Prayer for Unbelievers to come to Faith in Jesus

Prayer, As An Expression of Our Faith In God

To many prayer is telling God about one’s requests. But I want to give it a different type of definition, not one what we do, but what we believe. Prayer is believing God. Those who do not pray, do not believe God. Those who believe God will pray. Prayer is an expression of faith. It demonstrates the reality of our faith.

A Heavenly Calling Card

In Genesis 4:26, the last statement in the first section of the book of Genesis is:

Then they began to call on the name of the LORD.

This is the beginning of a storyline that runs throughout the pages of Scripture.

• In Genesis 12:8, Abraham moved to the Promised Land near Bethel (house of God), set up an altar, and called on the name of the LORD.
• In Genesis 13:4, Abraham returned from Egypt to this same place and called on the name of the LORD.
• In Genesis 21:33, Abraham again called on the name of the LORD.
• In Genesis 26:25, God appears to Isaac and Isaac calls on the name of the LORD.
• In Exodus 34:5, using the same Hebrew phrase, God appeared to Moses and “called” on the name of the LORD (here this same Hebrew phrase is translated “proclaimed” the name of the LORD).
• In 1 Kings 18:4, 36-37, Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel by calling on the name of the LORD.
• In 2 Kings 5:11, Naaman was furious because Elisha did not call on the name of the LORD.
• In Psalm 116:4, calling upon the name of the LORD is linked to deliverance.
• In Psalm 116:13, calling on the name of the LORD is linked to salvation.
• In Psalm 116:17, calling on the name of the LORD is linked to thanksgiving.
• In Lamentations 3:55, Jeremiah calls on the name of the LORD from the lowest pit.
• In Joel 2:32, we are told that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.
• In Zephaniah 3:9, God promises in the future to restore to the peoples a pure language so that they may all call on the name of the LORD.
• And, of course, the Joel passage is quoted by Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2 and by Paul in Romans 10 as the way to salvation.

At the core of this phrase is the word “call.” In Genesis 3:9, God called to Adam. The concept of calling is not much different from what we do today.

When I say, “I will call you,” I am expressing my plan to contact you verbally.

It may be by telephone, or it may be by opening the door and calling you for dinner, but in any case it involves communication. That is prayer. It is communication with God.

But it is more than simply any communication. It is a communication about who He is. In 1 Kings 18:24, 36-37, Elijah’s simple prayer said more about who Elijah believed God to be than anything else Elijah could have done.

In Lamentations 3:55, it again is a cry for help who God is.

In Zephaniah, it is a communication to God what He has done, as was the situation with Abraham in Genesis 12:8, 13:4, or 21:33.

There is a call to God in Joel 2:32 God’s great promises, and there is the proclamation of God in Exodus 34:5 based upon His name.

In every place, the Hebrew phrase is the same. What links all of these together is that the people who called believed God to be who He said He was. Their prayer was the expression of their faith.

Prayer, then, is communication with God what we have come to know about Him.

Prayer shows Faith

Now, I ask the question. What does your prayer life reveal about what you believe about God? I submit that it reveals a great deal.

Let me illustrate. Suppose I have a neighbor who is a master gardener who offers me help with anything dealing with plants and my neighbor has a beautiful, thriving zebra plant. Someone else gives me a zebra plant, but despite my best efforts my plant dies and I go into depression. I never ask my neighbor for help. What might my failure to ask say about my view of my neighbor?

We come to God. He has promised to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). He has encouraged us to call upon Him time and again. We do not call. What do our actions say about how we view God?

Prayer is an expression of our faith. If we truly believe God is who He says He is and if we truly believe His promises, then we will live a life of prayer that demonstrates this.

If we do not pray, we thereby demonstrate that we do not truly believe (Job 21:15). Prayer is our expression of faith. How much we believe will be reflected in how and how much we pray.

The nature of the God in whom we believe should be seen in the frequency and content of our prayers.

The Bible is full of prayers. People who believed, prayed. Abraham believed and he called on the name of the LORD. He expressed his faith. Moses believed and he talked with God until he died. He was the great intercessor to God for Israel. He expressed his faith. Samuel believed God and he prayed. David believed God.

He continues to plead for us. The apostles believed in God; they gathered in the upper room to pray as they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit. Paul believed in God; you can see it in his many prayers. Prayer is our expression of faith in God.

All these people expressed their faith through the volume and sincerity of their prayer.

We have a nickname for James, the brother of Jesus. He is called Old Camel Knees because he prayed so much in the temple that his knees grew callouses a camel’s knees.

Is it just coincidence that the church exploded? When the disciples came to Jesus in Luke 11:1, they did not ask Him to teach them how to pray. They asked Him to teach them to pray.

And what did Jesus do? After providing a short pattern of prayer, He told them about the Father.

Prayer changes history. The cries of Isaac reached the ears of God and we have a nation of Israel today. The cries of Israel reached God and He delivered them in a mighty way from the land of Egypt. The cries of Moses reached God and He saved Israel from the Amalakites. The cries of Hannah reached God and Samuel was born.

The cries of David reached God and He established a great kingdom. The cries of Solomon reached God and God gave him incredible wisdom. The cries of Hezekiah reached God and Jerusalem was the only city in the entire region not captured by the Assyrians. The cries of Manasseh reached God and he was restored back to his throne.

Obstacles to Prayer

The Tyranny of the Experience

As new Christians, we often are excited about our fresh relationship with a God who can do anything. We pray, believing, and we receive. But then we pray, believing, and nothing happens. Then we grow in doubt and begin to change our theology. Some change is good.

If we think that God is a genie in the sky who will always do what we ask, then that theology needs to change. Some change is bad.

If we think that God is going to do whatever He wants and that prayer is ineffectual as a change agent in this world, in our lives, or with God, we err, not knowing God.

When we pray, three results may occur.

1. God may not hear our prayers. If there is known, unconfessed sin in our lives, then God will not hear our prayers (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 1:15; John 9:31).
2. God may hear and decide to grant the request (Exodus 32:10-14; Joshua 10:12-14; 1 Samuel 1:10-11, 20; 1 Kings 18:36-38; Amos 7:2-6; 1 John 5:14-15).
3. God may hear and decide not to grant the request (Genesis 17:8-20; Deuteronomy 3:23-27; 2 Samuel 12:16-23; 2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

Results 2 and 3 are not arbitrary results, but both are the desired result of one who really seeks God in prayer. When we pray, two wills are involved, His and ours. Sometimes, as in any relationship, one party has to align with the other. Sometimes our will has to align with His. Sometimes His will aligns with ours.

Prayer acknowledges these different outcomes. When God says, “Ask what you will,” He is saying that He is eager to align His will with ours. He delights to give good gifts to those who ask (Matthew 7:11).

But though we may not realize it at the time, sometimes our will is not in our best long-term interest, nor in the best long-term interest of others or this world. God knows what is best.

Therefore, we need not fear to pray for what we want as long as we trust that if what we want is not best, God will take our request and do with it what is best. Again, our prayer is an expression of faith, because we pray knowing that sometimes we may not get the outcome we desire.

Sometimes, however, we adopt the attitude that God will do what He will do and therefore we have no need to pray. This is simply not true. James 4:2 tells us that we have not because we ask not.

Job tells us that the unbelievers are those who believe there is no profit in prayer (Job 21:15). There are far too many answered prayers in Scripture and in this world to adopt a theology that prayer is not effective in bringing about change in this world.

God accomplishes our wills and His will through our prayer.

So pray. Let us learn, grow and express our faith in those times when we pray and it does not seem that God is answering. We should remember that God does not drop prayers, but treasures them up.

And when He answers our prayers, we should praise Him for those answers (Psalm 9:10-14; 18:6-19; 30:2-12).

The Tyranny of the Immediate

Everything we do is important and prayer often gets pushed aside. But what about its importance? (Acts 6:4; Ephesians 6:18-20; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:1-4, 8; 5:5). We should always pray, whether we are talking with the king (Nehemiah 2:4), preparing for a difficult job (Luke 22:39-45), or simply washing the dishes or mowing the lawn.

Making Prayer Meaningful

• Pray believing (Matthew 21:22; James 1:6-7).
• Pray persistently (Luke 11:5-8; 8:1-7; 1 Kings 18:41-46; Romans 1:9-10; Ephesians 1:15-23; Philippians 1:3-4; Colossians 1:3, 9; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:3; Philemon 4).
• Pray for kingdom values (Matthew 6:9-13).
• Pray for others (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Timothy 2:1).
• Pray with thanksgiving (1 Corinthians 1:4; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Hebrews 13:15).
• Make prayer a conversation with God (John 12:27-28; 1 Timothy 2:1). The word “supplications” comes from a word meaning to make conversation or to converse, and in Greek literature included the meaning of having intimate intercourse with or the close communion of one person with another. Prayer is learning to walk together throughout the day with God.

Источник: //truthsaves.org/articles/prayer-expression-faith/

Three Steps For Praying For The Unbeliever – The Great Commission Blog

When my husband and I married, we both thought he was a believer.  We went to church, read the Bible, and prayed together.  But some unexpected career disappointments in the first year of our marriage turned Dennis’ heart away from God, and one Sunday morning, as we were getting ready for church, he told me he wasn’t going, that he didn’t believe in God any more.

So began our married life together while we went our separate ways spiritually. It was a difficult twelve years.

My heart was broken with Dennis’ announcement. I wanted so badly for him to know God that I would have happily bonked him over the head with a two-by-four and dragged him over the border into the Kingdom.

I knew he would thank me once he woke up on the other side! But he is six-three and I am five-two, so this wasn’t an option.

  My only recourse, it seemed, was to pray for Dennis’ salvation, and I began to do that earnestly.

“How, Lord?”

But my question was: how should I pray for him?  I suspected God would not be into the bonk-and-drag procedure, even though he was strong enough to do it. Somehow, in his absolute sovereignty, God has also decided to honor the choices people make of their own free will. So how could I pray that God would save my husband?

As I began to pray, I asked this question, and gradually, over the years, I learned how to appropriately and effectively pray for my husband’s salvation. If you long for someone you love to come to know Jesus, here are three ways you can pray for them:

1.  LOVE

First, you can ask God to reveal His overwhelmingly deep and unconditional love for the person you want to see come to Jesus.

Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” (John 6:44), and it’s God’s love that does the drawing. A strong, cold wind cannot blow the coat off a man’s back, but when the warm sun shines steadily and gently down on him, he will freely choose to remove it.

It is very appropriate for us to pray that God will shine his love down on the ones we want to see come to Jesus, so that they will be drawn to choosing him. In his first Epistle, John says, “We love him because he first loved us.”  No one can love God first. It’s only as people discover his love that they can choose to respond and love him back.

2.   LIGHT

Second, you can ask God to open the eyes of your loved one so they can see the Light.

“Seeing the light” has become a cliche, but it’s essential to salvation.

II Corinthians 4:4 says, “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.

” Satan will do everything he can to keep people from seeing Jesus, because he knows when they see him they will know the Truth and he will lose his control over them.

We cannot pray that God will force people to choose Jesus, but, because of what Jesus did on the cross, we have the right to pray that the huge obstacle of spiritual blindness be removed.

Job said, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.  Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.

” (Job 42:5-6) When the Light shines on an unbelieving heart, it becomes very hard for that heart to reject the Truth that the light reveals.

3.  FREEDOM

Third, you can ask God to free your unbelieving loved ones from bondages that keep them from choosing him.

Adam and Eve were created with the freedom to choose to obey their Creator. When they chose disobedience, they sold themselves, and the whole human race, into slavery. The god of this age became our taskmaster. Jesus bought freedom back for us when he died on the cross. But that freedom does not always come to us automatically.

But as a believer, you can do spiritual warfare on their behalf.  You can ask God to release them from the chains that keep them from freely choosing. In the Name of Jesus, you can claim the freedom he bought for them.

Walking Together

Praying for these three things is appropriate because it does not infringe on our loved one’s freedom to choose.  It’s also effective.

Dennis and I have been walking together, both in marriage and spiritually, for the last thirty years.  God answered my prayers.

  He revealed his love; he removed the spiritual blindfold; he broke the chains of unbelief that kept Dennis from choosing him.

You cannot force salvation on the unbelievers you know and love, but you can pray love, light and freedom into their lives.  Those prayers will enable them to choose, of their own free will, to come into the Kingdom of God.

Источник: //blog.febc.org/three-steps-for-praying-for-the-unbeliever/

Why It Matters That Hebrews Was Written to Believers | Grace Evangelical Society

Because the epistle to the Hebrews is a challenging book to understand, many believers today don’t take the time and effort to mine its rich truths.  One reason it has become difficult to understand is the debate concerning whom Hebrews was written to.

1 Many view Hebrews as a message that was written to a combination of “true” believers and “professing” believers, i.e., unbelievers.

  With the mixed-audience view, the five warning passages (Heb 2:1-4; 3:1–4:16; 5:11–6:12; 10:1939; 12:14-29) are typically regarded as being addressed to “professing” believers (= unbelievers), with the rest of the book addressing “true” believers.

However, if the entire book of Hebrews was in fact written to “true” believers, then all of it becomes beneficial to believers today.  In this way a believer today doesn’t have to dismiss parts of Hebrews because those parts were not written to him.

Why We Know Hebrews Was Written to Believers

There are eight reasons to believe the entire book of Hebrews was written to believers (i.e., to those who have eternal life):

First, the writer calls the audience “holy brethren” (Heb 3:1).

Second, the writer describes himself and his readers (“we”) as ones who “have faith” (Heb 10:39).  This would be true only of believers.

Third, readers are referred to as “sons” who have a relationship with God the Father (Heb 12:5, 7, 8).  Unbelievers, professing to believe or otherwise, do not have a “son” relationship with God the Father until they are adopted and have eternal life (Gal 4:5).

Fifth, the author did exhort (Heb 13:22) readers to “press on to maturity” (Heb 6:1) in the faith they already possessed (Heb 6:4-5). To exhort unbelievers to “press on to maturity” makes no sense. Without faith in Christ there is no life to be matured!

Sixth, the readers went through sufferings, reproaches, and tribulations for their faith (Heb 10:32-33).  They even “accepted joyfully the seizure of [their] property” (10:34 NASB). It seems unly that unbelievers would be willing to go through these things for a nonexistent faith.

Seventh, in each of the five warning passages, the writer uses first person plural pronouns (us or we); he includes himself with the readers. Because the author was a believer in Jesus Christ, this is noteworthy.

  He views the warnings as applicable to both himself, as a believer, and to his readers, also believers.  Had the warnings been for “professing” believers/unbelievers, he would not have included himself.

  For example, Heb 10:26 says, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.

”  The writer sees “sinning willfully”— a return to animal sacrifices as a means for atonement, Heb 10:29— as something which he, as a believer, could commit, as could the believers he is writing to.  After the five warning passages below are the verses containing “us” and/or “we” demonstrating the author included himself in the warning.

First warning (Heb 2:1-4):  2:1, 3

Second warning (Heb 3:1-4:16):  3:6, 14;  4:14

Third warning (Heb 5:11-6:12): 6:1

Fourth warning (Heb 10:19-39): 10:19-24, 26

Fifth warning (Heb 12:14-29): 12:25

Because the warning passages in Hebrews include the author, it does not stand to reason that these sections are addressed to unbelievers.

Eighth, there are no clear signs in the text to indicate switching of the audience between “true” believers and “professing” believers.  The burden of proof for a spiritually-mixed readership rests on those who propose this view.  This is not simply an argument from silence.

  The idea that the readership switches back and forth between believers and unbelievers seems to be governed by its proponents’ need to support their theological position rather than by evidence from the text.

Why It Matters

Hebrews is a “word of exhortation” (Heb 13:22) written to Jewish believers who were experiencing persecution and considering returning to the external practices of Judaism, including animal sacrifices for sins.  The writer encourages these believers to persevere in their faith, even in a hostile world.  This encouragement includes five warnings about the consequences of not holding fast to their faith.

Rosemarie Matlak’s summary relates the overall message of Hebrews to believers today:

As modern day Christians, we are also beguiled and pressured to distance ourselves from Christ through false teachers, worldly philosophies, discouraging circumstances, social pressure, and even persecution.

As believers we all experience times of spiritual defeat…in our walk with God.

It can be tempting to return to our old way of life where we felt accepted and admired…and to the pursuit of wealth and comfort rewarded us with immediate gratification.”2

Many of today’s believers are not Jewish and none of us live in the First Century, but we all still face similar challenges. Over the past twenty years many born-again people have left Bible-teaching churches for the liturgical practices of Catholicism or Orthodoxy.

Many believers have departed from the teachings of God’s Word to practice counterfeit means to spiritual maturity transcendental meditation, centering prayer, lectio divina, and prayer labyrinths.

Sadly many believers have been duped into ceasing to believe that everlasting life is everlasting and thus they have begun trying to give and work so as to retain that life. Legalism both for justification and sanctification is quite alluring today.

Here in Utah when an active Mormon comes to faith in Christ apart from their works he is contradicting the teachings of the church of his family and friends. The result is that he will face very real pressure to stop saying he knows he has everlasting life simply by faith alone in Christ alone.

If this new believer continues to confess his belief in justification by faith alone, the result is often complete rejection by all his friends and family.

New believers  from a Mormon background face a very real temptation to return to Mormonism at least in some external way to restore relationships with their relatives in particular.

Of course, leaving a Bible-teaching church and returning to the works-based system of Mormonism will prevent the new believer from going on to spiritual maturity and puts him in danger of being disciplined by the Lord.

Even someone who has no religious background may be tempted and/or pressured to return to their previous lifestyle without God instead of following Jesus more closely and continuing on to spiritual maturity. Old friends may hound the believer to come back and party the old days. These “friends” and their lifestyle may hamper the believer from growing spiritually.

But Hebrews is warning against more than just returning to a sinful lifestyle. The warning is against denying the sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ in their life. This might take the form of verbally rejecting or denying critical truths about Jesus including his death, resurrection, or ability to forgive our sins.

  Such a change in beliefs is what Hebrews warns against.

The writer of Hebrews was deeply concerned because he knew that the believer who departs from the faith reaps fiery judgment in this life (Heb 6:7-8; 10:27-31).

Instead of hearing the Lord’s “Well done, good servant” at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Luke 19:17), he will experience rebuke and shame before His Lord and Savior (Luke 19:20-26; 1 John 2:28). That’s why this matters. Departure from the faith is a terrible thing.

Conclusion

Knowing that the entire book of Hebrews was written to believers in Jesus Christ is vital to understanding God’s message in Hebrews. Because it was written to believers, the entire book is relevant for today’s Christians.

The message is not that “professing” believers must prove their faith by commitment and perseverance, but rather that “true” believers are to move on to spiritual maturity despite difficulties.

The dangers are clearly described in the five warning passages in Hebrews: negligence, unbelief, immaturity, willful sinning, and unresponsiveness.

3 A believer today who “neglects” their spiritual life, remains “immature” and “unresponsive” to the Lord Jesus is not at a spiritually neutral place. These warnings remind us that not going on to maturity has negative consequences, and we must guard against these dangers if we are to press on to maturity.

______________________

David Janssen is Equipping Pastor at Grace Community Bible Church in Sandy, UT.

1. Another reason Hebrews can be difficult to understand is the overall Jewish orientation of the book. The writer expects the readers to have a detailed understanding of the Jewish priesthood, tabernacle, and sacrificial system.  Modern Gentiles, myself, do not have any firsthand experience with the Jewish sacrificial system, which makes Hebrews more difficult to understand.

2. Rosemarie Matlak, Hebrews Study Guide (2010), p. 6.

3. Mark Bailey and Tom Constable, The New Testament Explorer (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1999), pp. 506-507.

Источник: //faithalone.org/grace-in-focus-articles/why-it-matters-that-hebrews-was-written-to-believers/

Top 7 Bible Verses To Share With Unbelievers

JOYFUL!! EXCITING!! PURPOSE-FILLED!! These three words are just the beginning when we attempt to describe the wonderful life we can have as Christians. Following God is an amazing adventure full of life, fun, and love.

So why wouldn’t we want to share that joy with others? I believe that as Christians, we can offer hope, meaning, and courage to a world that often screams of fear and powerlessness.

Here are my top 7 Bible verses to share with unbelievers to encourage them in their life’s journey.

I really this whole chapter in Ecclesiastes, because it addresses some big problems for unbelievers.

Many will ask why does humanity have to deal with death, wars, or other challenges if there is a God? This verse addresses these issues by explaining that there is a time and a season for all things.

God is not to blame for the consequences of man’s actions. Hardships and trials will come, but God has it all under control. Once we choose to follow him, then our lives will be overrun with blessings.

But what the Lord wants us to know from this verse is that as Christians we can accomplish great things in our lives. What the world says is impossible, Jesus says is possible for those who believe.

Faith in God provides us with a “can do” attitude that benefits us in so many ways.

I love this verse, because it clearly states how much God loves us. He cares for us so much that he gave his one and only son for our salvation. Love gives, and God is love.

God created the world around us, and he made everything good for us (Genesis 1). That is how much he loves us.

It is all for our pleasure– parents creating a beautiful room to welcome their newborn child into their home, God also created a whole world to welcome in humanity. This gives us security in our lives.

As I mentioned earlier, the media and even family and friends, can tear us down and discourage us in our daily journey through life. Discouragement, sadness, and hopelessness permeate our society, and depression runs rampant as well.

Jesus himself, though, reminds us in this verse that he came to give us abundant life. I believe that means that our walk with him can be fun, exciting and a daily adventure.

As Christians, we can do more than just survive life here on earth. I believe that this verse points out that we can thrive.

God’s love and support makes us more than conquerors in everything that we do and say. Once we overcome our fears and anxieties, we can see the possibilities are endless.

We can go forward in our quest through life with enthusiasm, meaning and a greater purpose than ourselves.

Our lives can be full of challenges and trials and even prisons of our own choosing. However, this verse includes an important truth for both believers and unbelievers combined.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, so that we can be set free from any yoke of slavery. Addictions, depression and other “stinking thinking” can be gone when we fully embrace the Christian walk.

The apostle Paul goes on in this same chapter to encourage us to not only enjoy our freedom ourselves but to use it to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

One of the most wonderful things that we could ever hear as human beings is that we are loved. The love of our parents, our spouses, or our children can encourage us tremendously, but fully knowing that we are loved by the creator God, can change our lives beyond measure. this verse says, “God is love.

” This is very refreshing to hear in a world where it seems that everyone is looking to find fault in everyone else. Laws and punishment are the norm, but it is imperative that an unbeliever understand that our God is not that. He loves us so much, and he offers us peace, hope and forgiveness.

In other words, I want unbelievers to know that God’s unconditional love encompasses all of our lives.

CONCLUSION

The Bible is full of great verses to share with an unbeliever. There are verses that will appeal to a person’s intellect and logic, and there are other verses that will touch an unbeliever’s emotions and heart.

These are my top seven verses, because I believe that God wants us to share about the many wonderful aspects that are a part of following him each day as a Christian.

With God, life is a wonderful adventure, and I want to share that good news enthusiastically with all of my family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

Written by Karla Hawkins

I feel blessed to be the pastor’s wife of a thriving church in northern Michigan and the mother of four amazing grown children. It is also very rewarding to be a Christian author, editor and translator for the Kingdom of God.

Some of my favorite pastimes include supporting my children’s contemporary Christian band ONLY9AM, singing on the worship team at church, traveling, and connecting with family and friends via social media.

When I am not working, I love spending time with my family and especially with my precious three-year-old grandson.

Источник: //www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2015/02/05/top-7-bible-verses-to-share-with-unbelievers/