Prayer for lost friend

No one prayed for me. At least no one has ever reported praying for me.

My parents were not religious in any way. But they choose to drop me off every Sunday night at a church youth group when I entered 7th grade.

For months, I didn’t want to go.  But once I made friends there, I changed my tune.  I wanted to be there.

But no one I knew was praying for me.  Not that I have ever known.

Yet Jesus found me anyway and I’m grateful for God’s sovereignty to help me become a follower of Christ.

I have been a Christ follower since I was 15 years old.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Pray for your lost friends

Now  I urge people to pray for the unsaved friends in their life, their community, nation, ethnic groups and so on.

Prayer is one of the 7 Axioms of Personal Evangelism.

I pray for them, asking the Lord

• to open their hearts to message of the gospel,
• that their eyes would be open to the truth of the gospel,
• that they would see their need for Jesus.

Which of my lost friends do I pray for?

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. – 1 Samuel 3.7

As I read this a few mornings ago, I simply began to think:

• Who am I praying for to know the Lord?
• Who am I praying for God to reveal His word?

I can think of several people today in the reach of my life who do not yet know the Lord.

Every now and then, I make a fresh list of people I know who don’t yet know the Lord .

In fact, as of this writing, we have moved into a brand new community and have started to meet our neighbors.

We don’t know the spiritual condition of any of them. But we can begin to pray for opportunities to start new friendships.

21 days of Praying for lost friends: An Example

One Easter Season, our church ran in a 21 day season of prayer.

Each morning our pastor would emails us 3 scriptures to read and some guidance for prayer.

Our commitment was three times of prayer during the day.

• 9am,
• 3pm, and
• 9pm.

Praying through these Scriptures and the prayer guidance took about half an hour each time.

Unfortunately, I have lost that series of emails, so I couldn’t share it here, but at least it’s a structure one could use.

As I prayed for my lost friends during that commitment, I found that I was constantly

• thinking about the sermon series that is coming,
• praying that I’d encounter people wrestling with the series topic.
• giving invitations to come and join us.
• praying for the particular friends on my prayer list to invite them to church

Prayer prepared me, as well as preparing the church for the spiritual work of evangelism that is coming.

Seven Ways to Pray for Your Lost Friends

Sometimes, I find it helpful to have a list of items to pray through.

Here is my list of 7 Ways to Pray for Your Lost Friends

1. Ask God to make them spiritually thirsty. (Isaiah 41:17-18)
2. Ask God to open their heart to receive (Acts 16:4).
3. Ask God to help me be salt and light at the right time (Colossians 4:6)
4. Ask God to give us conversational opportunity (Acts 8:26-40).
5. Ask God to help me discern if I’m planting, watering, or harvesting (1  Corinthians  3:6-7)
6. Ask God that I’m sensitive to His nudges to get involved (Acts 8:26-40)
7. Ask God to help that person take another step closer to Him.  (Psalm 23).

Other’s have written along these lines.  I include them here to help fuel your prayer points for evangelism.

I have shared a strategy from others called 10 Ways to pray for your lost friends.

1. Ask God to open their spiritual eyes (2 Cor. 4:4).
2. Ask God to give them ears to hear (Matt. 13:15),
3. Ask God to give them faith to believe (Acts 20:21).
4. Ask God to give them the will to respond (Rom. 10:9).
5. Ask God to send people into their lives to witness to them (Matt. 9:38).
6. Ask God for ways to build caring relationships ((I Cor. 9:22).
7. Ask God for opportunities to witness (Col. 4:3).
8. Ask God for boldness to witness (Acts 4:29).
9. Ask God for an opportunity to invite them (Luke 14:23).
10. Ask God to set them free from spiritual captivity (2 Tim. 2:25-26).

Blogger and Pastor Bob Mayfield shares these 7 ways to pray for your lost friends.

1. Convict them of their personal sin and lostness (Acts 2:37, John 16:8);
2. Open their eyes and reveal Christ as Lord and Savior (Matthew 16:17; 2 Corinthians 4:4);
3. To draw them to Christ through the Holy Spirit (John 6:44);
4. Tear down any strongholds that are keeping them from salvation (1 Corinthians 10:3-5);
5. Make their hearts receptive to the Gospel (Matthew 13:8);
6. Move them to repentance and saving faith (Like 13:3; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17):
7. Help them be a fruitful witness themselves (Matthew 28:18-20; John 15:8).

The Structure doesn’t matter.

Outlines and Scriptures are helpful, but none are a formula to increase conversions.

One of the most popular free recordings on this website is a on praying through a set of verses from Colossians.

If you’d like to lead an evangelistic prayer meeting, here is a structure you could use with 11 phases.

The structure doesn’t matter.

What matters is you talking to God about your friends.

Coaching Corner – The One Thing

Commit to a 30 day season of prayer for your friends.

Here are two free resources to help you:

1. Develop a prayer list of friends.  Here is how I do it.
2. 30 Days of Prayer series.  Start here.

www.evangelismcoach.org

I know that I’m not sure if prayers really do anything, but I know that my friend believes in this stuff so here it goes: Basically my friend has been making terrible choices involving both himself and others. He’s HIV+ and has been sleeping with people and NOT telling them his status, he’s also NOT taking his medications because he says he wants to die. He’s also recently started doing drugs and even has gotten a drug dealer boyfriend just so he can have drugs for cheap. Because of his behavior and the fact that he let me down on several occasions when I needed him I recently had to stop talking to him, I even deleted his number out of my phone and un-friended him on facebook so as not to be tempted to contact him. I love and care about this person so much, the adventures we’ve had together I’ll never forget, but I can no longer sit by and what this person kill themselves. I don’t know what to do for him, so prayers and advice are much appreciated, thanks so much

christianchat.com

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

When someone close to you loses their job, it can be hard to know exactly what to say or how to comfort them. You may not know the whole situation or have ever seen this friend hurt before. Sometimes a simple reminder that you are praying for them goes a long way. God can give you the words to say and help heal the pain your friend and their family may be feeling. Encourage them that God has a plan for them, and there is hope in the future even if it looks grim today.

If you need guidance on how to pray for a friend who lost a job, look no further. Here are 6 ways you can keep that promise and provide them with hope and healing.

Prayer for Friends Pain

Lord,

I know the pain and confusion my close friend is going through right now. Losing a job isn’t easy and they are probably feeling like a failure right now. Please show them that they are anything but. Help remind them of the amazing qualities you blessed them with when you created them. They are strong, beautiful and can get through this pain. With your arm stretched around them, please provide comfort and stability during this difficult time. I pray that you help them battle the overwhelming stress that has come with this loss. I know with your help they can do anything.

Amen

Prayer for Friends Family

Lord,

Losing a job can be hard on the entire family, from spouse to children and even the dog, if money is tight and even the smallest costs cause stress. Please let my friend’s family be lifted up during this difficult time. I pray that they have the strength to remain calm and hopeful even as things seem to be falling apart. I pray their children are fed and clothed, and please give my friend the courage to let me know if these basic necessities are not being met so I can provide help. I pray that the children are not affected by this loss and it resolves itself so quickly that they never knew anything tragic happened. I pray that their spouse is supportive and caring during this time and that their marriage grows stronger because of it, and not farther apart. I give my heart to this family and ask for You to give them the love and peace they need at this time.

In Jesus’ Name I Pray

Amen

Prayer to Ask God for Help

Heavenly Father,

I do not know how to provide help to my friend during this difficult time. I am offering an ear to listen and keeping my eyes out for new job prospects but I feel that none of this is enough. I don’t have the extra money to provide them with the help they need to get through this time. So, God, I turn to You and ask for Your help. Please bless this family with good prospects and help me keep my eyes open for blessing and opportunities. I cannot help my friend out right now, but with Your hand guiding me I hope to offer them more than they could ever ask for. Give this family the miracle they deserve right now. Shine your light down on them during this difficult time. Please give my friend the strength to turn to you and ask for help as well, so that he is also filled with hope.

Amen.

Prayer to Offer Guidance

Lord Above,

Please use me as a vessel and work through me to help my friend in dire need. Losing a job is difficult and I want to help them in every way that I can. I offer myself up to you to provide the words the family needs to hear right now. Use me to help find the blessings hidden beneath the tragedy. Use me to discover the amazing opportunities you have lined up for this family. Use me to remind them of the power of the Holy Spirit and the great amount of hope you can give. Alone, nothing is possible. With you, everything is possible! Please help me to remember those words! I want to be a shining light for my friend and their family as they struggle during this time. I want to give them guidance and strength. I offer my soul to you.

Amen.

Prayer to Share with Your Friend

Dear God,

Today, I stand here with my dear friend who is going through the pain of a job loss. Lord, they are struggling right now and are having a hard time understanding the meaning behind all of this. Please shine your light down on them, Lord, and give them the guidance to get through this rough time. Help show them the beautiful blessings you are providing them and the path you have planned out for them. Let them see that no trail is too hard to get past without your hand. I ask that you wrap my friend and his family in comfort and peace and take away the stress. Let him be filled with trust in You! We both reach out to you and ask for your healing hand during this time.

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