Praying For the Lost

Romans 10:1–4 (NLT)

1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.

2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.

4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

INTRODUCTION:

T.S.: Notice some specific requests that we can make as we intercede for the lost:

I- PRAY THAT GOD WILL GRIP OUR HEARTS WITH CONCERN FOR UNSAVED PEOPLE. (Romans 10:1)

Romans 10:1 NLT

1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.

Ἀδελφοί, ἡ μὲν εὐδοκία τῆς ἐμῆς καρδίας καὶ ἡ δέησις πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εἰς σωτηρίαν.

A- Ask God to grip your heart with the spiritual condition of lost people.

1- Paul emphasized that his heart was gripped with the spiritual condition for his people.

a- ἡ μὲν εὐδοκία τῆς ἐμῆς καρδίας = “Indeed, the earnest wish (desire) of my heart...”

b- Paul’s heart was broken over the lost condition of his own people. (Romans 9:1-3)

Romans 9:1–3 (NLT)

1 With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it.

2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief

3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.

2- The beginning point of true intercession for the lost is a heart that is gripped with the spiritual condition of the lost.

a. Lost neighbors

b. Lost friends

c. lost family members

d. other lost folks

B- Ask God to infuse your intercession for lost people with passion for their conversion.

1- Paul engaged in heart-felt intercession for his lost countrymen to be saved.

a- ἡ δέησις πρὸς τὸν θεὸν= “my supplication, prayer, begging to God.”

b- ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εἰς σωτηρίαν= “is for them to be saved.”

2- When our hearts are truly gripped with the lost condition of people we know, as well as those we don’t know personally, our intercession will lake on a whole new meaning and depth.

a. Intercession for the lost will move our hearts to earnestly seek to move heaven to intervene in their lives to bring them to Christ.

II- PRAY THAT GOD WILL CAUSE UNSAVED PEOPLE TO REEVALUATE THEIR SPIRITUAL IDEAS. (Romans 10:2)

Romans 10:2 NLT

2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

2 μαρτυρῶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὅτι ζῆλον θεοῦ ἔχουσιν· ἀλλʼ οὐ κατʼ ἐπίγνωσιν,

A- Recognize that lost people are not uncommitted.

1- Paul readily admitted that his lost countrymen were deeply committed to what they believed.

a- Paul knew that many of his fellow Israelites were deeply committed and passionate about their beliefs.

(1) Paul had first-hand knowledge about the mindset of unbelieving Jewish people.

(Acts 22:1-5)

Acts 22:1–5 (NLT)

1 “Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.”

2 When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.

3 Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.

4 And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.

5 The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.

2- Lost people around us are not uncommitted, dispassionate people.

a. They are committed to ideas, philosophies and religions that are keeping them from the truth.

(1) They are like the people in Ephesus who rioted against Paul. (Acts 19:23-34)

(Acts 19:28, 34)

Acts 19:28 NLT

28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Acts 19:34 (NLT)

34 But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

B- Recognize that the problem with lost people is misdirected commitment.

1- Paul knew that his lost countrymen had a misdirected zeal that kept them from the truth.

(John 5:36-40)

John 5:36–40 (NLT)

36 But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me.

37 And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face,

38 and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

2- Lost people around us have misdirected zeal to lies that will carry them to Hell.

(Matthew 7:21-23)

Matthew 7:21–23 (NLT)

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’

23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

III- PRAY THAT GOD WILL LEAD UNSAVED PEOPLE TO REJECT THEIR MISGUIDED IDEAS THAT KEEP THEM FAR FROM CHRIST. (Romans 10:3)

Romans 10:3 NLT

3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.

ἀγνοοῦντες γὰρ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ζητοῦντες στῆσαι, τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν·

A- Lost people are ignorant of God’s way for making people right with himself.

1- According to Paul, the problem with his lost countrymen is that they were ignorant (ἀγνοοῦντες) of God’s way to a right relationship with himself.

a- ἀγνοοῦντες= ignorant, to not understand, with the implication of a lack of capacity or ability—‘not to understand, to fail to understand.

2- Lost people around us are ignorant of God’s way of making people right with himself.

a- If you ask, people will give many answers ...

Go to church

Get baptized

Keep the commandments

Do good deeds

Be a good person

Note what the Bible says in Romans 3:20:

Romans 3:20 (NLT)

20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

B- Because they don’t understand God’s way, they try to create their won way to God.

1- As a result of their ignorance of God’s way of righteousness, lost Israelites rejected the Good News and sought to make their own way to God.

2- Lost people around us are ignorant of God’s way of salvation.

a- Satan blinds their minds. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

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.

b- They attempt to create their own ways to God.

Works-based religions

Mystical religions

Personal goodness philosophies

Denial of God’s existence

Religious pluralism

IV- PRAY THAT GOD WILL OPEN THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF UNSAVED PEOPLE TO THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL. (Romans 10:4)

Romans 10:4 NLT

4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

τέλος γὰρ νόμου Χριστὸς εἰς δικαιοσύνην παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι.

A- Jesus put an end to the idea of keeping the law for salvation.

1- Jesus fulfilled the law’s requirements - became our sinless sacrifice.

(Hebrews 7:26-27)

Hebrews 7:26–27 (NLT)

26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.

27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

B- All who choose to place their trust in Christ are made right with God.

1- Through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus make it possible for a person to be saved through faith.

(2 Corinthians 5:21)

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

(John 1:12)

John 1:12 (NLT)

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

CONCLUSION:

I- PRAY THAT GOD WILL GRIP OUR HEARTS WITH CONCERN FOR UNSAVED PEOPLE. (Romans 10:1)

II- PRAY THAT GOD WILL CAUSE UNSAVED PEOPLE TO REEVALUATE THEIR SPIRITUAL IDEAS. (Romans 10:2)

III- PRAY THAT GOD WILL LEAD UNSAVED PEOPLE TO REJECT THEIR MISGUIDED IDEAS THAT KEEP THEM FAR FROM CHRIST. (Romans 10:3)

IV- PRAY THAT GOD WILL OPEN THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF UNSAVED PEOPLE TO THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL. (Romans 10:4)