For Their Salvation
Our heart’s desire and prayer to God for those who do not know Christ
We are surrounded by the lost. Those who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior are lost, unsaved, in the domain of darkness, aka. pagans. And they may well be family, neighbors, co-workers; our family doctor, the girl at the grocery checkout, a client; a person sitting next to us, or someone we consider voting for.
We pray today for unsaved people among us, as did Paul: Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Romans 10:1 ESV
Do we have that same heart for the lost as did Paul? He told his fellow Christians (Brothers) that it was his heart’s desire the unbelievers be saved, and so he prayed. It’s likely few of us could truly say this is a desire of our own heart to that same degree.
Paul was speaking of “they”, his kinsmen, those of Israel, who despite their position as God's chosen people, had not acknowledged Jesus the Christ as the Messiah. Instead the Jews had rejected Him, and rather maintained the Law and sought righteousness on the merit of their own works, according to their tradition.
As Barnes notes: “He had no desire that his kinsmen should be destroyed. He still wished their welfare; and could still pray for them that they might return to God.” He prayed that they might be saved: “This clearly refers to salvation from the sin of unbelief; and the consequences of sin in hell. It does not refer to the temporal calamities which were coming upon them, but to preservation from the eternal anger of God” 1
His heart’s desire, or “good will of his heart” — was an earnest and sincere wish; not only did Paul cherish this feeling but he expressed this desire to God, in prayer. He would likely not have prayed for them is they had not been utterly cast away. Since many still disbelieve today, we, like Apostle Paul, pray for them who are Israel—and for all in the nations who today reject Christ and the Gospel message of salvation apart from Law and Works.
Certainly we know many of the same types of folks around us— those who have either not heard the Gospel (properly presented), or, upon hearing, have rejected it’s saving truth and grace, mercy and eternal salvation. Ask the Lord first to give you a heart for the lost, to make it a desire of your heart to see them saved. Then,
Ask for the salvation of unbelievers around you—known and unknown to you—that may they be given the gift of salvation and faith leading to repentance and life in Christ. Make a list, ask for them by name. Plead with the Lord on their behalf!
We ask the Lord: To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, - Luke 1:77 NKJV
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. - Romans 10:10 NKJV
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, - Ephesians 2:8 NKJV
For the word of the Lord to grow mightily (the preaching and teaching) and prevail (be heard, be light in darkness, win the lost) - Acts 19:20 NJKV
And pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the field, which are ripe and plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray for harvesters.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/romans/10.htm
Photo by Fidel Fernando on Unsplash