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prayers for unbelieving

Prayers for the Unbelieving and Lost

These prayer points were originally offered by a woman dealing with her unbelieving spouse, however you can obviously pray God’s Word over any loved one, friend, coworker, etc., struggling with (against) their Kingdom identity. We are all called to intercede on behalf of others. Pray these Scriptures in love over the unbelievers in your life. Remember, these prayers are not techniques for manipulating God into correcting the struggling or lost, but an outpouring of faith in His goodness and promises of deliverance and freedom through Christ.

P.S. – You’ll be pleased to know the woman with the unbelieving husband saw her husband eventually turn to Jesus. God is faithful to respond to His Word. Hallelujah!

 

  1. “Lord, may Your wise and knowing Spirit rest on ________. Be his/her counselor, Father. May ________ delight in You and obey Your commands. Convict ________ of sin, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and of the coming judgment.”

And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: (Isaiah 11:2-3)

  1. “God, You will fulfill the purpose in each of our lives. Your love endures forever—do not abandon the works of Your hands. Do not abandon ________. Draw him/her to You.”

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me: thy mercy, O Lord, endures forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. (Psalm 138:8)

  1. “Bring ________ to the end of himself/herself and into a living, vital, intimate, overpowering relationship with Jesus Christ. Open his/her eyes that he/she may see wonderful things in Your law.”

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. (Psalm 119:18)

  1. “Your hands made ________ and formed him/her; give ________ understanding that he/she may learn Your commandments and will.”

Your hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments. (Psalm 119:73)

  1. “Bless ________. Your Word says that Your kindness leads to repentance. Don’t allow ________ to continue to store up wrath for himself/herself.”

Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

But after your hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: (Romans 2:4-6)

  1. “________’s heart is in Your hand; You direct it like a watercourse where You please. I can trust You.”

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he will. (Proverbs 21:1)

  1. “Give ________ singleness of heart and action so that he/she will always fear You for his/her own good and the good of our children.”

And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: (Jeremiah 32:39)

  1. “Instruct ________ and teach him/her in the way he/she should go. Counsel ________ and watch over him/her. Your unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in You.”

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go: I will guide you with my eye. […] Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusts in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. (Psalm 32:8, 10)

  1. “Help ________ to humble himself/herself under Your mighty hand, that You may lift him/her up in due time.”

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (1 Peter 5:6)

  1. “I pray a hedge of thorns around ________, that those with wrong influence will lose interest and leave him/her alone. I pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of His blood.”

Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. (Hosea 2:6)

 

Are we missing some Scriptures you’ve used to pray over those struggling with their spiritual identity? Let us know and we’ll add them to this list!

References

10 Ideas: Prayers for an Unbelieving Spouse. FamilyLife. Retrieved from https://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/marriage-challenges/spiritually-mismatched/10-ideas-prayers-for-an-unbelieving-spouse

 

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names for God

35 Names for God

I developed this short list of biblical names for God for our youth ministry at church. The idea was to first lead our Sunday school students through God’s identity and then eventually lead them into God’s identity for them.

Of course, there are two potential sources for our gleaning our identity in this life. We can believe what the world says about us, or we can believe what God says about us; these are two wildly different things.

Since we were made in His image, there is great merit in growing in understanding our Holy Father.

I hope you can use this free PDF handout for your church’s next Sunday school!

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Names for God

  1. Spirit
  2. Jehovah Bashayim, God in Heaven (Deuteronomy 4:39)
  3. YHWH
  4. Yahweh Shalom, The Lord Our Peace (Judges 6:23,24)
  5. Fortress
  6. Immanuel, God with Us (Isaiah 7:14)
  7. Alpha & Omega
  8. El-Shaddai, Our All-Sufficient/Almighty God (Genesis 17:1)
  9. Jehovah El-Kanna
  10. Exodus 34:14 (The Jealous God)
  11. El-Olam, The Everlasting God (Genesis 23:33)
  12. Jehovah El-Emunah, The Faithful God (Deuteronomy 7:9)
  13. Adonai, Our Sovereign Lord (Isaiah 6:1)
  14. Elohim Yisraeli, The God of Israel (Leviticus 18:2)
  15. Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts (1 Samuel 1:3)
  16. Abba, Father (Matthew 6:9)
  17. Jehovah Rohi, The Lord Our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
  18. Jehovah Shaphat, The Lord Is Our Judge (Isaiah 33:22)
  19. Jehovah Elohim, The Lord God (Genesis 2:4)
  20. Jehovah Yeshu’athai, God of Salvation (Psalm 18:2)
  21. Love
  22. Jehovah Roi, The God Who Sees (Genesis 16:13)
  23. Jehovah Elohim, The Lord God (Genesis 2:4)
  24. Creator
  25. Jehovah Ma’ozi, The Lord Our Strength (Exodus 15:2)
  26. Elohim, The Eternal God (Genesis 1:1)
  27. Present
  28. Majesty
  29. Jehovah El-Chai, The Living God (Psalm 42:2)
  30. Holy
  31. Yahweh Rapha, The Lord Our Healer (Exodus 15:26)
  32. Jehovah El-Rachum, The Merciful God (Deuteronomy 4:31)
  33. Jehovah El-Hanun, The Gracious God (Exodus 34:6)
  34. Jehovah Selai, The Lord My Rock (2 Samuel 22:2)
  35. Redeemer

Download this free “Names of God” PDF for your next Sunday school

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how to pray ACTS prayer method

How to Pray ACTS

When praying, remember ACTS! Here is how to pray the ACTS prayer method:

ADORATION

Regardless of what we’re going through, we can always remember our God is a BIG GOD. He is outside time, space and matter and yet He is also by our side at all times. He created all things great, including a very organized universe full of planets and stars hung in beautiful alignment. He created all things small, like every living plant, animal and human and the earth’s wondrous ecosystem to sustain them. All this and He has set his sight upon you. He loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you!

CONFESSION

We’ve all made mistakes. We might lose our temper or say words out of contempt. We might struggle with pride and think about ourselves too much. We might be spiritually passive, never caring to grow in our relationship toward God, preferring instead to chase the temporary thrills of this world. Anger, unforgiveness, rejection, shame, fear, pride, and a rebellious, unteachable heart can all lead to a broken life. If we don’t see it in Jesus, we’re not to see it in us. Turning away from these missteps and confessing them to God is the first step toward freedom from them.

THANKSGIVING

What are you thankful for? How has God blessed you? Sometimes we fall into the trap of focusing on what we don’t have or how we’ve failed. We might even focus on past or present hurts so much we give our power over to them. That’s when we allow those wrongs to become a part of us; part of our identity. The Enemy would love for you to be weighed down by those injustices your entire life. Life in relationship with Jesus shatters these chains, leading to freedom and peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4). What has God given you that you can be thankful for? Let Him know.

SUPPLICATION

Supplication is a fancy word that means the act of asking for something with a humble heart. You’ll notice it comes last in this list. After adoration, confession and thanksgiving, your heart will be better positioned for supplication. Too often, people turn to God only when they want something, reducing Him to a cosmic Santa Claus. Yet Jesus clearly taught us to pray “thy will be done,” not “my will be done.” Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Though many use this passage to pray that God gives them what they want, it truly means you will come to desire what God desires.

Download the one-page ACTS handout for your church, family or small group »

UPDATE

Growing up Catholic, I never understood the value of proclaiming life over a situation, yet we see this time and time again in Scripture. Therefore, I would like to offer a second version to this document: PACTS (where the P stands for “Proclamation”.) Enjoy!

Download the PACTS version »

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born crucified by l.e. maxwell

Born Crucified (Free PDF)

“Born Crucified“, written by American-born Canadian educator and minister, L.E Maxwell (1895–1984), can probably be best summed up in this excerpt from chapter 3, The Secret of Victory Over Sin:

“If Christ died to rid me of sin, should I not rather die than retain it? But if we are not yet sick enough of sin to be rid of sin, we can only bow, and bleed, and hug our chains, until we are “sick unto death” of sinful self. We must be driven out of our unholy duplicity and made to own our double-mindedness.

“But God is good. Christ is a jealous lover. He wants every believer delivered. He will not shrink from reducing you to shame and despair if only you may be exposed to the power generated on your behalf at Calvary. You must learn by kindness or by terror. God’s sword of providence may be laid successively to every tic that binds you to self and sin. Wealth, and health, and friends, may fall before that sword. The inward fabric of your life will go to pieces. Your joy will depart. Smitten within and without, burned and peeled and blasted, you may finally, amidst the dreadful baptism, be driven from the sinful inconsistency of living for yourself. You may at length be disposed (blessed word–sweet compulsion) to yield self over to the victory and undoing of Calvary. Oh, the glorious power of the Cross! How can we longer hold out against it? All the power generated at Calvary is at your disposal.”

Download free “Born Crucified” PDF

Our Identity in Christ

I am no longer anxious about anything, for He, I know,
is able to carry out His will and His will is mine.

It makes no matter where He places me or how.
That is rather for Him to consider than for me;
for the easiest positions He must give me grace,
and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient.

So, if God places me in great perplexity,
must He not give me much guidance;
in circumstances of great pressure and trial,
much strength?

As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult;
but the weight and strain are all gone.

His resources are mine, for He is mine.

All this springs from the believer’s oneness with Christ.

(Adapted from L.E. Maxwell, Born Crucified)

When prayed out, this excerpt might look like this:

Jesus,
I am no longer anxious about anything.
I know You are able to carry out Your will
and Your will is mine.

It makes no matter where You place me or how.
That is for You to consider more than for me.
For the easiest positions, You must give me grace,
and in the most difficult, Your grace is sufficient.

Father,
if You place me in great perplexity,
I know You also give me much guidance;
and in circumstances of great pressure or trial,
You give me much strength.

Holy Spirit,
As to work, mine has never been so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult;
but the weight and strain are all gone.

Your resources are mine, for You are mine.

 

References

L. E. Maxwell. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._E._Maxwell.

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The Game with Minutes Laubach cover

The Game with Minutes (Free PDF)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (KJV)

16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Ever wonder “how to pray without ceasing”? I mean, the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing, but how do you do this?

“The Game with Minutes” is a devotional developed through 20th century missionary, Frank Laubach. Here, Frank encourages his readers to make a game of placing their minds and hearts on God every minute of every day, in order to walk a more spiritually-fulfilled life.

Download “The Game with Minutes” PDF

 

 

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teresa of avila interior castle cover

Interior Castle (Free PDF)

Saint Teresa of Ávila was born on March 28, 1515, as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada. During her time as a Carmelite nun, she became revered as a Spanish mystic and a theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer. 40 years following her death on October 4, 1582, she was canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic church.

As the author of the Interior Castle, Teresa portrays the spiritual development of the human soul and its response to God as being like a great castle, wherein lies seven rows of mansions. With each graduation, the soul moves from the outer mansions to the inner mansions, ever moving into closer union with God.

The first three mansions are considered to be stages of active prayer and asceticism.

  • First mansions – Though they are entering a state of grace, the souls are surrounded by sin and only starting to seek God’s grace through humility.
  • Second mansions – The soul seeks a deeper relationship with the Father through daily thoughts of God and daily prayer.
  • Third mansions – Here, love for God is growing so great that the soul develops an aversion to sin and a deepening desire to love and serve others.

The fourth through seventh mansions are considered to be mystical or contemplative prayer.

  • Fourth mansions – God begins to increase His role in the supernatural development of the soul.
  • Fifth mansions – God deepens union with the soul, preparing it to receive the gifts of the Spirit.
  • Sixth mansions – The soul spends increasing amounts of time torn between favors from God and from outside afflictions.
  • Seventh mansions – The soul achieves clarity in prayer and a spiritual marriage with God.

From Wikipedia:

“Teresa candidly reveals this interior journey as being inseparable from her love for Christ and that the highest mansions can only be gained by being in a state of grace through the Church sacraments, fervent devotion of the soul’s will to Him, and humbly receiving a love so great it is beyond human capability or description. Through prayer and meditation the soul is placed in a quiet state to receive God’s gifts (she calls “consolations”) of contemplation, and Teresa notes that man’s efforts cannot achieve this if it is not His divine will.”

Download the “Interior Castle” PDF

References

Teresa of Ávila. Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_of_%C3%81vila.

The Interior Castle. Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Interior_Castle.

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