What a joy to be saved eternally!
It’s one thing our finite minds can’t fully comprehend, but our spirit man knows without doubt, we are now sons and daughters of God.
There’s no debate about this glorious reality.
You would agree with me that one of your deepest desires of a sincere believer is to see your family members, friends, and colleagues receive eternal life.
You’ve probably felt that tug in your heart when you look at loved ones who don’t know Jesus.
Maybe you’ve wondered if your prayers for them actually make a difference, or perhaps you’ve struggled with how exactly to pray for someone who seems so far from God.
Here’s the beautiful truth: your prayers for unbelievers aren’t just wishful thinking, they’re powerful weapons backed by the finished work of Christ.
When Jesus died on the cross, He made a way for everyone who would ever believe.
Your intercession for the unsaved is actually participating in what Christ has already accomplished.
In this bible teaching, we’ll explore how to pray effectively for unbelievers, grounded in Scripture and empowered by understanding what Christ has already done.
You’ll discover God’s heart for the lost, learn practical prayer strategies, and gain confidence that your prayers are making an eternal difference in the lives of those you love.
Understanding God’s Heart for the Unsaved
Before we dive into how to pray for the unsaved, we must first understand the heart of the One we’re praying to.
This isn’t about convincing a reluctant God to care about unbelievers, it’s about aligning ourselves with His already passionate desire for their salvation.
The Scripture makes God’s heart crystal clear: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Notice that word “wanting”—this isn’t passive tolerance but “active desire”. God wants every person you’re praying for to come to repentance.
Paul reinforces this truth when he writes that God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
This is what pleases our Saviour, not the condemnation of the lost, but their salvation. When you pray for unbelievers, you’re praying in perfect alignment with God’s will.
Even in the Old Testament, we see this same heart. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God declares:
“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23).
God takes no pleasure in spiritual death, His heart breaks for those who remain separated from Him.
These understanding changes everything about how we pray. We’re not trying to convince God to care about our unsaved loved ones; we’re joining Him in His already passionate pursuit of their hearts.
We’re partnering with the One who has already paid the price for their freedom through Christ’s finished work on the cross.
The Foundation of Our Prayers: Christ’s Finished Work
Here’s where many believers miss the power available to them when they pray for unbelievers: they forget that Jesus has already done everything necessary for salvation.
Our intercessory prayer isn’t trying to accomplish something new; we’re declaring and applying what Christ has already finished through His death and resurrection.
When Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
This wasn’t just a prayer for the soldiers crucifying Him; it was interceding for the unsaved—all who would ever reject Him in ignorance.
Jesus was already demonstrating how prayer warriors should approach the lost: with forgiveness, understanding, and faith in the Father’s mercy.
The gospel message we’re praying for the lost into isn’t just information about God, it’s the power of God for salvation.
Paul reminds us that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Our spiritual warfare prayer asks God to remove the blinders that keep people from seeing what Christ has already provided.
Every time you offer salvation prayers, you’re standing on the solid ground of the cross.
Jesus didn’t die hoping some people might get saved, He died knowing that His sacrifice was sufficient for all who would ever believe.
Your evangelistic prayer claims that finished work on behalf of those who don’t yet know they need it.
The Authority We Have in Prayer
Because of Christ’s finished work, you don’t pray for salvation as someone begging God to do something He’s reluctant to do.
You pray as a child of God who knows the Father’s will and has been given authority to intercede.
You pray knowing that every barrier between God and the unbeliever has already been removed by Christ’s death, they just need their spiritual eyes opened to see it through your believer’s prayer.
Did Jesus Pray for Unbelievers?
Biblical Examples: How Jesus Prayed for Unbelievers
Jesus Himself gives us the perfect model for praying for those who don’t yet believe.
His prayers weren’t filled with doubt or desperation, they were confident declarations based on His relationship with the Father.
The Prayer of Forgiveness
We’ve already mentioned Luke 23:34, but let’s dig deeper. When Jesus prayed “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” He was demonstrating several crucial principles:
First, He prayed for their forgiveness before they asked for it. He didn’t wait for repentance, He interceded for mercy while they were still in sin.
This shows us we can pray confidently for God’s mercy on unbelievers who haven’t yet turned to Him.
Second, He prayed with understanding, not condemnation. “They do not know what they are doing.” Jesus recognized that spiritual blindness, not intentional evil, was the root issue.
When we pray for unbelievers, we should pray with compassion, recognizing that they’re deceived or blinded by the evil one, not just defiant.
The High Priestly Prayer
In John 17, Jesus prayed what’s often called the High Priestly Prayer.
While much of this prayer is for current believers, verse 20 is revolutionary: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.”
Jesus was praying for people who didn’t yet believe but would come to faith. This gives us incredible confidence to pray for the unsaved, knowing that Jesus Himself prayed for future believers.
When you pray for your unsaved family member or friend, you’re following Christ’s own example of interceding for those who will believe.
This prayer also shows us that Jesus saw conversion not as an uncertain possibility but as a future reality.
He prayed “for those who will believe,” not “for those who might believe.” This kind of faith-filled prayer should characterize our intercession for the lost.
What is a Powerful and Short Prayer for Unbelievers?
Practical Strategies for Praying for Unbelievers
Now let’s get practical. How exactly should you pray for the unbelievers in your life?
Here are biblical strategies that align with God’s heart and Christ’s finished work:
Pray for their Spiritual Eyes to Be Opened
“To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18).
This verse from Paul’s testimony gives us a perfect prayer template. Pray specifically that:
- Their spiritual eyes would be opened to see their need for salvation
- They would be turned from darkness to light
- They would be freed from Satan’s power
- They would receive forgiveness and their place among God’s children
Pray for Gospel Workers to Cross Their Path
Jesus instructed us: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38).
Pray that God would strategically place believers in the lives of your unsaved loved ones.
Ask for divine appointments, the right person at the right time with the right message.
Often, God uses multiple people to bring someone to salvation, and your prayers might be preparing the way for the final conversation that leads to faith.
Pray for Heart Transformation
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
This Old Testament promise points to the New Covenant work of Christ.
Pray that God would begin the heart work that only He can do—softening hard hearts, creating hunger for spiritual things, and preparing the soil for the gospel seed.
A Sample Short Prayer for Unbelievers
Here’s a prayer model based on scriptural principles:
“Heavenly Father, I thank You that it is Your will that all people be saved, including [name]. I ask that You would send laborers into their life—the right people at the right time with the right message.
Open their spiritual eyes to see the light of the gospel. Remove the blindness that keeps them from understanding their need for You.
I pray that You would give them a new heart and put a new spirit within them. Soften their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh that’s responsive to Your love.
Turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to You, so they may receive forgiveness of sins and their place among those sanctified by faith in Christ.
I stand on the finished work of Jesus, knowing that He has already paid the price for their salvation. I pray this in Jesus’ name, believing that You will complete the good work You’ve begun. Amen.”
What is Ephesians 3 vs 19?
Ephesians 3:19 says: “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”
This prayer is part of what we call the Pauline or Apostolic prayers for believers, which we have explained in another Bible teaching.
This prayer is specifically for spiritual growth; the main aim is for believers to understand the love of Christ, for this love is too broad and deep for the natural man to understand.
This love is what brought us the gospel, and it is beyond man’s knowledge. It will take the Holy Spirit to reveal to the believer’s heart the “love of God.”
When this happens, what you receive is “the fullness of God.”
What does Colossians 3 vs 17 says about Prayer?
Colossians 3:17 says: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
This chapter in Colossians 3 deals with what believers already possess in Christ. Paul was simply admonishing believers to pay attention to the “new man.”
Hence, verse 16 says: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly“… When you make this your priority, the benefit or offshoot of this habit is that you will overflow in doing things either in word or action based on the new man, because you are under a new kingdom and Christ is your head.
You do all things “in word or in action” to the glory of God the Father. That means you stay away from anything that doesn’t bring glory to God.
This is the function of the new life you have NOW in Christ.
What is Ephesians 6 vs 18?
Ephesians 6:18: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Here Paul is admonishing believers to form a habit of praying always. It is the Spirit that helps us pray in line with God’s word and speak in other tongues, which is praying in the Spirit.
We persevere while we pray because by faith and patience, we obtain the promise. We diligently ask, seek, and lay hold of God’s promises because they are true.
As we pray, we “watch” as circumstances unfold and take shape according to our desires, longings, or things we ask for in prayer.
When you look closely at Ephesians 6:18, it ends with a semicolon, telling you that you should read verse 19, which says that the essence of verse 18 is that utterance will be given to Apostle Paul to openly make known or preach the Gospel.
This is why, before you preach to unbelievers—whether a friend, family members, or even when holding a crusade for the unsaved, prayers should be offered so that when they hear the Gospel, their hearts will be moved to accept Christ.
Healing Prayer for a Non-Believer
It is God’s will to heal everyone, God has no preference. This shows his character. When we look carefully through Matthew to Acts, you would notice that Jesus mostly healed unbelievers or the unsaved or sinners.
With this we can have like mind faith when we pray for the non-believers in faith for their healing.
Think this way when it comes to healing, if God can become a man and die for sins how much more heal the non-believer?
The same sacrifice that saved the unbeliever is the same that has secured their healing.
Here is a “simple prayer” I pray over the unsaved for healing:
“Lord, we thank you that your promise of healing is for everyone, this promise is always yes and amen!
We pray right now in the office of the risen Christ that sickness has no part in (include his/her name), and we declare (name) healed right now.
We believe we receive according to Isaiah 53 vs 5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Here are other healing scriptures for the saved and unsaved:
Psalms 103 vs 2 – 3:“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.”
Jeremiah 30:17 – “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord.”
Matthew 8:17 – “This was to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.'”
Matthew 9:35 – “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”
Mark 16:17-18 – “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
3 John 1:2 – “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
These scriptures encompass both physical and spiritual healing, showing God’s desire for wholeness in every aspect of life.
Addressing Common Struggles in Praying for the Lost
“I’ve Been Praying for Years—Why Haven’t They Been Saved Yet?”
Remember 2 Peter 3:9 again, God is patient, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” His timeline isn’t ours.
What looks like delay to us is often God’s patience, giving that person more opportunities to respond to His love.
Your faithful prayers over the years haven’t been wasted. They’ve been building up spiritual pressure in the heavenly realm, preparing the way for God’s perfect timing.
Don’t give up, perseverance in prayer is a sign of faith, not futility.
“They Seem So Hardened Against the Gospel”
The harder someone seems against the gospel, the more they often need our prayers. Remember, “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
What looks like hardness is often blindness. Keep praying for their spiritual eyes to be opened.
Some of the most powerful testimonies come from people who seemed the most resistant to the gospel.
Saul of Tarsus was literally murdering Christians when Jesus confronted him on the Damascus Road. No one is too far gone for God’s grace.
“I Feel Guilty When I Don’t Pray for Them Consistently”
This guilt isn’t from God—it’s from the enemy trying to discourage your prayer life.
God doesn’t condemn you for inconsistency in prayer; He celebrates every prayer you do offer.
The finished work of Christ covers your prayer failures just like it covers every other failure.
Instead of focusing on what you haven’t done, thank God for what He has done through Christ and recommit to regular intercession.
Remember, it’s not the quantity of your prayers that moves God’s heart, it’s the quality of relationship behind them.
The Confidence We Have in Christ
Here’s the beautiful reality every believer needs to grasp: when you pray for unbelievers, you’re not hoping God will save them, you’re declaring His already-expressed desire to save them.
You’re not begging a reluctant God to care about the lost, you’re partnering with the One whose heart already breaks for them.
The cross wasn’t God’s backup plan when humanity fell; it was His eternal plan to demonstrate His love for the world. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Your prayers for unbelievers are claiming this “whoever” promise for specific people.
Every time you pray for the salvation of others, you’re exercising the authority Christ has given you as His child.
You’re standing in the gap as an intercessor, just as Jesus stands in the gap as our eternal High Priest.
You’re participating in the ongoing work of salvation that flows from the finished work of the cross.
Practical Steps to Start Today
Ready to begin or strengthen your prayer life for unbelievers? Here are some practical steps:
- Make a List: Write down the names of unbelievers you want to pray for regularly. Include family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbours.
- Set a Schedule: Dedicate specific time each week to pray for the lost. It doesn’t have to be long, even five minutes of focused prayer can be powerful.
- Use Scripture: Base your prayers on biblical promises and examples like those we’ve discussed in this bible study.
- Pray for Evangelist/Missionaries/Workers: Ask God to send the right believers into their lives at the right time.
- Look for Opportunities: Be ready to be the answer to someone else’s prayers by sharing your faith when God opens doors.
- Stay Encouraged: Remember that every prayer offered in faith makes a difference, even when you can’t see immediate results.
Your Prayers Matter More Than You Know
Never underestimate the power of your prayers for unbelievers. You’re not just hoping for the best, you’re participating in God’s plan to populate heaven.
You’re standing on the solid foundation of Christ’s finished work, confident that the One who desires all to be saved is working through your intercession.
All names on your prayer list is known by God. Every prayer you offer is heard in heaven.
Every act of intercession is backed by the infinite power of the cross. You’re not praying into a void, you’re praying into the very heart of God, who loves the lost even more than you do.
The harvest truly is plentiful, and through your prayers, you’re asking the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His field.
You’re participating in the greatest work on earth, seeing people transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.
Keep praying, keep believing, and keep standing in the gap. Your faithful intercession, grounded in Christ’s finished work, is making an eternal difference in the lives of those you love.
And one day, in heaven, you may be surprised to discover just how many people are there because you took time to pray for their salvation.
Ready to learn more about effective prayer? Discover how to strengthen your prayer life through understanding [effective believers prayer] and dive deeper into Christ’s intercession in our study of the [Prayer of John 17]. Join our newsletter (above) for more biblical insights that will transform your walk with God.
My passion lies in reaching out to young adults in communities and schools, witnessing the transformative power of faith in their lives.
This blog extends my ministry, sharing insights, encouraging believers, and exploring Christ's teachings in daily life.
Welcome, Brother James.
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