I recently started reading a book called, “Women Who Risk,” by Tom and Joann Doyle. This book is all about women who are Christians serving God in Muslim countries. The first chapter was about a woman who overcame her demons and demon attacks, when she became a Christian serving the Lord. Her mother did not initially take this news well at all. This became so bad she even punched her daughter in the face. She was not willing to accept her new religion, and she was hostile to her day by day.
However, she never stopped praying for her mother. She made sure to only say kind things to her mother, even after her mother cursed her on a regular basis. She would tell her mother she still loved her, right before she would go to bed every night. This woman would also spend time praying for her mother to find God and to become a Christian every night while hiding out in her room.
Eventually, her prayers would be answered and her mother would become a Christian. I am not going to get too much into the details because I really think all of you should read this book on your own. However, I can say both of these women becoming Christian has brought them closer together, and they are both filled with more joy, even in a place where they may not be accepted and they may have hostility surrounding them because of their new faith.
This is a good reminder for me to regularly pray for those who are not Christians. I was very inspired by this story. I was especially inspired because she was willing to care about someone who was very hostile to her. I have a tendency to avoid those in my life who are not great to me. I don’t necessarily spend a lot of time praying over them, and I don’t always think about what their relationship is with Christ. This is a good reminder for me to not wish harm to my enemies or even not my favorite people but rather for them to find peace and to find God’s love.
The Lord cares about people. He constantly highlights how we should spread love, forgive others, and care about their needs as well as their relationship with God. This is why the Bible highlights many of those who spread God’s knowledge. There are also highlights of prayer for others. Job, even with all of his trials and tribulations in the Bible, spent time praying for his friends and his loved ones, especially when they were not caring about their relationship with God. There is also a command in the Bible in 1 Timothy to spend time praying over others.
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
God wants all people to find God and to find a good relationship with him, so he wants those who are already with him to be praying for them to find God and to also spread his knowledge and his truth.
I could definitely be better about praying for those in my life who are not Christian. Sometimes I often forget I have the power of prayer in my wheelhouse. I forget I can pray for others to find Christ. I often want them to find God, but I don’t spend time lifting up their lives to the King of all eternity.
My challenge for you this week is to spend a few days praying over someone who is not a Christian and who you feel God has laid on your heart. This could even be someone who is not always the most loving to you. It can be a good reminder that one of our best weapons we have is our relationship with Christ and the power we can give back to the world is our Holy Spirit and the ability to pray.
Here is a prompt of a prayer you could pray over your loved ones.
Dear Lord, thank you for your great love and joy you have provided me with since finding you. Thank you for guiding me in your spirit and for providing me with peace. Thank you for the love you and the relationship you have given me.
Please help (insert name) find your great name and the great love and forgiveness that you want to offer every single person. Please help him/her to find this love you have for them. I know the world can be hard, and yet you offer up the great opportunity for light and peace. Please guide them in your spirit, and provide more people along the way to help guide them.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Colossians 3:23 Blog 