"How
I Learned to Pray for the Lost"
By: Anonymous (L. M.)
Here is a
remarkable testimony which should be of real help to many readers. Since the
nature of the testimony is personal, the writer requested that her name be
withheld. The letter accompanying this testimony says in part: "This is
the result of my search for the right way of praying for the unsaved. I have
found it to produce amazing results in a very short time. After more than 20
years of fruitless praying, it seemed that there was no possible chance for my
loved ones to ever be saved or return to the faith.
But,
after only a few weeks of the type of praying that I have outlined here I have
seen them studying the Bible by the hour and attending every church service
possible. Also, their whole attitude toward Christianity has changed, and all resistance
seems to be gone. I have taken my place of authority in Christ and am using it
against the enemy. I have not looked at myself to see if I am fit or not; I
have just taken my place and have prayed that the Holy Spirit may do His
convicting work. If each and every member of the Body of Christ would do this,
what a change would be made in this world!"
Believers
everywhere are burdened for unsaved or backsliding loved ones. However, many
are praying in the spirit of fear and worry instead of in faith. This has
caused me to seek for definite light on how to pray, feeling the need of
praying the right prayer and also the need for a definite promise or word from
God on which to base my faith when praying for the unsaved. Praise God--He
never fails to give such needed help.
Perhaps
because the salvation of some seemed to me to be impossible, the first verse of
Scripture that was given me was Mark 10:27: 'With
God all things are possible.' The next Scripture verse had occupied my
attention for some time, but it took on a new meaning: 'For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God
to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations [speculations]
and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (II
Corinthians 10:4, 5). This shows the mighty power of our spiritual weapons.
We must pray that all of this will be accomplished in the ones for whom we are
concerned; that is, that the works of the enemy will be torn down.
Finally,
I was given the solid foundation for my prayers-- the basis of redemption. In
reality, Christ's redemption purchased all mankind, so that we may say that
each one is actually God's purchased possession, although he is still held by
the enemy. We must, through the prayer of faith, claim and take for God in the
name of the Lord Jesus that which is rightfully His property. This can be done
only on the basis of redemption. This is not meant to imply that, because all
persons have been purchased by God through redemption, they are automatically
saved. They must believe and receive the Gospel for themselves but our
intercession enables them to do this.
To pray
in the name of the Lord Jesus is to ask for, or to claim the things which the
blood of Christ has already secured. Therefore, each individual for whom prayer
is made should be claimed by name as God purchased property, in the name of the
Lord Jesus and on the basis of His shed blood. We should claim the tearing down
of all the works of Satan, such as false doctrine, unbelief, atheistic teaching
and hatred which the enemy may have built up in their thinking. We must pray
that their very thoughts will be brought into captivity to the obedience of
Christ.
With the
authority of the name of the Lord Jesus, we must claim their deliverance from
the power and persuasion of the evil one and from the love of the world and the
lust of the flesh. We should also pray that their conscience may be convicted,
that they may listen and believe as they hear or read the Word of God. Our
prayer must be that God's will and purposes may be accomplished in and through
them.
Intercession must be persistent--not to persuade God, for redemption is
by God, but because of the enemy. Our prayer and resistance are against the
enemy--the awful powers and rulers of darkness. It is our duty before God to
fight for the souls for whom Christ died. Just as some must preach to them the
good news of redemption, others must fight the powers of darkness on their
behalf through prayer. Satan yields only what and when he must, and he renews
his attacks in subtle ways. Therefore, prayer must be definite and persistent,
even long after definite results are seen. And we must pray for the new
Christian even after he begins to be established in the faith.
We will
find that as we pray, the Holy Spirit will give new directions. At one time I
was interceding for a soul and began to feel that my prayers were largely
ineffective. Then the Holy Spirit inspired me to begin presenting that person
to God in the name of the Lord Jesus. As I obeyed this leading, praying, 'I
present so-and-so to God in the name of the Lord Jesus,' I felt that my prayers
were gradually becoming more effective. It seemed that I was drawing that
person from deep within the very camp of the enemy.
Then I
was able to proceed as usual, claiming every detail of that life for God, using
the power of the blood against the enemy. This is true warfare in the spiritual
realm. Thank God that our spiritual weapons are mighty and that our authority
in Christ is far above all the authority of the rulers, powers and forces of
darkness, so that the enemy must yield. But it takes faith and patience and
persistence.
Missionaries on foreign and home fields can resist the enemy in their
districts, communities and schools by using the power of the blood of Jesus
against the powers of darkness, sin and unbelief. With the authority of the
name of the Lord Jesus they can demand the enemy retreat. Note that 'it is the spirit that quickens the flesh
profits nothing' (John 6:63) and that 'the
letter kills, but the Spirit gives life' (II Cor. 3:6). Therefore, we must
constantly seek the motivation of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, in our faith,
in our prayer and in our testimony. It is most important also that we confess
our own sins and have them forgiven thereby giving us access into the Holy of
Holies before the Throne.
The enemy
will use every possible means to silence our intercession and to block our
attack against him. We must not only understand our enemy, our authority in
Christ and how to use our spiritual weapons but also how to wear the armor that
God has provided for our protection. Thus equipped and protected, we need not
have any fear. But let us always remember that we have no power and no
authority other than that of Christ.
'Now
thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ' (II Cor. 2:14)
'Greater
is He that is in you, than he that is in the world' (I John 4:4)
---L.M.
No comments:
Post a Comment