by Pastor Rick Duncan
Prayer connects us with the One who can do seemingly impossible things, including changing the destiny and trajectory of someone you love.
Think about the people you know who are far from God. Are you truly praying fervently for them? Are their names written down on a prayer card or in a prayer journal so you are reminded to pray for them often?
Why do they need your prayers? They are blind, bound, and buried.
- People far from God are blind. 2 Corinthians 4:4.
- People far from God are bound (captured). 2 Timothy 2:16.
- People far from God are buried (dead). Ephesians 2:1.
Apart from Christ, every person on the planet is in a spiritually helpless and hopeless state.
Who gives sight to the blind? Who set the captives free? Who raises the dead to life? That’s right! Jesus!
And this is precisely why we should pray! Prayer is asking Jesus to do for us what we cannot do.
People far from God don’t just need a new set of glasses; they need a new set of eyes. And that’s what Jesus does. A blind person isn’t just short-sighted or far-sighted. It’s pointless to say to a blind person, “Just focus more!” Pleading with a spiritually blind person to try harder to see the gospel of Jesus won’t work. Why not? They can’t see.
People far from God don’t just need a little more fresh air; they need to get out of jail. And that’s what Jesus does. An imprisoned person isn’t just in need of a little stroll in the jail yard. It’s pointless to say to someone who is incarcerated to try hard to live free. Begging a spiritually entrapped person to kick her ungodly addictions won’t work. Why not? She’s in Satan’s snare.
People far from God don’t just need resuscitation; they need resurrection. And that’s what Jesus does. A dead body cannot respond. It’s pointless to shout at a corpse: “Hey! I know you are in bad shape. But pull yourself together and get up!” Making an appeal to a spiritually dead person won’t work. We can’t simply say, “Just try harder to be a good person.” It won’t work. Why not? They are dead.
A blind, bound, and buried person does not have the capacity to repent and believe the gospel. No preaching, no spiritual motivation, no psychological techniques, no positive thinking, no do-it-yourself schemes will help. So, what can help?
Prayer!
To help you learn how to pray biblically, here is a prayer based on the truths we see in 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Timothy 2:26, and Ephesians 2:1.
Lord God Almighty, You are infinitely rich in mercy and You delight in making all things new. Please be merciful to _________ and make him/her into Your masterpiece. He/she is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. So, please raise him/her to life. He/she has been held captive by Satan to do his will. Please set him/her free to do Your will instead. He/she has been blinded by the enemy and cannot see the grace of God in the face of Christ. Open his/her eyes to behold the glory of Your grace. Show off Your great power in saving him/her and giving him/her the gift of faith in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
What if you began to pray this for those you know who don’t yet know Christ? What if you prayed for them for years if you have to?
Today, make a prayer list of at least 10 people you know who need Jesus. Keep your list in a visible place in your Bible or in a journal.
See, you can’t raise the spiritually dead. You can’t set a captive free. You can’t make a blind person see. But you can talk to the One who can. You can pray. Will you?
