This is my first post, but I’m a long-time reader of the forums, so it’s nice to finally join you all :-)

I’ve been listening to lectures from www.biblicaltraining.org by Dr. Bruce Ware, and I must say that I’ve found them just great. Last night, as he was talking about the Holy Spirit empowering believers to spread the gospel (as seen in Acts), he made a side comment along these lines:

Too often, the focus of our prayer for missions (local/international/whatever) is for the unsaved people whom we’re trying to reach, rather than for the saints/Christians who are trying to reach them.

He claimed that the New Testament has only one example of prayer for unbelievers, and that’s Romans 10:1 which is in the context of unsaved Israel, whereas it has lots of examples of prayer for strength for believers who will be proclaiming the good news.

This struck me, as I’ve never thought about whether or not prayer for unbelievers’ salvation was something to be questioned. Upon reflection, it seems that, theologically, it is tied up with what we should pray in light of God’s providence and work in bringing people to himself.

Anyway, I thought I’d put it out there and see what people thought. So what do you think? Do you think it’s significant that the biblical model of ‘evangelism’ prayer is for the evangelists rather than the evangelised? Should this change the way we pray, especially in light of Connect09 etc.? Are there any other issues this raises?

Hi Tim,

Welcome to these forums as a contributor.

It is an interestng point that you raise.

I don’t know Bruce Ware but I believe his claims on the New Testament content are incorrect.

And even if his claims were correct his conclusion is not valid,
because all it would be in the end is a form of dodgy argument from silence.

Anyway coming back to Ware’s claim about the NT’s content, I don’t have the time at present to expound all the passages that I believe relate to praying for people who are unbelievers,
but this one is a clear counter-example to show that Ware is wrong:

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
[Acts 26:28-29, TNIV translation, my bold]

Grace & peace,
Terry

We should pray directly for unbelievers. But I think there is also something in what Tim asks.

Jesus commands his disciples to pray for more workers in the harvest. Paul asks for prayer for himself as he preaches. I think this is an area we fall down on. We should be praying more for the preachers of the gospel - for more of them, for faithfulness to the truth, for opportunity, for courage, etc.

I think our usual approach is a vague “God save them.. somehow”. But God has told us the way this will happen is through someone preaching the gospel. So we are to pray for the ordained means of bringing people to salvation.

BTW I think “God, raise up more preachers” is a more difficult and challenging prayer to pray. I know of more than one person who started praying like that and then found himself thinking, “how can I pray that and not do something about it myself?”

Phil Nicholson - 18 April 2008 01:06 PM

We should pray directly for unbelievers. But I think there is also something in what Tim asks.

Jesus commands his disciples to pray for more workers in the harvest. Paul asks for prayer for himself as he preaches. I think this is an area we fall down on. We should be praying more for the preachers of the gospel - for more of them, for faithfulness to the truth, for opportunity, for courage, etc.

Hi Phil and Tim,
Yes, I certainly did not want to be read as downplaying the importance of praying to God for the existing and future workers in the harvest field, especially praying for the majority-timers like you, Phil, but even praying for us minority-timers as well.
Grace & peace,
Terry
[Edited for clarity]

Terry Gallagher - 18 April 2008 12:38 PM

And even if his claims were correct his conclusion is not valid,
because all it would be in the end is a form of dodgy argument from silence.

Good point, but I should defend Ware as far as his conclusion goes lest I misrepresent him. His conclusion is not that there is no place for Christian prayer for unbelievers, but rather that the focus our prayer should be on God working through us or the messenger, rather than a vague praying for God to save them somehow (as Phil pointed out).

Anyway, thanks for the counter-example Terry. Though, would you agree that the focus of NT prayer tends to be more towards the strengthening of believers (to then reach the unsaved) rather than for the unsaved themselves? If this is the case, then it helps us to guard against the vague prayer of ‘God please save them somehow’, and even encourages us to pray not just for preachers/teachers (again, as Phil mentioned), but for the everyday Christian in proclaiming the gospel.

Tim Escott - 18 April 2008 02:51 PM

Anyway, thanks for the counter-example Terry. Though, would you agree that the focus of NT prayer tends to be more towards the strengthening of believers (to then reach the unsaved) rather than for the unsaved themselves?

Yes, I agree the emphasis of the NT is more towards praying for the providing and strengthening of the harvest workers.

Grace & peace,
Terry

I think it’s a natural and human response to pray for the salvation of specific people who are under God’s judgement, even when you have no reassurance that God will answer that prayer ‘yes’. In Ex 32:11-14 Moses prays for his generation of Israelites, that God would not judge them, even when God has said quite explicitly that he will!

However alongside prayer for specific individuals, a more biblically informed way of praying would be that God’s name would be hallowed. This sort of prayer will always be answered ‘Yes’, God being who he is and having commanded us to pray like this. And in those circumstances, even the rejection of the gospel when we speak it will result in glory and honour to God, because his plan is being established and he is being praised whenever the gospel is preached (similar to Mark 4:12).