(Adapted from Praying Effectively for the Lost By Lee E. Thomas, 2003)

The following teaching plan has been divided into 6 sessions. While the booklet can be read in a short amount of time, studying the content in a group setting over several weeks will help participants to begin actively praying for the lost. A group study over several weeks will provide the opportunity to not only study the content, but also for group members to share prayer concerns and experiences with one another. You may choose to do this study in six sessions, or combine sessions as needed.

Secure a blindfold and a picture or painting for Activity 1.

Enlist a volunteer to share the testimony of Charles H. Spurgeon (Lee, p. 1-2).

Print the scripture references in Activity 2 on slips of paper and assign to volunteers to read.

 

Begin with corporate prayer petitioning God for wisdom in the understanding and application of the material in this chapter.

Ask for two volunteers to join the speaker in front of the class. (Have a blindfold ready and a picture or painting available.) Tie the blindfold around the eyes of Volunteer #1. Next, step in front of both people and exclaim, "Behold the beauty! This picture is amazing! What do you think?" Allow time for the volunteers to share their responses. Ask the classroom to describe the irony of the illustration.

Just as the blindfolded person was unable to see the beauty in the painting, people who are lost are unable to "see" the importance of the Gospel. Thomas states, "Sharing the gospel with those for whom no one has prayed is like encouraging a blind man to view a beautiful sunset with you." (p. 2) Those with visual impairments often use guides, canes or other tools to assist their travel throughout life. Prayer is a vital tool provided for those who are spiritually blind.

Ask: Why is prayer important in sharing your faith with the lost? Point participants to the statement: "The lost WILL NOT and indeed CANNOT be saved unless someone prays for them." (p. 1)

Scripture provides various verses describing the natural state of man before entering into a personal relationship with Christ. Have the references for the following verses printed and distributed to the class. Call upon 5 volunteers to read the following scriptures: John 8:44; Acts 26:18; Mark 3:23-27; Isaiah 14:17; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.

On a dry erase board or poster at the front of the class, begin to write words describing those who are lost according to these passages. Instruct class members to call out the names. (Examples: children of the devil, under the authority of Satan, bound by a strong man, prisoners of war, and blinded to the gospel)

These passages teach "Satan has blinded the minds of the lost specifically to keep them from understanding the gospel." (p.1) Satan is not accidentally keeping people from salvation. He has an intentional plan to blind their eyes and minds against their need of a savior. Personal testimonies help illustrate this reality. Listen as Charles H. Spurgeon, a well know Christian theologian, shares his salvation testimony. Enlist a volunteer to share the testimony of Charles H. Spurgeon (p. 1-2).

The role of the Holy Spirit is also vital in one’s ability to understand and personally respond to the Gospel. 1 Corinthians 2:14 states "the natural man does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit." Unless the Holy Spirit is working in the heart of man, he is resistant and unable to comprehend spiritual teachings. Not only will they misunderstand, but also most will deem the Gospel as "moronic and stupid." (p.2) God has given every believer the ability and command to pray for the lost. Human souls are too valuable for us to risk a misunderstanding of the importance of prayer. "We make a grave mistake by labeling some Christians as intercessors." (p.3) Assigning this title creates a false assumption that it is the role of some to pray. The role is a mandate and privilege given to all believers. Our ultimate example is seen in the life of Christ.

Read aloud Hebrews 7:25. Christ does not forsake the action of prayer even after His death and resurrection. Rather, He views intercessory prayer as a continual act. Following our Savior in the pattern that He set of following His Father (John 5:19), we must make praying for the lost a priority. Through prayer, God has given us the ability to join the work of His Holy Spirit in leading those who are spiritually blind into a personal relationship with the Savior.

Closing: Close with a time of small group prayers, focusing on lost family and friends.

Begin with corporate prayer petitioning God for wisdom in the understanding and application of the material in this chapter.

Instruct the class to write a brief list of their current job responsibilities at work. Ask the following question: "Which would you respond to the quickest? A. Being asked to fulfill a responsibility that is on your list of responsibilities, or B. Being asked to do something that is not related to your job?"

Mankind cannot manipulate God. However, He has set forth specific requests in scripture for which He will respond. In other words, they are His priorities. "One of the most powerful means of praying effectively involves presenting strong reasons to God why our prayers must be answered." (p. 4) Read aloud Isaiah 41:21. God’s Word is His promise to believers. Therefore, presenting requests that correlate with His divine purpose ensures us a listening ear! Let us examine five biblical foundations for praying for the lost.

Love ought to be one of the foremost reasons we pray. "Prayer has been described as love on its knees." (p.4) How we use our time is a great indicator of where our priorities lie. When something is important to us, we find the time to be involved. A quick list of our weekly activities may point to our true priorities. Love will motivate action.

Have a volunteer read aloud John 3:16. God’s love for mankind brought Christ to the cross for us. Praying for the lost is a biblical illustration of love. Through prayer we are interceding between a loving God and humans who are in need of His work and grace.

II. Faith:

"Faith is another Biblical basis for praying for the lost." (p.4) Have a volunteer read aloud Mark 9:23. When praying for non-believers we are exhibiting faith. Faith is demonstrated by our actions and our belief that God hears and responds to prayer. Scripture gives us an example of friends acting out in faith on behalf of another’s healing.

Have a volunteer read aloud Mark 2:1-12. Just as physical restoration is possible for those will an illness, spiritual restoration is possible. The lost need "friends" who will spiritually lay them down at the feet of the Savior and petition for their salvation through faith.

Prayer is powerful! We may never fully comprehend the effects of prayer. However, we are promised that when approach God’s throne through prayer, we are approaching in power. Scripture exhorts believers to understand the potential results of their prayers. Have a volunteer read aloud James 5:16. As believers, we are given an amazing privilege to powerfully transform lives through prayer.

"God has placed praying for others the number one priority in our lives." (p.5) Have a volunteer read aloud 1 Timothy 2:1-4. God describes prayer for others as "good" and "pleasing" to Him. His purpose for prayer is so that all may come to know Him. As believers, we have a role in the fulfillment of God’s plan. Prayer is not just a part of God’s plan for the life of a believer it is a priority!

Christ demonstrated this in His continual prayer for the lost even at the point of death. Have a volunteer read aloud Luke 23:34. The Apostle Paul also illustrates the priority of prayer. Have a volunteer read aloud Romans 10:1. Paul’s first priority was that the lives of those around him would be saved.

Knowing God, sharing God, and praying for the salvation of the lost is the responsibility of all believers. Have a volunteer read aloud 1 Peter 2:1-5. "Since all of us who are saved are priest, all of us have the responsibility to intercede for the lost, and if we don’t they will spend forever in a lake of fire." (p.6) As believers we have an incredible responsibility to pray. As those who were formally blinded to God’s truth, we must not forget others who are still wearing their blindfolds.

Closing: Ask each student to write one goal under each of the five areas that he or she can strive to improve during the upcoming week. Close with a time of silent prayer, followed by corporate prayer.

Begin with corporate prayer petitioning God for wisdom in the understanding and application of the material in this chapter.

Ask the class, "How can pride keep you from praying effectively for the lost?" Allow time for students to respond.

Now that we have explored the biblical basis for evangelistic prayer, let us move deeper and examine some personal factors. Pride can keep us from truly examining these areas. If we are completely comfortable in our own lives, we may be less open to change. Even if the change will make our prayers more effective. Chapter three outlines ten personal factors that ought to be evident in our prayer lives.

Imputed: righteousness given to us by the shed blood of Christ.

Personal: our obedience to God. Disobedience may result in unanswered prayers. (Read aloud Psalm 66:18) Whereas those who constantly seek the will of God in words and actions are promised He will hear their prayers! (Read aloud John 15:7)

 

This is simply trusting that God hears and will answer your prayer. Scripture provides various examples of those who are honored due to their faith. (Ex. Hebrews 11 "Heroes of the Faith" and Matthew 9:29 ". According to your faith be it unto you.")

"We want the harvest without the heartbreak." (p.7) Tears of joy find easy company. We love to encourage those who make decisions to follow Christ. Yet, how many tears of sorrow are we shedding on behalf of the lost? When the leader of the Salvation Army was once asked "how" an organization might go about the process of winning souls, he replied, "try tears." (p.7)

Strong’s dictionary defines travail as "to writhe in pain; to fall grievously with pain." (p.7) The majority of believers have never been to the point of agony in prayer. Ask the class, "Recall to your mind the last time you were broken to the point of tears over the state of someone’s soul." Unfortunately if you are having a hard time recalling such a moment, you are not alone. It has been estimated that "some ninety-five percent of professing Christians never win a single soul to Christ." (P.8)

Scripture describes those who are lost as "prisoners" (Isaiah 14:7), "under Satan’s authority" (Acts 26:18) and captive to a "strong man" (Mark 3:27.) Despite the illusion of freedom, they are captive and unable to free themselves from the burden of sin. Persistence in prayers is essential because Satan does not want to give them up!

Ask the class, "How long are you willing to pray for the salvation of someone’s soul?" Our answers may not come over night or within a few weeks. Rather, sometimes God decides to answer after years of praying for an individual. Yet, most of us deem our efforts useless within a few days.

"One of Satan’s favorite tactics is to make the situation look so impossible that we get discouraged and quit praying." (p.9) He is using His best technique. Satan knows he is powerless to prayer. Prayer is spiritual attack, though we might not see the immediate results, we can be assured spiritual war is being waged against the enemy when we are on our knees in prayer.

Ask two volunteers to read aloud Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 28:18-20. God has given us the authority to announce His message. Scripture describes believers as "over-comers" (Revelation 12:11) and "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37.) "When we are battle ready in God’s army and with God’s weapons, we fight by praying" (p.10). Prayer is an onward attack towards a losing enemy. Satan is fighting hard. He knows that He is ultimately defeated, but is not about to step down. As believers, we must take captive the truth of God and use the tools we are given to wage war in return. Praying for the lost is not a passive affair. Rather, it is an intentional act of taking on an enemy for the purpose of saving souls.

Pleading has been defined as "presenting to God a Biblical reason why he should answer your prayer." (p.11) God instructs us to "bring forth our strong reasons." (Isaiah 41:21.)

A.T. Pierson says, "We are to argue our case with God, not indeed to convince Him, but to convince ourselves. In proving to Him that, by His own word and oath and character, He has bound Himself to interpose, we demonstrate to our own faith that He has given us the right to ask and claim, and that He will answer our plea because He cannot deny Himself." (P.11)

Scripture gives several examples of promises we can plead. Have volunteers read aloud the following verses under each category.

The purposes of God for man: Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 19:10, II Peter 3:9, Acts 26:18 and Ephesians 2:5-7.

The promises of God:

- Salvation: John 3:16, John 1:12, Romans 10:13 and John 6:37.

- His power to save: Hebrews 7:25, Romans 1:16, I Corinthians 2:4-5, and I Peter 1:3-5.

 

"Our primary motive in praying for the lost must be for God’s glory" (p.12) this is the area in which our pride can do the most damage. Our motives can be clouded with pride and selfish ambition. For example: A parent praying for their children to be saved so that the family can be spared from the shame of their rebellion.

Have someone read aloud James 4:3. We can even deceive ourselves. If we have been praying for someone’s salvation and have yet to see the results, we are wise to go back and reevaluate our motives.

Are we willing to take on shame, hurt or disappointment for the salvation of others? Paul demonstrates this spirit in Romans 9:3 when his willingness to be "cursed" or "cut off from Christ" for the sake of the Jews. Moses fasted and prayed for the sins of his people. (Deuteronomy 9:18-19) When standing up for others, Esther proclaimed, "If I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16).

"Just as a magnifying glass can ignite a fire by capturing the diffused rays of sunlight and concentrating them on one specific spot, so can Christians unitedly praying for a particular person rout the strong man and focus the power of the Son on his life" (p.13). William Carey, historical missionary shares his testimony about the power of unified prayer on the life of his own son, Jabez. (Have a volunteer read the story aloud or as a monologue, p. 13.) (Enlist a second volunteer to read aloud the testimony from New Hope Baptist Church, p.14.)

When we pray for something within God’s will, we are promised that He will answer. (Matthew 18:19) Unity among believers is God’s desire. Read aloud John 17. When we join together in prayer, we honor God by first abiding in His will and secondly display a trust in His promise. Our faith can rest on the fact that Christ in us is greater than the enemy. (1 John 4:3-4) Lastly, unified prayers are effective because pride is broken. "Satan inhabits pride just as God inhabits praise." (p.15) When we humble ourselves and ask for the prayer of others, pride is destroyed.

Closing Activity:

Ask the participants to gather into groups of 5-10 people. Instruct groups to do the following:

Begin with corporate prayer petitioning God for wisdom in the understanding and application of the material in this chapter.

Using a dry erase board or poster board, enlist 3-5 volunteers to come to write a "typical prayer" for a lost family or friend. When the students are seated, ask the class to state aloud the approximate amount of time they would be faithful to repeat these prayers.

Most Christians lose the battle at the point of prayer. Unless we see immediate results, we tend to deem prayer no longer necessary. Using Scripture, let us explore how to best pray effectively for the lost.

Personalize our prayers. Yes, there are millions in need of a relationship with Christ, but we are challenged to put a name with the need.

Five things that we can ask God to do in the life of an unbeliever.

Sanctification: This means to "set apart." We can pray that God will begin to set someone apart for the purpose of revealing Himself. Sanctification is like God drawing an invisible circle around the person and then causing influences in their life to draw them into an understanding of their need for a Savior. (P.16)

Blessings: When Jesus sent out His disciples, He instructed them to first bless the homes they entered. (Luke 10:1-5) We ask God to liberally pour out His goodness upon someone. Often we get frustrated when we do not see the results of our prayers at work. "If we are to emulate our dear Savior, we must continually desire God’s best for all people." (p.17)

Conviction: This means, "to convince of one’s fault." Conviction is necessary for the salvation of one’s soul. However, conviction cannot come about without the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are wise to pray John 16:8-11. The only sin that commits one to hell is the disbelief in their need of a relationship with Jesus Christ. "Therefore, the Holy Spirit convicts or convinces the lost at this one and only point, revealing to them the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory, so they can be saved." (P.17)

Illumination: "Even after one comes under conviction of his need for salvation, his gospel-blinded mind may remain closed to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ and he will remain in spiritual darkness. (II Corinthians 4:6)" (p.17) People can hear the Gospel, and yet still not understand its application to their life. Enlist a volunteer to read aloud Acts 8:26-39. Although the Ethiopian was seeking truth, he was unable to understand until someone explained Scripture to him.

Salvation: We must be willing for God to do whatever it takes to bring about His salvation. God will use every event in ones life to draw them to Himself. At this point, prayer exhibits faith by trusting God to use whatever events He deems necessary to bring the lost to repentance. Read aloud the story of Tony Fontenot (p.18).

Once God has drawn an individual to Himself, they must hear the Gospel to be saved. Praying for someone to specifically share the Gospel with an individual is vital to him or her having an opportunity to respond in faith and trust Christ. However, when praying for this to happen, we must be willing to respond, "yes" if God asks us to be that someone to share.

The Lord commands us to pray that people will go and share the Gospel. Read aloud Matthew 9:37-38. These verses describe the "workers" as "few." According to Strong’s Dictionary, the term few in these verses means "puny in extent, degree, number, duration, or value." (p.18) We can first pray that God will send out more people. Next, since the laborers are also described as "puny in duration and value", we can ask God to equip them to be an effective witness. All of the equipping comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. Scripture can be used in your prayers to encourage the building up of these workers.

Enlist volunteers to read aloud Acts 1:4-5, Acts 1:8, Ephesians 1:19, Acts 4:31, Proverbs 11:30, Colossians 4:12-13, and Jeremiah 33:3.

Why is it important to pray for the Gospel while it is being shared?

No one can be saved apart from the hearing of God’s word. (Romans 10:14)

It is necessary to Convict (Acts 2:37) and to Free. (John 8:32)

Satan hates the word of God. He will do everything to oppose it with Distractions (Luke 8:11-15), Fortifications (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) and Substitutions (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

 

Satan is powerless to the Word of God. It will destroy his lies and free his captives. Read aloud John 8:32. "Notice, it is not the truth that sets you free, but rather the truth you KNOW. So, Satan does everything he can to keep people from "knowing" truth." (P.19)

Jesus illustrates this principle in the parable of the sower. Satan is demonstrated as coming immediately to steal away the word before the person can understand it. (Mark 4:15) Therefore, we must pray for the word of God as it is being shared with the lost.

Thomas lists 5 specific requests (Thomas, p. 20):

God’s word will be unhindered. (2 Thessalonians 3:1)

God’s word will be glorified. (Psalm 138:2)

God’s word will be multiplied. (Acts 12:24)

God’s word will prevail. (Acts 19:20)

God’s word will be effective. (Acts 14:1)

 

Enlist a volunteer to read aloud 2 Chronicles 7:14. This verse speaks of intercessory prayer. Believers are given the promise that when we humble ourselves and pray on behalf of others, God will answer! Historically, revivals have been noted to follow times of great prayer. "When people are saturated with God, they are more concerned about others than about themselves. His passion for souls becomes theirs!" (p. 21).

Ask the class to arrange themselves in the same small groups used in lesson 3. Instruct each group to pray specifically for the names of the individuals listed in last weeks lesson, using the tools discovered in this lesson.

Begin with corporate prayer petitioning God for wisdom in the understanding and application of the material in this chapter.

Enlist a volunteer to stand in front of the class. Explain to the class that this "man" is about to go to war. Ask the class to began calling out resources and equipment "he" should pack in order to be prepared. After a list is completed, ask the class how well they think he would survive if he attempted to enter the war without being prepared.

Just as it would be unwise for a military soldier to report to duty without being prepared, we as Christians must recognize and utilize the weapons we are given to fight a spiritual battle. Prayer has often been regarded as a passive event. Because we cannot always see the results of our words with the naked eye, we assume nothing has occurred. "The primary purpose in praying for the lost is NOT to convince God to save them for He is "not willing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). But rather, it has to do with spiritual warfare-freeing them of demonic influence so they can be saved." (P.22)

Spiritually, our combat is prayer. Believers are given powerful weapons to wage war against Satan. We are not called to lie passively aside and grieve his effects on our lives and our world. Instead, God’s word equips us with tools that when understood and applied correctly, can demolish all of Satan’s strongholds. Prayer is God’s weapon of choice. This is why we God wants us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and "continually pray" for the ministry of His word (Acts 6:4.)

"Just as all physical weapons of war, whether bombers, tanks, missiles, grenades, rifles, etc., are used for one purpose-to defeat the enemy-so all spiritual weapons are used to do the same!" (P.23) Therefore, let us review our weapons!

The Blood of Christ: Enlist someone to read aloud Revelations 12:11 and Hebrews 2:14. Christ’s death rendered the power of Satan useless. When Christ gave Himself as atonement for our sins on the cross, Satan was completely destroyed. All of the sinful claims Satan held against mankind as a result of Adam’s Fall into sin were erased by the blood of Christ. This means that "all the power which he now exercises, he exercises solely by deception and bluff." (P. 24)

 

The Name of Jesus: There are three reasons why the name of Jesus is powerful.

A. He is Lord over all creation.

(Read aloud Colossians 1:16)

B. He is Lord through crucifixion.

(Read aloud Hebrews 2:14-15)

C. He is Lord through coronation.

(Read aloud 1 Peter 3:22)

When we pray in His powerful name, we are acting in direct obedience to the commander of this war.

The Word of God: Scripture has been called the "sword of the Spirit." (Ephesians 6:17) "Since Satan was totally stripped of his power and authority at Calvary (Colossians 2:15) (Hebrews 2:14), all he has to work with is a lie." (P. 24) When we pray God’s word, we are combating Satan’s lie with truth.

 

Praise: Read aloud Psalm 22: 3-5. When we praise God, He comes into the middle of the fight. "How wonderful it is to have the "commander-in-chief" one the scene of battle!" (P. 24) The power of praise is illustration in 2 Chronicles chapter 20. Judah was under attack. The situation had become so desperate that King Jehoshaphat called for the entire nation to pray. Yet, when they began to sing and praise, the Lord destroyed their enemies. Read aloud verse 22.

 

Fasting: Fasting is the least used tool in our arsenal of weapons. "The purpose of our warfare is to defeat the enemy and fasting is designed to do that effectively." (P.25) Enlist someone to read aloud Isaiah 58:6 and Mark 9:29.

 

Love: Those who fall in love with the Lord and seeing the lost come to know Him cannot be stopped. Love is the driving passion. Love for God to be glorified and love for sinners to embrace a Holy God. (Read aloud Revelation 12:11)

 

Exercising our Authority in Christ: Christ has given believers incredible authority. (Read aloud Matthew 16:19) "The powers of darkness find their strength broken through the blood of Christ; and when we exercise our authority in Him, they can no longer withstand us." (P.29) The key aspect to our power is aligned with God’s word. When we march forward, holding firmly to Scripture and boldly proclaiming God’s truth, Satan is powerless.

 

Continually Resist the Devil: Read aloud Ephesians 6:10-18. Christians are instructed to "stand against" Satan’s methods and "resist" or "withstand" His attacks. This is a purposeful action. "When we really get serious about the salvation of souls, Satan uses difficult circumstances either in our lives or in those for whom we are praying in an effort to make us back off and quit." (p.29) In order to resist the Devil, we must not allow the negative effects of our prayers cause them to cease.

 

When we use the tools God gives us in spiritual warfare, Satan’s strongholds are destroyed. Enlist a volunteer to read aloud 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. "Strong holds are mind-sets that are against the word and will of God."(P.26) A few of Satan’s spiritual strongholds include unbelief, greed, lust and bitterness. Each mindset wages war against God’s truth, thus leaving the individual capture to lies.

"The ultimate strategy is for the entire church to give itself continually to prayer." (P.31) The early church gives us an example of what happens when believers unite for the purpose of prayer. Read aloud Acts 1:14 and Acts 2:41. About five thousand people were added to their numbers. This of course was not a result of human action, but when we submit ourselves to God’s plan and prayer using the weapons He has provided, we will see results.

Below are listed some ideas of how the church can utilize prayer.

Prayer Groups: These could be Sunday School classes or any cell group. These individuals may list the names of family members, friends, co-workers, etc who are lost and commit as a group to prayer for them by name.

Triplet Praying: This is a group of three believers who commit to join together and pray specifically for the lost. Each member lists the names of three people, thus bringing the total to nine names, which will be prayed over.

Prayer Partners: This is a commitment between two people who will routinely join together for the purpose of prayer.

Prayer Lists: This can be done individually. As the Lord brings the names of people to your mind, make a list and commit to be praying specifically for their salvation.

 

Have the class members arrange themselves in their preferred style of prayer from those listed above. Allow time for each group or individuals to spend time in prayer. Encourage a commitment from each individual to select a prayer style and faithfully utilize the weapons discussed in this lesson for a set period of time.

Begin with corporate prayer petitioning God for wisdom in the understanding and application of the material in this chapter.

Read aloud the testimony from Wayne Whiteside of Crestview Baptist Church, Farmerville Louisiana, who has a God-given burden for inmates on death row and spends much time in the prisons trying to win them to Christ (p. 34).

Share any additional testimonies from chapter 6 that were particularly significant to you.

Ask participants to share any personal testimonies they have concerning salvation. After a time of sharing, ask participants to rejoin their prayer groups from the last session. Ask each group to answer the following questions:

Is there anyone in my life for whom I have "given up" praying for his or her salvation?

How can this church best encourage me to be faithful in praying for the lost?

Who am I willing to personally commit to be praying for and who will I be willing to held accountable to within this church for my times of evangelical prayer?

Closing:

End with a time of prayer. First ask each group to pray for the shared requests. Next, join back together as a corporate body and pray for God’s leadership as you seek to pray more effectively for the lost.