Putting Our Prayers Where Our Hearts Are

 

"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

When I was growing up, and even before that, when my parents were growing up, there seemed to be overall in American society a desire to know God. There wasn’t such a pervasive attitude of atheism (God doesn’t exist) or agnostism (it’s impossible to know if God exists). And as Christians, we were taught by our pastors and Christian leaders that people were created with a God-shaped hole in their hearts and that these people were constantly seeking to fill that hole.

I’m not sure that concept was true (it’s not taught in the Bible) and I’m not sure that it’s the right approach to witnessing. If it were, most people would be eventually compelled by their own desire to seek out churches and Christianity in an attempt to meet this heart-need. But many people don’t do that. Many unbelievers go on with their lives, outside the church, never darkening its doors.

The Church itself was commanded to go and make disciples. We weren’t told to wait within a church congregation and the unbelievers would somehow come in (even though we frequently pray that way). We have been told to go, to be among them, to interact with them, and then to make disciples. But how can that happen? If they aren’t interested at all in the things of God, they certainly won’t be interested in listening to us. How then can we even begin to approach them about their need for salvation? Paul Billheimer in Destined for the Throne proposed this:

"If [John] Wesley is correct in saying that ‘God does nothing but in answer to prayer,’ then this must include the salvation of souls. This, then, means that no soul is saved apart from intercession, and that every soul who is saved, is saved because someone—who would not give them up to Satan—prayed. God is the cause of salvation, yet our prayers are His appointed means." (pp. 64-65).

Let me pose a question: Do we actually believe (have faith) that salvation only comes from God and that Jesus is thoroughly able to save (Hebrews 7:25)? Then why are we reluctant to pray for those we want to be saved? I will tell you what I think. I think it is because we don’t actually believe that God can overcome their hardened hearts and we don’t want to be disappointed. But He has promised that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Most of us have family members, friends, acquaintances and public figures that we would like to see saved. And most of the time, if we do anything at all, we barrage them with Facebook posts, Instagram messages, and even (if we are brave) face-to-face talk about their need for salvation. But . . . do we pray? Do we spend more than seconds here and there in intercessory prayer for them?

For many of us, nothing has worked to this point. Why not have faith in God and earnestly seek Him for their salvation? Our Father has promised to reward those who do this. Today is the day to trust the He will answer our prayers if we indeed pray!

© 2017 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.