How Can I Pray for Non-Believers?

How can I pray for non-believers?

Good question.

You may feel that praying for someone, especially if it’s without their permission, is a little sneaky. But praying for someone far from God, even if you think they wouldn’t want you to pray for them, is totally OK. It’s honestly not going to harm them, and our great God is very powerful-you might even find He works a miracle for you both!

A man, in a black and white shot, sites beside a window with a bind over it, with his hands held together in front of his face, as if he is praying for a non-believer friend.

Here is a list of ten prayers, inspired by verses from the Bible, you could consider using when praying for any non-believer in your life:

  1. Pray that God draws them to Himself

John. 6:44 “For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.”

  1. That they seek to know God

Acts 17:27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.”

Deuteronomy 4:29 “But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.”

  1. That they believe the Scriptures

1 Thessalonians 2:13 “Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God….”

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

A young man sits barefoot on a circular rug with a mirror beside him and a chair and side table in front of him. He looks out of the window ahead while holding a cup and looking somewhat pensive.

  1. That Satan is bound from blinding them to the truth

Matthew 13:19 “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts…”

2 Corinthians 4:4 “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

  1. That the Holy Spirit works in them

John 16:8–13 “And when (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.…. He will guide you into all truth….”

  1. That God sends someone to lead them to Christ

Matthew 9:37–38He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”’

A young man is pictured in profile, with headphones in his ears and staring off into the distance. He is outside. He may be praying silently for his non-believer friends.

  1. That they believe in Christ as Savior

John 1:12 “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”

  1. That they turn from sin

Acts 17:30–31 “… (God) commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.”

Acts 3:19 “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”

  1. That they confess Christ as Lord

Romans 10:9–10 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

10. That they take root and grow in Christ

Colossians 2:6–7And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

All the scripture is from the New Living Translation.


Want to know more about prayer? Check out the article below:

How to Pray, What to Pray, and Getting Results.

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