James 2:26 tells us that just as the body is dead without breath, faith is dead without good works. This verse is phenomenally important for anyone who desires to please God, but it is also equally important for those of us with a great desire in our hearts. Hebrews 11:1(NLT) says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Faith requires our confidence to be unwavering, and it must be demonstrated and backed by good works. Most of us realize that we need to back our faith with more than words and feelings, but when it comes to the desires of our hearts that involve other people and relationships, sometimes we’re not quite sure what to do. We know that our God is faithful, but we also know that He will never overstep a person’s free-will choice.
As those that have been on this Christian journey a while, we know the power of God. We know how He’s brought us through many storms and rescued us from danger. When we see our loved ones struggling, we want them to know God’s power for themselves and to develop a deeper relationship with Him. Many of us desire our husbands or the significant man in our lives to make a change because they are heading in a direction that harms our relationship with them. As time progresses, and we don’t see any movement in this direction, it can be very disappointing, but there’s a better choice than giving in to disappointment. We need to know the Will of God for this individual and begin to pray in harmony with what God says.
Often when we pray for others, we’re praying for our will to be done in their lives. We want them to change their ways and behave differently towards us. We want them to see our point of view and begin to take their spiritual lives seriously. Any evidence that they’re beginning to change course would delight us, but this takes time and it requires patience. It doesn’t happen on our timetables and this is something we must accept.
Rather than praying for what we think they need; we must pray according to God’s Word and Will. 1Timothy 2:4(NLT) tells us that God “wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” Salvation is a gift from our Great Big Wonderful God, and it cannot be earned. He wants everyone to accept this gift so that they can be saved and become a part of His family. Introducing a person to Jesus Christ and telling them about the salvation that he offers is the greatest thing that any of us will ever do. We must understand that sometimes, we are the only witness of our Lord and Savior that people have. Nothing about our lives is random. He knows exactly who is going to come into our lives. Our Heavenly Father appointed the time and place of our births, and He has strategically positioned us to have influence and impact in the lives of others right where we are. He knows everything there is to know about the individuals we are praying for, and their salvation is what’s most important to Him.
Contrary to what the world would have us to believe, every person isn’t a child of God. Some might think that sounds harsh, but this is what the Word teaches us, so this is the truth. There are some people that could care less about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He wants everyone to accept the love of Christ into their hearts and begin to live for him, but we know that not everyone wants to love Jesus. Many people will not accept him even when they learn of his sacrifice for our sins. They will still reject God, but for those that He has ordained us to pray for and witness to, we must represent Christ and do our very best to help them turn to our Lord and Savior.
It’s so important we recognize that we are introducing people to the light of Christ and praying for them to receive the gift of eternal life. Without salvation, it isn’t possible for anyone to enter God’s Kingdom. To get into the Kingdom, we must be born-again and receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ said in John 3:5(NLT), “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” Knowing this truth should impress upon our hearts how important it is to prioritize a person’s salvation in our prayers and good deeds.
Sometimes, our love for the special ones in our lives is so great that we might place things of lesser importance ahead of their salvation, but God’s agenda must be our agenda. He will not overstep their free-will, but James 5:16(NLT) tells us, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
It can seem as though people are stubborn and will not listen to us, but if their names are written in the Book of Life, our prayers and good works are not in vain. Continue to pray for the salvation of your loved ones and anyone that you meet or know that hasn’t yet accepted Christ. We can’t make anyone accept him, but we must trust God to do what only He can in their lives. So, be sure to let your motives be pure when you are praying for the salvation and spiritual growth of others, and have faith that just as He has done a transformative work in your life, He will do the same in theirs according to His perfect Will and plan. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Praying for Someone’s Salvation”, written by Reverend Fran Mack. Edits by Kim Times and K. Stephens for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.