Prayer for unbelievers is an important part of the Christian life. As followers of Jesus, we are called to pray for all people, including those who do not yet believe in Him. The Bible encourages us to intercede on behalf of nonbelievers, asking God to open their eyes to the truth of the gospel. In this article, we will explore several types of prayers found in Scripture that we can pray for unbelievers.
Prayers for Salvation
First and foremost, we should pray for the salvation of unbelievers. This means asking God to help nonbelievers realize their need for a Savior, repent of their sins, and put their faith in Christ alone for forgiveness and eternal life. As Paul wrote, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). We can pray for both unbelievers we know personally and those we have never met. Here is an example of a prayer for an unbeliever’s salvation:
“Dear God, I pray for my friend Sara today. Please open her eyes to see her need for you. Softent her heart and draw her to yourself. Help her to recognize that she is a sinner in need of forgiveness. Grant her understanding of the gospel and give her faith to believe. Take away any doubts or resistance and bring her to repentance and saving faith in Christ. Thank you for your promise to save all those who call upon you. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers for Receptive Hearts
In addition to praying for salvation, we can pray that God would give unbelievers receptive hearts to hear and respond to the gospel message. All people are naturally resistant to the gospel because of sin (1 Corinthians 2:14). We need to ask God to plow the soil of unbelieving hearts, making them willing to listen, consider, and accept the good news of Christ. Pray for God to remove any barriers standing in the way of them embracing the gospel. Here is an example:
“Father, I pray for my co-worker Mark today. Soften his heart to be receptive to the message of the gospel. Open his ears to hear truth. Remove any pride, hardness, or distractions that would prevent him from considering Christ. Help him to have an openness and willingness to talk about spiritual matters. Give me and others wisdom in how best to share Christ’s love with him. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers for Boldness in Christian Witness
Praying for the lost is incomplete if we do not also pray for boldness in witnessing to them. We need God’s help to faithfully share the gospel with those who need to hear it. Pray for courage, wisdom, and the right words when those opportunities arise. Ask God for open doors to have gospel conversations. Pray for clarity in explaining God’s Word and for Christians to live out the gospel in their daily lives. Our prayers and our witness go hand in hand. As Paul requested: “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19).
“Lord, give me and the church courage and boldness in sharing your gospel with unbelievers. Help us to fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. Give us wisdom to know when to speak and how to say the right words to communicate truth. Open doors for spiritual conversations and give us clarity in explaining the good news. Use our lives to demonstrate the transforming power of your love. Empower all believers to overcome fear and live out our faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers for Protection from Spiritual Forces
We must remember that unbelievers are under the influence of the devil, whom the Bible calls “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). As we pray for their salvation, we need to pray for God’s protection over their lives. This includes praying for freedom from spiritual blindness, despair, destructive habits, and Satan’s lies. We can ask the Holy Spirit to restrict demonic oppression and awaken unbelievers to the freedom found only in Christ. Pray also for protection from false teachings and counterfeit gospels that pervade our culture.
“Sovereign Lord, I pray your protection over my friend Steve today. Keep him from the evil one and guard him from demonic oppression or despair. Release him from any addictions or patterns of sin. Protect his mind and heart from deception and direct him to truth. Convict him deeply of his need for you. Remove spiritual blinders keeping him from seeing Jesus clearly. Awaken him to the gospel of grace. Use me and other believers to speak light into the darkness that surrounds him. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers for Believing Family and Friends
For family members and friends who do not know Jesus, pray for those divine encounters that only God can orchestrate. Pray for sovereign appointments where the gospel will intersect their lives in unexpected ways. Ask God to have mercy on them and supernaturally draw them to himself. Pray for their eyes to be opened to God’s truth through his Word, encounters with believers, dreams and visions, or even angelic messengers. Believe God for miraculous interventions of grace in their lives.
“Father, I thank you for your divine appointments and supernatural interventions. For my grandmother who is not saved, I pray that you would schedule sovereign encounters where the gospel will intersect her life. Send believers across her path, give her dreams and visions, and visit her with your Spirit. Awaken her to your truth. Grant her faith to believe. There are no lost causes with you. Thank you in advance for the miracle I believe you will do. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers for the Nations
Our prayers cannot be limited only to those unbelievers we know personally. Jesus commands us to pray for laborers to go out into the global harvest field. There are over 7 billion people in the world, most of whom are unbelievers. We should intercede for unreached people groups who have little access to the gospel. Pray for missionaries, Bible translators, evangelists, and Christian media spreading truth around the world. Ask God to open doors for the message of the gospel to go forth among all tribes and tongues.
“Almighty God, I pray today for the billions of people worldwide who still don’t know you. Send out laborers and make the gospel readily accessible to those in the most unreached areas. Give supernatural wisdom, guidance, resources, and protection to missionaries and evangelists serving worldwide. Translate your Word into every language and take it to the ends of the earth. Use technology, radio, social media, literature, films, dreams, and visions to communicate the gospel in powerful ways. Break down barriers that keep people from you. Do whatever it takes, Lord, to bring in your harvest. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers for Patience and Perseverance
Seeing unbelievers come to Christ does not always happen quickly. We need patience and perseverance in praying for the lost without losing heart (Luke 18:1). Pray for endurance in sharing the gospel, even when we don’t see immediate results. Ask God to renew our motivation and passion for those who don’t yet know Him. Pray for steadfast spirit of prayer, faithfully interceding and trusting God to do his work in people’s lives in his perfect timing.
“Father, renew my passion for prayer and witness for the lost. Give me patience and perseverance to continue sharing your love and truth even when I don’t see quick results. Protect me from discouragement when prayers go unanswered. Remind me that salvation happens in your timing. Instill in me your heart of compassion for the lost. Help me to persevere in prayer and gentle persuasion, leaving the results to you. Thank you for the privilege of taking part in your harvest work. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers for Mercy and Opportunity
The Bible reminds us that God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). As we pray, we can appeal to God’s mercy and abundant grace capable of rescuing even the most hardened hearts. Pray for God to extend unbelievers extraordinary mercy giving them every opportunity to respond to the gospel. Ask Him to pursue and reach out to them in ways that display his unrelenting love. Pray for divine encounters, supernatural revelations, and unlikely conversions—nothing is impossible for God!
“Lord, I pray for your great mercy to be shown to my neighbor John. Pursue him with your lovingkindness. Make your presence unmistakably real to him, giving him repeated opportunities to turn to you. Send believers to gently share your truth with him. Give him dreams and visions showing your great love. Capture his heart with the beauty of the cross. Use any means necessary to awaken him to your gospel. Extend him every possible opportunity to be saved. Thank you that your mercy triumphs over judgment. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers of Intercession
Intercessory prayer enlists God’s help in the lives of others. As we pray for unbelievers, we can intercede for their practical needs as well. Pray for their health concerns, financial difficulties, relational struggles, addictions, and emotional needs. Ask God to reveal Himself through their trials. Pray for God’s blessings to abound in their lives. Though we cannot impose salvation upon them, we can certainly bring their needs before God’s throne, trusting He hears us.
“Father, I lift up my co-worker Sarah who is going through a painful divorce. Please comfort her, provide for her needs, and reveal your love to her. For my neighbor Chad struggling with addiction, grant him freedom, surround him with support, and draw him to yourself. For unbelieving friends who are sick, make your presence known in their pain, ease their worries, and assure them of your care. Help me to remember none are outside your reach. Use life’s trials to demonstrate your grace in tangible ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers of Blessing
It pleases God when we pray prayers of blessing for unbelievers, desiring His goodness in their lives. While we can’t force someone to receive Christ, we can still bless them, showing the heart of the Father. Pray for their well-being, protection, flourishing, dreams to be fulfilled, and needs to be met. Pray blessings over their careers, families, health, and relationships. In this way, we can help pave the way for the work of God’s Spirit to penetrate their hearts. Our blessings become a gateway for His transforming grace.
“Lord, I thank you for my neighbors the Smith family. Bless them with enduring health and wholeness. Help their children thrive and grow in stature and wisdom. Strengthen their marriage, increase their joy, and multiply their influence for good. Prosper them financially, granting wisdom with their resources. Keep them safe in times of danger or uncertainty. Lead them to seek you and find you. Open their eyes to salvation through Christ. Thank you for making all who are far off not far from your Presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Prayers for the Holy Spirit to Move
In the end, only the Holy Spirit can open eyes to salvation in Christ. Our prayers are petitions for Him to act. We should pray for the Spirit of God to go before us, preparing the way through spiritual groundwork in people’s hearts. Pray for the Spirit to convince and convict unbelievers of truth. Ask Him to override resistance, objections, and indifference to the gospel. Pray for divine alignment where the message of the gospel intersects an unbeliever’s deepest needs. Ask the Spirit to soften hard hearts, open blind eyes, and make the light of Christ unavoidably real. We are entirely dependent on His sovereign, life-giving work.
“Father, I ask for the Holy Spirit to move in my uncle’s heart today. Remove any indifference or intellectual objections that create barriers to the gospel. Give him spiritual hunger for truth. Clearly show him his inner spiritual void and need for you. Lead him into divinely arranged conversations and encounters where your truth is made irresistibly real and relevant. Remove scales from his eyes and give him clarity of thought. Send your Spirit ahead to do advance work and prepare his heart to receive Christ. Align his deepest needs with the answer found only in Jesus. Thank you for the Spirit’s gracious work. In Jesus name, amen.”
May these sample prayers spark your own creativity in praying for unbelievers you know and worldwide. Intercede persistently, believing God will use your prayers to help advance His kingdom. What a privilege we have to participate with Him in redemption through prayer!