In need of Prayers for the Lost? Here are a few you can use.
The Lord has a heart for the lost. And He calls us to have a heart for the lost too. When Jesus came to earth, He told us what His mission was.
In Luke 19:10 He says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
As Christians, God has given us the mission to preach the gospel and to reach the lost.
How To Pray For The Lost
One of the ways we can do that is by praying for them.
Who are the lost that Jesus is referring to?
We all used to be part of that.
The lost is everyone who has not come to faith in Christ, and are still under the law.
In Christ we have received grace and the forgiveness of our sins.
Apart from Christ, we have no mediator, and therefore, we are still judged by the law.
There is not a single person who can uphold the law, except Christ.
That is why He came to earth to live the life we couldn’t live, and die the death reserved for us.
God’s word tells us that there are many people who desperately need God, but they don’t have anyone who has shared the gospel with them.
In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus tells His disciples that “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
There are hearts which have soil that simply need the seed of the word to be planted.
We not only get to be God’s workers, but we are also called to be praying for God’s word to work in the hearts of those who hear it.
Here are a few prayers that can help you pray for the lost, and to see them come to faith in Christ.
Prayers For The Lost Souls
A Desire To See The Lost Found
Romans 10:1
“Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”
We have many different desires in our hearts. Some may be earthly focused and others heavenly focused.
But one thing God calls us to is having the desire to see the lost be saved. This was Paul’s earnest desire.
He didn’t keep God’s kindness and salvation to himself, he wanted to share it with everyone who didn’t have it.
Through prayer, we can ask God to increase our compassion for those who are lost.
As He grows our desire to see the lost be saved, He also helps us to be more proactive in sharing the gospel with the lost.
Heavenly Father,
If it weren’t for Your heart for the lost, I would still be wandering, and absolutely lost.
Thank You for inviting me into Your grace, and saving my life. I ask that You would grant me Your heart for the lost.
Help me not to be apathetic to the lives of those who are lost, instead give me a heart that is compassionate towards them.
May their salvation be my earnest desire, and may my life begin to reflect that desire, as I share the gospel with those who I cross paths with.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Trusting God’s Timing For Salvation
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
It can be discouraging when you have shared the gospel with someone multiple times and it just doesn’t seem to stick.
Sometimes we place unrealistic pressure on ourselves to make others believe the gospel.
God calls us to share the truth, but He is the one that does the saving.
We can find comfort in this truth, knowing that He ultimately plants the seed and waters it.
We are simply His workers.
When you feel discouraged, and you don’t see someone come to faith immediately, trust God’s timing. He does not desire to see anyone perish, but He does allow us free will.
Lord,
Thank You for Your compassion towards us. I know that each one of our testimonies is different, because at a certain point in our lives we heard Your word, and You responded to it.
Sometimes that response is instant, and at other times it takes many years.
Please remind me that You are the one that saves people, not me.
You have given me a mission, to share the gospel, but You are the one who plants the seed in their heart, and waters it.
Please keep me from being discouraged when I don’t see immediate change.
Help me to be humbled, by acknowledging that it is in Your time, not my time that people are saved.
Help me solely focus on sharing the gospel, knowing that You will do the rest.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Prayer For God’s Truth To Open Their Eyes
2 Corinthians 4:4
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Though we are in the world we are not of it.
But we still have an enemy who is roaming around, and whose mission is to blind the minds of unbelievers, so that they do not come to faith in Christ.
He has darkened their mind, and tries to keep it resistant to the light of the gospel.
We can pray for the lost by asking that God open the eyes of their minds to see the truth.
We can ask Him to shine His gospel light in their minds, and grant them understanding.
He alone can change the hearts of the unbeliever, and usher them into His glorious grace.
Dear God,
Though we have a real enemy who tries to pull a veil over our eyes, we know that You are greater than he is.
You have already overcome this world, and the god of this age.
That is why I know I can come to You in confidence and hope, asking that You open the eyes of those whose minds have been blinded by Satan.
Please shine Your gospel light into their minds, and chase out the darkness that resides in it.
I ask that You would give them understanding of Your word, and bring them to repentance.
May they see You as You are, and fall before You in repentance and praise.
You alone can change the human heart, please do Your gracious work in the hearts of those who are lost.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer That The Truth Will Set Them Free
John 8:32
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
We all come into the world as slaves to sin.
We are bound to sin because of our nature.
We can’t help but sin.
But Christ has purchased our freedom through His finished work on the cross.
When we come to faith in Him we are no longer slaves to sin.
Romans 6:6 says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
We can pray for this same freedom from sin for those who are lost.
Lord,
We don’t truly realize just how enslaved we are to our sin until You open our eyes.
Though sin may dress itself as fun, and freedom, all it does is place us in bondage.
I ask that You would open the eyes of the lost to see sin for what it truly is.
May we as Your workers go out into Your field and share the truth, and may You set them free.
Set them free from the bondage of sin.
May they become slaves to righteousness instead of sin.
May they find new life in Christ, and be a witness to Your mercy and grace.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer To Protect Them From Satan’s Influence
Luke 8:46
“But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.””
Whenever God’s word is preached, it falls on different kinds of heart soils.
The word is like a seed, and the soil that it falls on represents the receptiveness of those who hear it.
The Bible describes the different soils as the wayside, the rocks, the thorns and the good soil.
The seed that falls on the wayside has no depth, which means that the seed has no roots in it.
When those by the wayside hear the word, because of the lack of depth, Satan simply comes and snatches the word away.
Pray that God changes the soil of their hearts, and that they will be protected against Satan’s influence.
Heavenly Father,
I know we can not be oblivious to the enemy’s influence in this world. All around us we can see his influence in media, music, entertainment and the lives of those who have rejected You.
He has convinced many people that You do not exist, or that You do not matter.
Their hearts have been blinded and they haven’t had an understanding of the gospel.
I ask that You would graciously show them Your word.
Please give them an understanding of who You are and who they are in relation to You.
Help them to see the weightiness of sin, and the grace of Christ’s work on the cross.
Till the ground of their hearts, that they may receive Your word, and that it may be planted and bear fruit of righteousness.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
As Christians, we have a daily mission to be a light to a world that is in the dark.
We can be a light by sharing the gospel with the lost, and being steadfast in prayer for the salvation of their souls.