.