How to Pray for Conversion?

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posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,672
13,131
113
#1
i know someone who has heard the gospel and doesn't believe it - how do i pray for their salvation?

do i ask God to save someone who doesn't believe?
do i ask God to intervene & cause them to believe?
do i ask God to stay out of it because God shouldn't interfere with human free will?

what do i do in love . . ?
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#2
i know someone who has heard the gospel and doesn't believe it - how do i pray for their salvation?

do i ask God to save someone who doesn't believe?
do i ask God to intervene & cause them to believe?
do i ask God to stay out of it because God shouldn't interfere with human free will?

what do i do in love . . ?
I didn't believe the Gospel the first time I heard it . 7 months later i did . The person never gave up on me . She kept on preaching to me (prayerfully carefully , patiently and considerately) She is now my wife 😃
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#3
i know someone who has heard the gospel and doesn't believe it - how do i pray for their salvation?

do i ask God to save someone who doesn't believe?
do i ask God to intervene & cause them to believe?
do i ask God to stay out of it because God shouldn't interfere with human free will?

what do i do in love . . ?
Basically none of your questions fit how a person is saved ,or how salvation is appropriated .
1) //do i ask God to save someone who doesn't believe? // 1 cor 1.21 answers this.

2) //do i ask God to intervene & cause them to believe?// 1 cor 1.21 answers this . God does not ' cause ' belief in those he saves.

3) //do i ask God to stay out of it because God shouldn't interfere with human free will? // God has never " stayed out of it "
John 1.9 . John 12 .32 . John 16.8
 

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,696
113
#4
Ask God to open their eyes that they might see.

2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain [was] full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,511
1,864
113
#5
Paul taught that we are to believe as Abraham believed, hence, I would pray that this believer would be granted the same Faith as Abraham . . . our Father of Faith.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,678
113
#6
i know someone who has heard the gospel and doesn't believe it - how do i pray for their salvation?

do i ask God to save someone who doesn't believe?
do i ask God to intervene & cause them to believe?
do i ask God to stay out of it because God shouldn't interfere with human free will?

what do i do in love . . ?
My neighbor is a really nice Christian man and he really went the extra mile I think. I thank God for him.

Long story short his Christian love played a big role in getting me curious about Christ. That's when I started reading the Bible.

I read the Bible for about a year, still unrepentant and holding on to numerous sins, then one day it was like a switch flipped.

I had faith in Christ, no longer wanted to sin, wanted to pray and get to know God. Now I really love Jesus and I am happy with my relationship with God.

So I guess what I am getting at is you may drop some verses and pray for them sometimes, but go the extra mile and love them. Jesus knew what He was talking about when He said to love your neighbor.

And like Paul said: one plants a seed, another waters, but God gives the increase. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is always working.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
12,349
4,063
113
#7
i know someone who has heard the gospel and doesn't believe it - how do i pray for their salvation?

do i ask God to save someone who doesn't believe?
do i ask God to intervene & cause them to believe?
do i ask God to stay out of it because God shouldn't interfere with human free will?

what do i do in love . . ?
That is a very interesting question you have asked.

here is what works I think very well:

1 remember
2. consider
3. learn the lesson of opportunity
4. never stop


1. remember God was able to save you he can save anyone
2. consider the enemies hold on them and pray targeted for them
3. keep praying for them, asking God for them, seeking God for them as if it was your life.
4. never stop. You may be the only thing or person who is even praying for them.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
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#8
Precious Post,
always in my prayers I pray for the lost that haven't obviously been yet 'called',
and God doesn't always answer my prayers, but I KNOW that He will eventually,
for God has everything under His control...
there is no contest' between God and satan, = satan is but a naughty child,
BUT, God has power over ALL...
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,706
3,650
113
#9
i know someone who has heard the gospel and doesn't believe it - how do i pray for their salvation?

do i ask God to save someone who doesn't believe?
do i ask God to intervene & cause them to believe?
do i ask God to stay out of it because God shouldn't interfere with human free will?

what do i do in love . . ?
Matthew 9:38 (KJV) Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
 

breno785au

Senior Member
Jul 23, 2013
6,002
764
113
39
Australia
#10
This is a great question. I don't really k ow the answer myself but I bet there isn't really one way to answer it either. Ie. There's no formula. Take me for example.
My best friend encountered God and became a Christian. Over a number of years, things didn't make much sense to me (even though deep down I believed myself).

Then there came a point where I was sick of him texting me bible verses and speaking about Jesus and I totally ignored him over a year, didn't speak to him. This is my best friend by the way, since we were 6.

Then suddenly we started catching up again, he didn't say anything about Jesus or the bible, just hung out with me. Suddenly, I just.. Wanted to know more. I initiated the conversations. Then one night on my own after watching a Kent Hovind DVD he gave me (don't care on people's opinions about him, it's irrelevant to my story) I prayed and God revealed Himself to me.
The rest is history. This was... 14ish years ago now.
If anything, I think weay just need to be listening to Holy Spirit on our approach. Sometimes we may just need to shut upfor a time, other times to talk. Other times just do. But in all things, always love.

One thing I do know is my best friend was always praying for me, he said. Always praying for me to be saved. In that period of a few years prior I would get the occasional dream where if I told you them, you without a doubt would think that yes, God was reaching out to me.

Ask and your shall receive.
 

phil36

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
2,111
113
51
#11
i know someone who has heard the gospel and doesn't believe it - how do i pray for their salvation?

do i ask God to save someone who doesn't believe?
do i ask God to intervene & cause them to believe?
do i ask God to stay out of it because God shouldn't interfere with human free will?

what do i do in love . . ?


That's a good question. In some sense we are asking God to change something about the persons will. Some say its monergistic and some will say it's synergistic. But whatever way, we are praying for God to do something to the will of the person. Open their eyes, renew their heart, open their ears to hear etc.

We are praying for God to free that person from the bondage of sin. So what ever way we look at it we are praying for God to act to save a person. We can't save ourselves that's for sure.

We all pray for God to intervene and save someone, and a big Amen to that. It's one of the greatest things we can do is pray for the salvation of others even though they naturally don't want it (Rom 3:11).


One thing we do know is this:

---The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen 6:5

---But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. Matt 15:18-19



So because we know of Christs saving work for us we pray this for others:


--I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Ezekiel 36:26-27

--For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Cor 7:10

--Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9-10



I pray that God continues to change the hearts of men and women everywhere and in every time.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#12
Because of bad teaching that confuses Christians, they don't know how to pray. " Dear Lord i pray that they would come to believe your good news , that you would open their eyes, cause them to believe, that you would open their heart like Lydia, to supernaturally regenerate them that they would be granted repentance, cause them to open their ears, so that they would open their eyes , not that they can Lord , but that you would do a work so you would grant them to believe, oh I know you've already chosen who is a reprobate , I pray that my loved one isn't one of those you haven't chosen for the Lake of fire . But I m praying anyway, not that it can change your eternal decree. So I'll keep hoping and praying as if it makes a difference ,kidding myself that prayer even matters , oh Lord would you grant them repentence, cause them to believe, open their eyes , open their heart, regenerate them even if its just previenient grace so that they could have a chance to resist or not to resist" ect ect .-Confusing Prayers of the confused caused by Calvinism.