A Word of Hope as We Seek to Evangelize Loved Ones

In this final article in our series on the discipline of evangelism, I pray my words will bring you

hope—especially if you’ve been praying for non-believing loved ones for a long time. In July of 2016, I wrote this post: 

I became a Christian at age 13. My pastor immediately told me to start praying for and sharing the good news with people I loved. I started interceding for my parents soon thereafter. In all of my travels around North America and the world since then, I asked believers to join me in prayer for them. 

Thirty-six years after I became a believer, my dad turned to Christ. The change was dramatic as the gospel did its transforming work. For the last three years of his life, Dad lived out a genuine faith. The prayers of God’s people all around the world made a difference. 

My mom, though, has still not turned to Christ – and I’m still asking believers to join me in that prayer. As Paul prayed for the Israelites in Romans 10:1, “my heart’s desire and prayer” for my mom (and my other relatives who don’t know Jesus) is that they be saved. I’m convinced that God is willing and ready to hear these prayers. 

In fact, I wonder what might happen if thousands of believers began to pray earnestly for one another and for each other’s non-believing loved ones. What might God do when people around the world pray for Him to open blinded minds of our unbelieving loved ones (2 Cor 4:3-4), to give us opportunity to speak (Col 4:3), and to grant us boldness to share the gospel (Eph 6:18-20)?  I can envision great things happening when righteous people around the world intentionally pray and witness. 

So, would you join me in praying for my mom, my sister, and others who need Jesus? Would you also then let us know the folks for whom you want us to pray? I will pray, and I’m sure others will as well. 

After that, please share this post, and let’s get the people of God praying together.   

My goal in 2016 was simply to multiply the number of people praying for my mom. As far back as I can remember as a Christ-follower, I had been asking other believers to join me in praying for my parents—and I wrote this blog post to increase the prayer warriors lifting my family to God. After many years of praying, I realized again and again that only God could change my mom’s heart. So, I sought more prayer warriors to join me in intercession on behalf of my mom.  

Almost five years later, in March of 2021, against the backdrop of a global pandemic, here’s what I wrote: 

Well . . . I’m rejoicing today that God has saved my mom! I talked with her for some time earlier this week, and she spoke openly of the peace and forgiveness God has granted her. Like I did with my dad before her, I heard in her voice the joy of redemption. Needless to say, I and my believing family members are praising the Lord today! 

So, here’s my encouragement to you today if you’re waiting for God to save a loved one: 

1. Don’t give up if you’re still praying for someone you love to follow Jesus. The 36 years we prayed for my dad and the 47 years we’ve prayed for Mom are nothing on God’s timetable. His calendar is not ours, but He still saves people according to His timing. 

2. Get others to join you in the praying. I’m convinced the combined prayers of God’s people over the years contributed to God’s saving my mom. Something just happens when God’s people pray together. 

3. Love your non-believing friends and family members with the love of God, even when they’re not interested in the gospel. Consistent expressions of the grace of God, I trust, are one of God’s means by which He melts a hardened heart. I’m deeply grateful for those who kept loving me even when I continually rejected their message as a non-believer. 

4. Ask your loved one for permission to share your Christian testimony with him or her. You have your own story to tell. Perhaps your loved one who doesn’t want to hear the gospel again will be willing to hear it within the context of your testimony. Keep it short and clear—and be sure to get to Jesus rather than just focus on you.  

5. Watch for glimpses of God’s work in folks for whom you’re praying. Looking back, I can see where God was already working in my mom’s life; I just wasn’t always looking for it. I now don’t want to miss His hand in the lives of others on my prayer list. 

6. Renew your hope based on stories of God’s answers to prayer. I wrote this post first to praise the Lord publicly, but also to encourage our readers to keep praying and trusting. I hope that’s a result for you. 

7. Be honest with God when your faith struggles. Because of the way God saved my brother, dad, and mom, you would think I would never doubt about others for whom I’ve been praying for a long time. Still, I wrestle, too, at times. What I’ve learned to do is simply to run to God with my questions and doubts. After all, Jesus alone has “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).