How Can We / Do You Pray for Unbelievers?

[AltogetherLovely]

In reflection today, I've discovered that all of my prayers for unbelievers (whether ones I know, or when I'm praying for secular authorities, or any other case) always fall into one of two categories:

1) That they would repent and place their trust and hope in Christ.

or

2) That if God does not grant #1, that they would act in outward harmony with the principles of justice, mercy, and the tenets of God's Law.

This was not necessarily conscious, but it's the way my thoughts have always been oriented, and I've never though to ask if any other prayers are appropriate, or even required.

Today, I heard a friend of mine pray for an unbeliever regarding things like: joy in his family life, fulfillment with his earthly work, happiness for his children, and things like that.

Do you pray for those things about an unbeliever? I've never consciously avoided them, but more like a passive act of not praying such things because they don't seem all that important. I actually felt a little bothered internally when these things were prayed...thinking: "What good will fulfillment with work do? Why should there be joy and happiness in his life, if it does not first come from knowing God?"

Was that reaction wrong? Should we pray for those aspects of the lives of unbelievers? It still seems so shallow, but I have tremendous respect and admiration for the one I heard do it. Thanks for the insight.

 

[OPC'n]

I sort of feel the same way you do. When I pray for unbelievers it is in light of hallowing His name. So when I pray that I hallow His name (this is usually the bulk of my prayer) I go on to ask that in that way His kingdom come not only in sanctification of His children but also in the justification of unbelievers. I ask in such a way that ensures His glory in fulfilling those requests anyway He chooses. I believe that prayer is done to communicate to God in such a way as to change you and is not done as a wish list. I came to pray this way after reading some of Isaac Watt's book, "A Guide To Prayer" and then read all of Luther's book, "A Simple Way To Pray". It is a delight to know that when I pray every request that I ask for will be answered, because they are all requests based on His promises. I highly suggest the Luther's book and Watt's if you're a prolific reader and can read a book a day like some people I know....not me. They are very easy reads.

 

[BJClark]

AltogetherLovely;

"What good will fulfillment with work do? Why should there be joy and happiness in his life, if it does not first come from knowing God?"

I do not know who is and who is not elect, I pray God will show mercy on their souls, and that God would bless them, and yes, even in those areas of life..

If they are not among the elect, this life will be the only heaven they will ever know; the only blessings of God they will ever see and be blessed with..just as this is the only hell believers will ever know..

Mat 5:44

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

 

[Timothy William]

I pray almost exclusively for their conversion. Imagining myself in their place, that is what I would want. The exceptions are if they especially ask me to pray for something (which happens very occasionally) or prayer for those wo are in power or in public office, and even in those cases, I don't normally pray without also praying for their conversion.

Sometimes I pray quite specifically through the various stages of salvation; that God would predestine them for salvation, that Christ would pay for their sins on the Cross, that they would hear the Gospel, that they would understand it, that the Spirit would give them a new heart, etc.

 

[Hippo]

I pray that God will show them mercy and open their eyes to their sin. I tend to leave how these blessings should flow up to him. I would be very uncomfortable is specifying temporal blessings.

 

[Timothy William]

I agree. With unbelievers, it is very difficult to know which temporal blessings will lead them to praise God, and which would lead them to pride or self reliance. However if we pray that they come to Christ, and our prayer is granted, then they will have all spiritual blessings in Him.
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God..."

 

[ericfromcowtown]

We land up praying for unbelievers all the time (my mother, father, brother, sister-in-laws etc...). We pray that, if it's Gods will, that He draw them to Himself; that they become Christians.

 

[BertMulder]

I constantly pray for those that live without assurance of salvation that God would work in their hearts with his Word and Spirit.

 

[PresbyDane]

I pray that God will show them mercy and open their eyes to their sin. I tend to leave how these blessings should flow up to him. I would be very uncomfortable is specifying temporal blessings.