HOW TO PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE FAR FROM GOD

HOW TO PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE FAR FROM GOD 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 May 28, 2000 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Last week we ended our study with the clear message that PRAYER for lost people is our high priority. We established several truths from scripture: 1. When we pray it is incumbent on us to pray the will of God 2. It is the will of God that people come to salvation in Jesus 3. God answers prayer that is in line with His will 4. There is no ministry with a higher priority for the Lord's church than to share the gospel with lost people with a view to their coming to faith in Jesus. 5. God honors the free will of people-lost people can continue to remain lost if they choose to-the Lord will not interfere with their freedom to choose by breaking their will and forcing them to choose Christ Today I'd like to address the obvious question, "How do you pray for the lost?" Clearly, if God will not interfere with their free will, our prayer is not to be, "Dear Lord, please go after my friend Ramon and break his will-make him say yes to Jesus. He is resisting you, Lord; make him stop resisting." The answer to this dilemma is the stuff of spiritual warfare. And we engage by praying and fasting and praying some more. What do we pray for if we are not to ask God to make them robots? I would suggest we investigate how the Word of God describes the unsaved person, and from that description come to some conclusions about how to pray for them. For example, 2 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 of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. In the previous verse Paul said our gospel.is veiled to those who are perishing. The picture is one of blindness or an inability to see. It appears there is a visual distortion over the gospel; it is "veiled" to unbelievers. The word for veil is KALUPTO which refers to a spiritual covering which hides it. Did you ever ask yourself in frustration "Why can't they see it? There is also a visual distortion in the unbeliever--his mind is "blinded. This refers to a kind of spiritual eye disease. This visual distortion is, of course, the work of the enemy, the devil, or the "god of this age" as he is described in this passage. Now, the devil does not control the mind of the unbeliever totally, but he is able to dull and distort the "seeing" of truth. His ability to do this is tied up with the pride in a person. The bigger the pride the more ridiculous the gospel looks to him. Notice that the deception he performs in veiling the gospel and blinding the mind is not happening in the believer-only in the unbeliever. He has the ability to wreak this havoc in unbelievers, but not in those who have accepted Christ. Christians are described in verse 6: For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. So, back to the question, "How do we who see and understand the glory of Christ pray for those who do not see or understand?" It may seem quite simple, but we should pray that the veil that prevents them from understanding, and the blinders that prevent them from seeing the truth, be lifted. But isn't this opposing their free will? Not at all. We are not asking God to do what He clearly says He won't do; we are asking Him to do what He clearly will do-make his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. So, when I pray for unsaved Ramon, I will ask the Lord to unblind his eyes unveil the gospel for him so that he will truly see and understand the nature of the grace offered to him through Jesus. Then Ramon will be able to make his decision for or against the Lord. Until a person understands how valuable something is he is not really "free" to decide for or against it. He just says "That's ridiculous" and walks away. Suppose I have a full-karat diamond ring that I want to sell for the crazy low price of $100. Now, it's a very nice cut, and probably appraises at around $2,000. I meet a potential buyer who knows nothing about diamonds, and he is wearing sunglasses. I tell him I want to do him the favor of letting him buy the ring for $100. He looks at the ring and sees little value. First, he doesn't know a karat from a cucumber. Secondly, with his sunglasses on he can't appreciate the beauty or value of the ring. So he thinks I'm ripping him off and says, "Forget it!" But suppose a friend of his is standing by, and this friend does appreciate the value of a finely cut full-karat diamond, and he takes him aside and explains it to him. The man returns to look at the ring again, and his friend removes his sunglasses so he can see the multi-colored sparkle. Now he sees and understands; suddenly the ring is well worth the $100, and he makes an informed decision, either to buy it or not buy it. This is what we pray for the unbelievers around us-that they may see the enormity of grace there is in Christ. Then, once they understand the value of eternal and abundant life being offered freely to them, they can truly make an informed decision. As Paul says it, they will have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. There is another way to pray for unsaved people-which is directly related to this one. Turn to our primary text for the morning at 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we  conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. --2 Corinthians 10:3-5, New Living Translation Notice the strong contrast between the worldly methods and God's mighty weapons. Worldly weapons are very common and easy to recognize: wisdom, reason and logic (but God says He makes foolish the wisdom of this world); argumentation; man's methodologies (even when they are designed to reach people for Christ). If God is not in it, it doesn't work. In fact, anything we tend to do just because we always did it, but is not fresh in the Holy Spirit any longer, is a worldly weapon. And you don't win spiritual warfare with worldly weapons. It takes divine weapons that are mighty in God. Prayer. So there is a strong contrast in this passage between the carnal and the spiritual weaponry. So when we pray for lost people, exactly how do we use this divine weapon of prayer? That is, how do we pray for them? Paul says that we knock down the Devil's strongholds in prayer. A stronghold (OCHUROMA) is a defense system that protects a piece of property so the owner can hang on to it. In a castle it is the strong, high walls or even the moat. In a prison it is the high fences with the razor wire rolled up on top and the iron bars. Gates and fences protect the rich man's property so he can hang on to it and not lose it to thieves. These strongholds are designed to be impregnable. Satan has set up strongholds anywhere he has been allowed to around the hearts and minds of men and women, so that he can hang on to them, and he has designed them so that they are impregnable by any natural means. That's Why, try as you will, you can never argue or reason a person into the kingdom if they have strongholds in their lives (and most do). They just can't see the truth-you can't get to their minds and heart because Satan has his interests protected by these strongholds. What are those strongholds? In one sense, they are anything the enemy can construct to keep the understanding of the light of the gospel out of the unbeliever's mind. They are reasonings, "imaginations or speculations" some translations render them; they are belief systems or philosophies that keep the unbeliever satisfied that he does not need the Lord, he's okay. They can be long-standing beliefs that are contrary to the gospel and every time the unbeliever hears the gospel it sounds like foolishness because the gospel has to go through those filters. Examples of thought strongholds: • A long held suspicion that God is a mean judge who's just waiting for me to goof up so he can nail me. • The Bible is a book of myths that is loaded with inconsistencies and contradictions • The Santa Claus stronghold: God knows when you've been naughty or nice, but hey, even if you have been naughty, you'll still get the good stuff. • People who've been raised with the notion that their worth is determined by how much they achieve, and how well they do it. • Related: salvation is a moral goal and if you work hard at it, you just might achieve it • God is all-loving; He would never condemn anyone to Hell. • Miracles don't exist-they can't be proven because they defy science. • There is suffering in the world, so God can't be loving-or if He is, then He is not almighty These are the thoughts and belief systems that keep people impermeable to the gospel. The truth can't get in, because their minds are already made up in another direction. But let me tell you, through the divine power of your weapon of prayer, God can set up a paradigm shift in the mind of unbelievers. How? You pray and tear down the defense system, the stronghold. Suddenly, for the first time ever, the gospel makes sense. It gets through to their mind and you can almost hear them say, "Oh, I get it now!" It gets through to their heart and suddenly, out of nowhere, they begin to weep-why? Because they are understanding God's love and grace toward them for the first time, AND they are seeing the foolish thinking pattern that had them prisoner for what it really is-a deception! I am saying you can do more in your prayer closet for the evangelizing of people trapped behind strongholds than you can on the street corner with a stack of tracts. Out there, 49 out of 50 won't even listen to you. But, if each of those 49 have a couple of Christians interceding for them, dynamiting their strongholds in prayer, brother, they will be open. How do you think that 50th person was open enough to give the truth a fair hearing? There's another kind of stronghold beside these reasonings and false belief systems. Paul says in verse 5: With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. The NIV translates it as every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. The KJV: every high thing that exalts itself against God. What he is talking about here are the proud thoughts of men and women that keep them believing that they are their own god. Pride is a big part of the unredeemed person's life. And it's no wonder-that's how Satan lured Adam and Eve away from God. People have been eating from that same tree ever since. In our natural state, we just can't bring ourselves to the place where we will let God have control of our lives. Satan has all kinds of things that he uses to protect this important area of thinking in the unbeliever. There is the realm of science. God is all for science-hew loves for us to discover and use the things He has hidden away in creation (Proverbs 25:2). But sinful man isn't satisfied with giving God the glory-when He finds a part of God's marvelous handiwork; he takes credit for it and names it after himself. You never find in textbooks of the 20th century the mention of a sense of awe at the work of God in nature. No it's a coincidental convergence of random particles or some such nonsense. Hardcore evolutionism is a stronghold of thought used by the devil. Anything that gets 80% of its adherents believing that a theory is fact, despite the lack of evidence has got to be the work of the diabolical one. Thank God this drift is going the other way now, as great numbers of highly intelligent scientists are waking up to truth. And just what was their wake-up call? Not legislative action and court decisions-they've all gone the way of the wide road of deception. PRAYER did it! And it wasn't prayer in the classroom, was it? No it was Christian people in their homes and churches and cell groups crying out to God that this devious teaching be shown for what it is. And prayer will finish it off! Here's another one: women saying "My choice of lifestyle and how I want my body to be used takes precedence over the safety and birth of the fetal tissue growing in my womb and it is my right to abort if I want to." Petitions, bombings, debates and political lobbying will get far less done than a few million believers on their knees in intercession. Why? Because this weapon of prayer is a divine thing and is MIGHTY IN GOD to demolish every pretense to truth that sets itself up against God. Besides our goal is not just winning a political battle. Nor is it just to save the lives of pre-born human beings. Our goal is to win the mothers to Jesus. And we will do it by praying down the wrong thinking in their minds so they will hear and understand the gospel. On last description of the devil's strongholds remains in this passage. Paul calls it rebellious ideas, and he says that through intercessory prayer we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. There are personal thought systems that have been warped and entered into people's minds that keep them from obeying Christ. Here's one I've encountered: "If I become a Christian I'll have to quit drinking." Pretty clear how a bit of wrong thinking keeps this person from obeying Christ, isn't it? In the first place, who but 1920's abolitionists ever taught it was wrong to drink? The Bible never said that, although there is much biblical counsel that drunkenness is sinful, and that no believer ought ever to be under the domination of any habit. Secondly, and most importantly, you don't clean up your life before you come to Christ, you come to Him and HE cleans you up. You can't overcome your desire to drink, but He can dry it up as quick as an Oklahoma drought. God's truth is not restrictive-it's liberating! He says, "Come to me just as you are, and I will break that addiction by changing your desires from the inside out!" But an addict can't hear that. An addict can't by any natural means understand that truth. I have spoken those very words right into dozens of people's faces, with all love and compassion, and they've looked at me like, "What are you talkin' about?" I know three people very well right now who are addicted to gambling. I have spoken to every one of them more than once about the gospel of Christ. And they just look at me like I'm nuts. And I believe I now have discernment from the Lord that they are afraid they will have to give up something they love very much if they come to Christ. Do you know what my job is right now? To intercede for them; to lift them before the Lord and in His power tear down that stronghold of belief and that stronghold of addiction. Then, when there is a crack in the wall, and the gospel gets through, at least they'll understand. They will still have to decide for Him or against Him, but it will be an informed choice How about other "rebellious ideas" or thought patterns that differ from the truth of God? How about this one? "There are many paths to God-Jesus is only one of them. Christianity is just one of many valid roads to heaven. It is horribly exclusive of Christians to insist that Jesus is the ONLY way!" Some of you have talked to people until you are blue in the face about how Jesus clearly said Himself, "I am the way, truth and life; NO MAN comes to the Father except by me." And you seemingly got no where. There is a whole system of belief based on this notion that has been addressed all weekend in Pere Marquette as some of our church have hosted Bosnian Muslims at this retreat. Because they will never convince them of the truth about Jesus through sheer explanation or debate, they invited us all to pray with and for them, interceding on behalf of the dozen or more Bosnians who would be there and hearing the gospel message. Here's another: "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm going to heaven, because basically I've been a good person." OR "I was raised in church, and baptized as an infant-oh, sure, I don't have much religion now, but I think God still loves me and He'll let me into heaven." 'Ever tried talking to someone with this mindset about the truth in the book of James that if you fail at one part of the law you fail completely? 'Ever tried to convince someone from the Word of God that just going to church is not enough? 'That good works cannot save them? If you have not torn down those strongholds of thinking before you engaged them in conversation, I doubt you got very far! Now, I want to speak very personally to some of you. Because some of you think your friend or relative, your husband or wife or child or parent is an exception to this truth. You're thinking, "No, they're too far gone; they're too tough; they'll never listen to the gospel!" You have been deluded by the enemy yourself! Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Listen, he said, he has given us DIVINE DYNAMITE POWER to demolish the lies and pretensions that the enemy is using to shield them from the glory of the truth of the gospel. But God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," says to you today, I have empowered you with MY STRENGTH. Never give up on them-I did not give up on you! And neither did those who were carrying on spiritual warfare over your soul give up on you! God is calling us to crash through those strongholds in prayer and open people's eyes, minds and hearts to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. He has given to each of us the privilege of co-laboring with Him for the salvation of many. He's asked us to take His Word and take faith and begin to stand in the gap for lost people. He says, "Ask Me to demolish strongholds that keep them captive to the enemy's lies. Ask me to reveal myself to them; I want to do just that, but I am inviting you to take part in the process. Pray-use the divine weapons of warfare I've given you. For four weeks many of us have been storming heaven on behalf of the unsaved who live in the neighborhood just to the West of our Worship Center here. Some addresses can still be signed up for today. Tonight we are going to host a prayer meeting here at 6:30 for some corporate stronghold demolition.  We will join our hearts together in faith for the salvation of the lost in our neighborhood. We will be asking God to do just these things and to open doors and hearts to the gospel. This Saturday and the following Saturday, 9:30 - noon, volunteers will be going door to door with an introduction and literature from this church family. We do not want to go without preparation protection in the Holy Spirit. Will you continue to pray and lift up before the Lord the people we will meet? Ask God for favor-that the residents will be strangely open to us and the gospel.       [Back to Top]