A Prayer for Your Unsaved Loved Ones - Your Daily Prayer - May 23

A Prayer for Your Unsaved Loved Ones
By Christine Perry 

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9 NKJV 

Praying for your unsaved loved ones is not for the faint of heart. It can be challenging to persist in prayer, especially when your loved one's life may be on a treacherous path. Sometimes, when it comes to our walk with the Lord, it's all we can do to keep our heads above water. How can we find the perseverance to keep fighting in prayer for our loved one's salvation? Like any situation we face, we can always go to the truth of God's Word. His truth sets us free and equips us to stay in the fight. However, you come to God in prayer, strong, weak, discouraged, or hopeful, remember that God hears our prayers (Psalm 18:6). We can begin by reminding ourselves that God is the One who created them. He knows them better than we do. He knows where they are when we don't. He knows their thoughts, intentions, and lifestyle they are living. Nothing is hidden from God (Hebrews 4:13). James 5:16 NKJV says, 

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

Did you read the last part? The prayers of a righteous man avail much! 1 Peter 3:12 NKJV says, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." If we seek the Lord's will for our life and partner with Him to live as He calls us to live as His disciples, we can take great comfort in knowing that God is attentive to our prayers. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus shares a parable with His disciples to encourage them never to stop praying. A widow went to an unjust judge begging for justice from her adversary. Eventually, the judge relented because of her persistence. Verse 7 says, "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?" But Jesus asked if He would find faith when the Son of Man came. There is no doubt praying is an act of faith. Let's be determined to be persistent and faithful in prayer. Samuel Chadwick, a Wesleyan Minister, said, "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray."   

 Let's pray:
Dear Gracious Heavenly Father, 

2 Corinthians 6:2 says,"' In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Father, we are lifting our unsaved loved ones to you. Please soften their hearts. We ask that You take their hearts of stone and turn them into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Please open their minds to understanding (Luke 24:45). We pray that You would grant us opportunities to speak with them, but more importantly that we would continue to come to you in prayer for them. 

God, You are not slack concerning your promises but are longsuffering toward us, unwilling that any should perish. Father, we ask that Your lovingkindness draw them to you (Romans 2:4). When we see them and interact with them, let it be Your love for them that they see. Help us be patient, kind, humble, and seek our loved one's best. Help us to believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things. Help us to love them like You have loved us (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Lord, we cannot do any of this apart from You. Please give us Your strength. We love you. Thank you for hearing our prayers and being all we need in every situation. We commit our loved ones to Your loving and capable hands. Amen! 

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Anastasiia Stiahailo

Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website:  Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.

Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.

Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith

Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going. 

Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.

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