"How I learned to pray for the lost"
Here is a remarkable testimony
which should be of real help to many of our truck-drivers/readers. Since the
nature of this 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
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 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 when sought for in Spirit and in Truth.
Perhaps because the salvation
of some seemed to me to be an almost impossibility, 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 exalteth 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 Christ’s redemption.
In reality, Christ's
redemption purchased all mankind (I John 2:2), 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 Christ that which is rightfully His. This can be done only on the
basis of His precious 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, repent and receive the Lord Jesus
and His Gospel for themselves but our intercession enables them to do this. It
opens great avenues of His saving grace!
To pray in the name of the
Lord Jesus is to ask for, or to claim the things which the Blood of Christ has
secured. Therefore, each individual for whom prayer is made should be claimed
by name as God purchased, 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 for our intercession is what it takes.
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 of Jesus 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 and cleansed through the Blood of Jesus (I John 1:7-9).
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. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
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, and His power has been given to His people to do His work of winning
and strengthening “Souls for Jesus” which is our battle cry! (Acts 1:8).
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