HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU PRAY FOR A LOST SOUL?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
(1 John 5:14)

MEDITATION:
How do you feel about praying? Is it an important part of your life?
What type of prayers do you pray? When you pray for a lost soul,
do you pray once and then wait to see what God will do?

Consider this:
    Before three thousand people were brought into the Church on
    the day of Pentecost, the disciples had spent ten days praying
    and fasting.

It is God’s will for everyone to be saved.
Jesus said,
    In the same way your Father in heaven is not
    willing that any of these little ones should perish.
    (Matthew 18:14)

The disciples were asking something “according to His will”. But
more importantly, they didn’t just pray once and wait. No, they
continued to pray until God answered their prayers. We see yet
another reason why reading the Bible is important.

When we read the scriptures, we can learn from the examples of God’s
disciples. Why is that important? Because once we are saved, we also
become His disciples (and we should have similar desires of our Father
to see lost souls receive His salvation). If the disciples continued to pray
for lost souls, then we should do the same.

When we are praying “according to His will”, we should continue to pray
until something happens. Our nation is in sad shape right now, but if all
of God’s disciples will pray without ceasing, then God might orchestrate 
a positive change.

We need to believe that it is God’s will for America to be a Godly nation,
so we can assume that we are praying “according to His will”. If we pray
this kind of prayer, an era of peace may come to the world and the hordes
of wickedness might be pushed out. Man cannot make it happen, but God
can (if His people pray).

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Do I have an active prayer life?
    – Are my prayers mostly a wish list for things I want,
       or do they include concerns for those who are lost
       and doomed to an eternity separated from the Lord?
    – When Jesus walked the earth in human form, what was
       His greatest concern? It was for lost souls to be saved,
       wasn’t it? Is that my desire too?
    – Are my prayers restricted to me and my family?
    – How much concern do I have for lost souls,
       and do I actively pray for them?
    – How often do I pray for someone
       who is hurting physically or emotionally?
    – How often do I pray for someone who is actively serving the Lord?
       Note:
           Satan wants to discourage those who are having an impact
           for the kingdom of God, so he will constantly attack them in
           ways we may never know about. A kind word of encouragement
           from us can be just what a servant of the Lord needs to keep on
           keeping on.
    – How am I serving the Lord?
       If I am not actively serving, am I willing to encourage and pray
       for those who are? Do I look for ways to tell others about their
       efforts? Do I realize how one word from me about a pastor,
       missionary, etc. could ignite many others to hear from the
       Lord through these servants?
    – Do my prayers include thanking the Lord for how He has blessed me?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, may I never forget the importance of praying
for those who have not been adopted by You. Teach me to pray all
my prayers according to Your will. Forgive me for praying selfishly,
and give me a burden to pray for those in the world who have not
experienced Your salvation and peace in their lives. According to
Your Word, intercessory prayer is expected of those who belong
to You. I pray that I will be better at praying for others and not
restrict my prayers to my inner circle of family and friends. Help
me to understand and experience the joy of praying for others.”

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