How to Pray for Unsaved Loved Ones

How to Pray for Unsaved Loved Ones...specific things to pray and what to expect

How to Pray for Unsaved Loved Ones

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NLT) 

We are instructed to pray for our unsaved loved ones.  Sometimes it’s just hard to know how or what to pray.  I encountered this same problem, so I did some study and research to find the best ways to pray for unsaved loved ones.  I say “unsaved loved ones” but really these things could be prayed even for those who are saved that may have drifted away from God for some reason.

It’s very hard to see someone you love so lost or far from God or even questioning God.  You want so much to help them, to fix them but you inevitably know that it’s not within your control.  To receive Christ and to have a life-changing relationship with God is a personal and individual decision that we can never make for someone else, no matter how badly we want it for them.  We can “plant seeds” (i.e. talk to them in a non-threatening and non-pushy way and/or show example in our own life), and we can pray for them.  The rest is up to them.  God gave us free will.  Jesus Christ is his free gift to us, ours for the taking.  However, a gift demanded or forced is no gift at all.  We don’t have to take it.  Sometimes we want something more for someone than they want it for themselves.  It kind of stinks to feel this way, but guess what…You’re in good company.  That’s how God feels all the time.  All is not hopeless though!  Prayers are extremely powerful!

“…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16b (NLT) 

I have heard numerous people tell stories, my pastor included, that they are where they are today as a result of someone praying for them.  God will go to work on our behalf, but we have to ask.

After studying and researching how and what to pray for unsaved loved ones, I compiled a list of things that I started to use.  I actually wrote the list of what to pray in my notes of my phone and would open it and pray through the list for my unsaved loved ones.  However, you don’t have to pray ALL of these things all of the time.  I have done that, but for the most part I just picked a couple of these things to pray for each day (or whenever my unsaved loved ones came to mind—not necessarily every day).

Take Some Practical Steps to Pray for Unsaved Loved Ones (text in red are example prayers):

  • Pray for God to remove the blindness from their eyes, to open their eyes so they can see.  The bible says the god of this world, Satan, has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.

“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

“Open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:18 (ESV)

Lord, please remove the blinders from _____’s eyes and open his/her eyes.

  • Pray that as they are able to see that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened and that God would bring about situations, circumstances and grant them repentance in their lives to lead them to the truth.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

“Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” 2 Timothy 2:25 (NIV)

Lord, I pray that as _____’s eyes are opened that you would bring about situations and circumstances that would lead him/her to the truth.

  • Pray for God to turn and soften their heart to make it tender and responsive.

“For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes–so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.” Matthew 13:15 (NLT)

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

Lord, I ask you to turn and soften _____’s heart.  Put a new spirit in him/her.  Take out _____’s stony, stubborn heart and give him/her a tender, responsive heart.

  • Pray that they will be drawn to God and develop a hunger and desire for Him.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:44 (NIV)

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

Lord, please draw _____ to you and give him/her a hunger and desire for you.

  • Pray that God would send “laborers” across their path.  Basically, this is just witnesses to speak into their lives.  I read something once that said that “laborers” can come from a variety of sources: bumper stickers, billboards, magazines in a waiting room, something on the radio or TV, overheard conversations, or people who share the gospel with them personally.  I like to pray that God would just surround them with all things “God” that they can’t escape Him!

“Therefore said he to them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2 (AKJV)

Lord, please send laborers from variety of sources across _____’s path.  Let him/her see you wherever he/she goes, so much so that he/she cannot escape you!

“But I will fence her in with thorn bushes. I will block the road to make her lose her way. When she runs after her lovers, she won’t be able to catch up with them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think ‘I might as well return to my husband because I was better off with him than I am now.’” Hosea 2:6–7 (NLT)

Lord, please put a hedge of protection around _____ so that any ungodly influences around him/her would lose interest and depart.

  • Pray for any chains that bind them to be broken, any strongholds to be removed and that they will be free from Satan’s influence over their mind, will and emotions.

“’LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.” Psalm 107:13-14 (NLT)

“For God will break the chains that bind his people and the whip that scourges them, just as he did when he destroyed the vast host of the Midianites by Gideon’s little band.” Isaiah 9:4 (TLB)

Lord, please break any chains, stronghold or barriers that bind _____ and free him/her from Satan’s influence over his/her mind, will and emotions.

  • Pray that their mind, heart and lives would be transformed and renewed.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Lord, I pray that _____’s mind, heart and life would be transformed and renewed.

  • Pray that they would be convicted by the Holy Spirit and change their attitude toward sin.

“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” John 16:8 (NLT)

Lord, I pray that _____ would be convicted by the Holy Spirit and that he/she would have your attitude toward sin.

  • Pray that God’s kindness would lead them to full repentance, and that they would turn away from their sin.

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 (NASB)

Lord, please let your kindness lead _____ to full repentance and help him/her to turn away from their sin.

Prayers for Unsaved Loved Ones...learn more about how/what to pray and what to expect

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I think it’s also important to let you know…As you start praying for your unsaved loved ones, don’t be surprised if they seem to be doing exactly the opposite of what you’re praying at first.  They might get worse before they get better.  This post helped me when I read that “conviction produces friction”.  It’s a good sign that God is at work within them.  Keep praying!

When God starts to work on your unsaved loved ones, most likely you’ll see small changes, little by little.  Big changes do happen, but I have noticed they are usually not the norm.  In fact, I kind of got angry one time, because I had been praying and praying, and I flat-out asked God, “Why hasn’t this person turned their life around?!”  What I heard was, “If this person made that dramatic of a change, you wouldn’t believe them anyway.  You wouldn’t think it was sincere or genuine.  Lasting change happens little by little.  You want them to have lasting change, right?”  I was reminded of this verse…

“The LORD your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you.” Deuteronomy 7:22 (NLT) 

Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind even has a chapter title “Little by Little”.  She really helped me to understand that sometimes progress is slow, and that’s okay (it’s even on purpose at times).  We need to celebrate the small changes.  Focus on the positive and don’t get discouraged.  Know that God is working behind the scenes and that these types of changes are from the inside out—it may take a while to see a difference.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…” Zechariah 4:10a (NLT)

God actually showed me this verse for a different circumstance last week, but it’s well-suited in this scenario too.  Funny how the bible works like that!

Remember… “…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16)  And if you DO get the opportunity to lead your unsaved loved ones to Christ, check out this post on How to Lead Someone to Christ!

What are your experiences in praying for unsaved loved ones?  Leave a comment below (click on the post link to join the conversation if you’re viewing through e-mail) or take the conversation to your favorite social media channel (sharing links below). 

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are rude, disrespectful, offensive, or off-topic.  By posting on this site you agree to my Comment Policy.

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If you have benefited from this post or if you know anyone that could benefit from this, please pay it forward and share this post with them via the sharing links below! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 1 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV) 

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23 thoughts on “How to Pray for Unsaved Loved Ones

    1. Tracy Robbins Post author

      Oh not at all! That’s exactly why I shared this…in hopes that other people might benefit from praying these things as well. Thank you, and I too pray that your loved ones are saved and develop a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Also, as a side note…If you mean to use it on a website, per copyright, please use attribution with a link back to the original page.

      Reply
    1. Tracy Robbins Post author

      Sure! Thank you so much for the compliment and for asking. To post on a website (Facebook included) I only ask, as a courtesy and per copyright, that you please use attribution and include a link back to the original page so that others may have access to the scriptures that accompany the prayers and so that they may also access additional resources and tools.

      Reply
  1. Alice Skaggs

    I am praying for my son in law, who says he is atheist and my daughter who says she renounced her faith. This guided prayer is very helpful. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Tracy Robbins Post author

      It’s my pleasure Alice. That must be so tough for you. I am praying for them too and for you as well.

      Reply
  2. ida

    do you have any tips on how I should do when I don’t actually see the progress made in the person I’m praying for? I’m praying for my ex boyfriend and we don’t keep in touch anymore since it’s too painful, but I have promised myself that I won’t stop praying for him! it’s just so hard because after we broke up, he has no one who is a believer around him, he didn’t know anyone besides me… so I feel so worried about him, and the only thing I can do is pray. but this list you made feels helpful! thanks for that!

    Reply
    1. Tracy Robbins Post author

      Hi Ida,
      I can imagine that must be really tough. For tips…I would suggest that you just continue to pray for “laborers” or godly people and friends to cross his path and come into his life. In the meantime, maybe it might be helpful for him to see what he’s missing out on by not having believers around? That might help his eyes to be opened to see things in a different way. Then when good, godly people enter his life it will be like a breath of fresh air to him, and he will be drawn to it. I think it’s normal to feel worried (been there done that…um…still do that!), but remember that God loves him too–even more than you do. Keep praying. Maybe pray also for yourself that God will give you some peace on the matter and to ease some of your worry. I’m praying for you both too. Keep your chin up! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Pingback: Praying for Unsaved Loved Ones | ROOTS

  4. Dennis & Ruth Webb

    Thank you. I have so many unsaved family members and loved ones that I am concerned about. This is just what I needed. Thank you so much. I will let you know when they become saved.

    Reply
  5. Anne

    Thanks for the reminder (though it comes as a fresh and new revelation in your post), that He hears our prayers, honors and acts on them. And though actions are good on our part, they are not always possible if we want to honor the free will of others. 😏 Prayer, however, is the best and first action when wanting to help and influence others. He desires it from us, is pleased by it, requires it, moving His hand and loves to partner with us.

    I will be using your prayer formats as good guides and inspiring. What music to God’s ears from our lips, and words have authority.

    Thanks and blessings!

    Reply
  6. Venessa Sequerah

    Shalom Sis Tracy Robbins,
    Thank you for such great write up on praying for unsaved loved ones.
    Topic of this oftens occurs or being reminded as I kept asking God when will my loved ones will come to serve him together .I kept praying that God will work his wonders in their life as I followed his instructions to keep praying and loving them as how he taught me to love.
    I thank God for HE had shown me your post and grateful for your obedience in encouragement and strengthening the body of Christ to keep pressing on and know God is at it.
    I like to share this to my prayer group on your amazing write up .Hope you wouldn’t mind.
    God bless you always through Our Lord Jesus Christ and by His Holy Spirit continues to show you all truth ,Amen.

    Reply
  7. susan tunmore

    Thank you for this I’ll be using this to pray for my daughters who don’t believe and my partner too. Im the only one who is saved in my household and it feels like I’m in a losing battle. But I have been praying for them. I have so many other family members to pray for. My sister and her husband are Mormons, please pray for them.
    Thank you for this and I hope you don’t mind me sharing this in my prayer meeting.

    Take care and God Bless

    Reply
    1. Tracy Robbins Post author

      Susan, I will definitely be praying for your daughters, partner, and family. I’ve just added them to my prayer list. You are not in a losing battle (but the devil wants you to think that to stop you) because prayer is very powerful. Please feel free to share this—that’s what it’s for!

      Reply

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