When our family members and friends are not yet Christians, we feel a desire to pray for them and tell them about Jesus. But when we’ve been praying for years, and they still seem uninterested, it can be tempting to give up. But God ‘is patient…not wanting anyone to perish.’ We need to persistently pray for our loved ones, even when we don’t seem to be making any progress. We need to be willing to have conversations about our faith. We need to pray that God would bring people into their lives who will show them what God has done for them. However, we shouldn’t try to force people to become Christians. It’s a personal choice, so we can’t pressure people into believing. Instead, we can pray that God would open their hearts to hearing about Him. This happened when Paul visited the home of Lydia. Paul says: ‘We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message’ (Acts 16:13-14 NIVUK). Even if the people we’re praying for are really far away from God, there is still hope. His grace and mercy can reach them. Paul said: ‘My heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved’ (Romans 10:1 NIV). Is it our heart’s desire to see our loved ones come to know Jesus? Or have we given up and become disheartened? Let’s reignite our desire to pray for our friends and family who are not yet Christians. 

What Now?

Write down the names of three people who are not yet Christians, and commit to praying for them every day for at least a week.