Time to Pray

We have been in a series of devotions called Preparing for the Harvest. I believe that God is planning a harvest at the end of all of this. People are hungry for the things of God. They are searching for answers. They have experienced some very devastating lows during this pandemic and they are looking for hope. And we have that hope in us, His name is Jesus.

Our lives can be filled with anxiety and worry over the decisions our loved ones are making. We can pray that they will figure it out. We can pray that they will get a job, or a house, or a spouse. We pray that they will be blessed. But how often do you pray for their salvation? Like, cry out to God for their salvation?

Today we will look at how important it is to pray for those who are not believers yet.

I remember when my dad would tell us a story about my grandpa with tears in his eyes. He remembered being a young child, during the Great Depression, being raised on a farm in Fort Morgan. Their livelihood depended on the crop they would harvest. One day a storm kicked up, and what began as rain quickly turned into hail. My dad remembers watching my grandpa lean against the doorpost of their home weeping as he watched his future hope disappear with each hail stone.

We should always be aware of what is happening around us. As a farmer watches the field that they planted, we must be cognizant of the field of souls God has placed us in. It should cause us sorrow when we see people get pelted with devastating circumstances. It’s even harder to watch people without faith go through hard times because they have no hope to cling to.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to be praying for those who do not believe. Here are some things we can be praying for.

Ezekiel 11:19 says, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Pray that God will give them a heart of flesh and bring them to a point where their idols no longer meet their needs or give them comfort. When people are empty, that is the perfect time for the Spirit to fill them. Let’s be mindful of people around us who are to that empty stage, where nothing else works. That is the opportune time for us to introduce them to Christ.

Pray also that the Lord would open their hearts to receive the Gospel. Remember that we do not save people, God does that. We just get the opportunities to present the Gospel to people as the Holy Spirit leads. In Acts 16:14 we are told of a woman named Lydia who was a worshiper of God, and the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

We can preach until we’re blue in the face, but if a person’s heart is not open to receive it then it will fall on bad soil. The amount of time you spend worrying about someone’s salvation should be turned into the time you spend praying for their salvation. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to prepare a person and our responsibility to be obedient when He tells us to speak.

Paul gives us powerful insight into what is happening to an pre believer. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 it says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

We have the power to pray against the god of this age who is Satan. The One True God has the power to bring sight to the blind in order for them to see the gospel that is on display in Jesus. Speak out loud, directly to Satan and tell him that he must flee in the name of Jesus and that his time of blinding an pre believer is over. Satan can do a lot of things but he can’t read our thoughts, so you must speak it out and take authority over it.

Finally, pray that people will be granted repentance. That they will be convicted by the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 2:25-26 says, “ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

Most people have very strong convictions, but often they are not Holy Spirit convictions. Again, I can preach until I’m blue in the face, but until the Holy Spirit brings about conviction and repentance, people won’t be able to understand the truth about Jesus.

With all this said, we must remember that it is God who brings about a harvest. He is the Master Gardener who goes before us and prepares the field, He is the one who makes the soil ready, and He is the one who brings conviction. The part we get to play in this is to be prayer warriors and contend for their salvation. It should be a large part of our prayer life. We should be concerned for their salvation the same way my grandpa was concerned for his corn field. Are we moved to the point of weeping for someone’s eternity? Do we care enough to place them before God and pray earnestly for their salvation. Praying for the harvest, that people will be saved, is one of the most loving things we can do.

Today I want you to write on your hand the initials of someone you are being nudged to pray for. Someone who needs Jesus and the salvation He brings. Then commit to pray for them every day this week. And just see what happens!

The New International Version. (2011). (2 Ti 2:25–26). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

The New International Version. (2011). (2 Co 4:4). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

The New International Version. (2011). (Eze 11:19). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.