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The last couple of summers I have hosted a teen Bible study where we have opened The Word and saturated ourselves with a certain book or took a detour into a topical study. More recently, a few of these sweet teens have been inquiring about the end times and asked to pick my brain about it. While I don’t claim to have the most knowledge on the subject, I still invited them over. We all sat around my messy kitchen table as we flipped through Scriptures together to gleam and learn what God’s Word had to say.
As I was talking to a few of these sweet young ladies and munching on snacks (which is deemed necessary when talking to teens), a question came up that sent a glaringly loud signal penetrating my own heart.
“How should we pray for our lost friends?”
Her concerned eyes locked with mine and her sincere and genuine inquiry made me pause before I could muster up an answer. Let me clarify by saying I have known this particular young lady since she was a tiny tot, and her soft heart for showing God’s love to others is awe-inspiring. Yet she was asking me how to reach her friends who seemed lost and showed signs of slowly drifting away from God. It just got me thinking about how often I pray for my own friends who waver in their faith. And, sadly the answer to that is… not enough!
Honestly, I cannot stress this enough – the enemy is on full-blown attack, and he is after our children, our marriages, our family, and our friends. His mission is to destroy the lives of the faithful, making them turn away from God. He wants to tempt, tantalize, and slowly torture them, bringing on confusion and lies wrapped in sweet eye candy. He is stealing away their heart for knowledge based on Truth and replacing it with deception. He is basically luring them in to tear them down.
Unfortunately, as much as we may want to step in and stop it, gently coaxing our loved ones back to the Truth, aiming to get them to ultimately seek God, it’s not so easy. When the liar has a stranglehold on a friend, they may build up walls of resentment towards you, turn inward, or altogether shut you out! In that case, we need to bring out our most powerful weapon – prayer.
Will you join me in praying for those dear friends who have lost their way? Maybe they have drifted away from their faith, have conformed to the sinful patterns of the world, or have allowed the enemy to speak so loudly that they are beginning to believe the lies.
Now… I invite you to take a mental picture of that lost friend right now. Do you see them? Good. Now, bring that dear and beloved friend to Jesus, and let’s unleash our greatest weapon. The power of our prayers!
A Prayer to Hear and Receive Truth
Father God, I am so grateful that You are a good and faithful Father (2 Timothy 2:13). You tell us in your Word that even if we are faithless, You remain steadfast and faithful. That gives me so much comfort because I come to You today with a heavy heart. My dear friend, (name), is so desperately lost and hopeless. She has hardened her heart to the truth of Your Word, becoming blind to Your goodness, mercy, and grace, unwilling to hear and receive the richness of Your amazing love. Lord, I ask that You step in and touch her heart in a mighty way, as only You can. Rekindle the flames of faith and ignite the Holy Spirit within her so she can rely on You when the world is clamoring for her attention. I ask this in Your Holy name. Amen.
A Prayer to Feel the Presence of God
O Lord, You have such a tender and beautiful way in which You meet with your beloved daughters. Your love is so great, so deep, and so wide that it never ceases to amaze me (Psalm 36:5-7). In saying that, I lift up my friend, (name). She desperately needs to feel the warmth and peace that comes from Your radiating presence. I pray that she turns to You and finds a safe place and source of refuge from the trouble and alignments of this brutal and messy world (Psalm 46:1). Lord, I ask that You draw close and provide ways for her to feel Your precious presence. Give her moments to seek quiet and still moments to minister to her heart. Amen.
A Prayer for Faithful Fellowship
Jesus, You are so very good to us and our closest ally and friend. Your compassion and love never fail, which is why I humbly lift up my dear sister who is in need of that tender reminder. She has pushed You away and is rejecting You in this season of her life. I pray that You please remove unhealthy or unsafe relationships and replace them with faithful friends who will draw her back to You. Lord, help me be the faithful friend she needs and speak with love, truth, and grace (James 5:16). I pray that in time she finds a place of worship or a community of faithful women she can trust to walk alongside her and grow her faith. Amen.
A Prayer for Repentance
Thank you, God, for Your abundant mercy and grace. You are so very good to us and constantly seek after us time and time again (Luke 15:3-7). I come to You with a grieving heart for my friend who has stumbled into self-indulgence and wandered away from the flock. She has sadly embraced the world and is chasing after the tantalizing ways of the flesh. So, Lord, I come to You with a heart of sorrow and conviction. I ask that You forgive me where I have failed and lost sight of Your precious Truth, as I know I have also entertained the lies of the enemy. Yet, as I fight my own battles, I also give You my heart filled with sorrow for my friend. Lord, please soften her heart and allow the Holy Spirit to do a great work in her life, convicting her of any sin. Bring about a desire to change and turn to walk in the goodness of Your ways. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A Prayer to Fall Deeply Back in Love with Jesus
Faithful Father, thank You for Your unfailing and unconditional love. As I lift up my precious friend, (name), I ask that You would draw close and reveal Yourself to her in a mighty and powerful way. I want so badly for her to fall back into the goodness of Your love and experience the abundant life only You can offer her. You tell us that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Inspire my friend to seek the goodness of Your ways by quenching her thirst with the refreshment of Your Word and a desire to live a life that honors You. I earnestly pray that she falls deeply in love with You as You reclaim all her heart, all her soul, all her mind, and all her strength (Mark 12:30-31). I ask this in Your precious name. Amen.
My Prayer for You
Lord, I hand over the sweet daughter who is laying eyes on this today, lovingly lifting up her beloved friend. While You know the intricate details of this situation and the intimate nature of each of their hearts, I pray a special blessing over their friendship. I pray that You intervene, restoring any hurt and heartache that comes with a friend whose faith is wavering. I pray that You offer wisdom and discernment on how to approach such fragile topics and that the words and actions she shares with her friend are offered and displayed with Your love, truth, and grace. Lord, please give this dear daughter of Yours the encouragement she needs to be a light to her friend. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty-AntonioGuillem
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