by Kaye Johns

According to Scripture, Jesus Christ came to seek and to save those who are lost. As His disciples, we are to join Him in that dedication. But when we’ve told them about the saving power of Jesus, and they have turned a deaf ear, what are we to do?

Our only power is that which is granted us by the heavenly Father through His Holy Spirit. We can claim that power only through prayer. The Bible contains a full catalog of truth about our position in Christ, and the ways of God regarding those who need His saving grace. It is our guide as we intercede for the lost.

Praying the Scriptures

To pray effectively for the lost, we must first learn to pray with our mind [1 Cor. 14:15], deliberately thinking through and selecting specific verses. This truly is praying in the Spirit [Eph. 6:18] as we allow the Holy Spirit to bring His Word to mind as we pray.

Here are a few verses we might select in our prayers for the lost. We’ve noted and paraphrased the verses. Use these Scriptures as you pray specifically for your lost loved one or friend.

Affirming God’s heart for the lost--

He is not willing for anyone to perish [2 Pet. 3:19].

He wants all men to be saved [1 Tim. 2:13].

Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all men [1 Tim. 2:5-6].

They will not seek after God on their own [Rom. 3:11].

They cannot discern spiritual things [1 Cor. 2:14].

God alone can draw them to Jesus [John 6:44].

God alone can enable them to come to Christ [John 6:65]

They must be born again [John 1:13, 3:3, :6-7].

Seeking God’s mercy to--

Make them alive with Christ even when they are dead in their sins [Eph. 2:5].

Save them by His grace [Eph. 2:4-5].

Give them the gift of faith [Eph. 2:8-9].

Help them hear His call on their life [Rom. 11:29].

Rescue them out of the kingdom of darkness and bring them into the kingdom of His Son [Col. 1:12-14].

Send someone to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light [Acts. 26:17-18].

Open their heart to respond to the truth of the Gospel [Acts 16:14].

Requesting deliverance from Satan by--

Binding the strong man from them [Mark 3:23-27].

Overcoming evil spirits in the name of Jesus [Phi. 2:9-11] and with the blood of the Lamb [Rev. 12:11].

Demolishing strongholds in their minds by bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ [2 Cor. 10:4-5].

Protecting them from evil--

Come against the father of lies [John 8:44] with the Spirit of Truth [John 14:16-17].

Keep them safe from the thief who wants to steal the Word of God from their heart [Mark 4:14-15].

Let them remember every word of God’s truth they have ever heard, for His Words are spirit and they are life [John 6:63].

Granting them receptive hearts that will--

Believe in Jesus [John 3:16, 3:36 11:25-26].

Receive Christ and believe in His name [John 1:12].

Call on the name of the Lord and be saved [Rom. 10:13].

Confess with their mouths "Jesus is Lord" and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead [Rom. 10:9].

Giving them yielded spirits that will--

Repent, lest they perish [Luke 13:3,5]

Hear the Holy Spirit as He convicts them of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment [John 14:7-8].

Allow the Spirit to give them godly sorrow that brings repentance [2 Cor. 7:10].

And in every prayer for the lost, no matter how far they seem from seeing and hearing the Truth, we acknowledge our confidence in the Lord, knowing what is impossible with men is possible with Him [Luke 18:22-27]!