Tim Challies, a blogger who focuses on matters related to the Bible, theology, and the church, recently posted an article he wrote entitled, “18 Prayers to Pray for Unbelievers” (https://www.challies.com/articles/how-to-pray-for-unbelievers/).  Actually, Challies’s article includes suggested prayers not just for unbelievers, but for believers who want to see unbelievers become believers!

For example, Challies recommends that Christians pray that “God would circumcise” the hearts of unbelievers as “a circumcised heart symbolizes having a heart that is fully joined to God, fully submissive to him.”   He also contends believers should pray that “God would give them [unbelievers] a heart of flesh” as a heart of flesh, [is] a heart that is alive and responsive to God,” in contrast to “a heart of stone, [which is] a heart that is cold and unyielding” (Ezekiel 11:19).  Similarly, he urges believers to pray that “God would put his Spirit within” persons who have not received Christ as Savior as “[t]he great joy of salvation is being indwelled by God himself” (Ezekiel 36:27).  Furthermore, Challies states believers should pray that unbelievers “would come to Christ” (John 14:6) and that “God would open their hearts to believe the gospel” (Acts 16:14).

What Challies goes on to recommend, however, involves not just prayers for unbelievers, but prayers for believers – for ourselves – as well.  First, he asserts that we should pray that “you will develop relationship with them.”  Challies argues that, “For people to be saved they must first hear the good news of the gospel. For them to hear the good news of the gospel, they must first encounter Christians—Christians like you. Pray that you would develop deeper, more significant relationship with them so you can, in turn, speak truth.” Next, he states we should pray for “opportunities to minister to [unbelievers].”  He makes the point that many people come to Christ after they observe the reality of the gospel displayed in the lives of God’s people.  Therefore, we should pray for “opportunities to minister to unbelievers so that your ministry can have an evangelistic effect” (Matthew 5:16).

There are several other prayers for ourselves – to be faithful and persistent in our prayers (Colossians 4:2; See also the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8), to have a burden for souls (Romans 10:1), for boldness (Ephesians 6:19), and for God to use other believers in their lives as examples and as those who would “speak the gospel” (1 Corinthians 3:6).

I personally feel a conviction to pray more for unbelievers, and Tim Challies has given some good guidance on how to pray to that end.  Moreover, when it comes to reaching the lost, I see the need to pray more for myself, too.

What do you think of Challies’s suggestions concerning praying for unbelievers?