Prayer for Salvation

 

Joy, I'm Worried About My Family... 

Does God Want to Save Everyone?...

Will He Save All of My Family?...

Does He Even Care?...

I'm Not Seeing Any Changes...

 

There are some among us who believe that God does not want everybody to be saved; that some are destined to be saved and others aren't. The fact that more people are not saved is not a reflection of God's will but of the carnal state of the human heart. Because here is what scripture says:

1 Timothy 2:1,3-6a (NKJV)

"1 Therefore I exhort[encourage] first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,... 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all,..."

In other words, we are instructed in God's word to pray for all to be saved, because He desires all people to be saved... because Messiah Yeshua has already died to pay the debt of sin for all.

Praying for Salvation of Family, Praying for Salvation of Loved Ones, Praying for Salvation of Souls

It doesn't matter who we are praying for--whether it's specific or in general--God is pleased with all our prayers for salvation and He begins to move on our prayers. I believe that we will see in Heaven a lot of people we did not expect to see there. I believe that it's because these are people we have been praying for, faithfully, and God saw the changes that began to happen in their hearts--even though these changes may not have been visible to the human eye. The text suggests that they may be granted entrance into eternal life "at the eleventh hour"! (Matthew 20:1-7) They failed to do anything for the Kingdom of Heaven!! Their judgment will happen first (it's simpler, they don't have much in the area of faithfulness to evaluate,) and the judgment of the laborers will happen last (because there is simply much more lifetime and works to evaluate for rewards.) I believe this might be one reason why Jesus says that "the last will be first and the first will be last" (~Matthew 19:30.)

Our job is to pray trusting in God's word, and to pray "without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17,) because "the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (~James 5:16b.) I've seen friends and family come to Christ even after 15 years, or even 20 years later!! We are to keep asking.  Jesus taught us this: “7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."  (~Matthew 7:7.)

I've always trusted God's timing. I firmly believe that God will not let anyone we love die without salvation if we and others are fervently and steadfastly praying for them. He wants to answer our prayers because He desires all to be saved!! 

And, our faith moves mountains--even the mountain of an unbelieving heart: "nothing will be impossible to you." (~Matthew 17:20.) We have to remember that the favor and power of Heaven will be moved by our Spirit-led, consistent prayers of faith.

So be encouraged, my brother, my sister. Let us Never ever give up praying for our loved ones!! We are contending for their souls against the powers of darkness. We are praying God's desire into their lives! And He wants to do it!!

Prayer for Salvation for Family and Prayer for Salvation of Souls

Dear God, our Father in Heaven, I thank you for all my family and friends, neighbors, colleagues, and acquaintances, wherever they are today! I thank you for your love, provision, protection and grace in the lives of all who know and love you. And for those who do not yet know you: Thank you for showing them patience in this time of grace. I ask that you help me to always be a blessing to everyone I know.

Heavenly Father, here's my special request for those who do not yet know or understand you. I ask that you forgive their sin and that you help them to take hold of salvation in Christ. Lead them on the path to repentance and transformation. Hear and answer my concerns and cries for their well-being. Reveal Yourself to them in a way they can understand and cannot deny. Surround them with your presence by surrounding them with people who know, love and serve you--people who can reveal to them Your love and goodness to them. 

Reveal to us, your servants, how we can best help, support and encourage them in times of hardship. Please protect them from all harm. When we pray please let our prayers manifest in their lives: Heal them from every kind of sickness, save them from disaster, give them spiritual insight from Heaven, and fill them with your Holy Spirit of forgiveness, humility, truth, joy, wisdom, and kindness. Bring them to the place of complete deliverance.

May we all who love you always remember that no matter the difficulties we may face in this life, You have a plan, you have not forgotten us, and we are never hopeless or alone. Thank you that you are always with us, lovingly watching over us and causing even the most difficult and adverse circumstances to work out for our good, so that we may live more abundant lives (overflowingly fulfilling lives.) I ask all this in the name of my Lord Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer,

And I say, not just for myself but also on behalf of my family and friends that I am praying for: 

Our Father in Heaven, we receive your truth, goodness, love, guidance, promises, grace and faithfulness in our lives today, in the name of our precious Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thank you, Heavenly Father. Amen and AMEN!
 

Salvation and Transformation

 Q&A

“How Do I Know I Am Saved?” 

“I Mean—Truly Know, Without Any Doubt”

 

A dearly loved sister in Messiah asked me this question one day. She had already been a believer for a few years, but she was still learning and growing. Then she said...

“I want to always do what's right in God's eyes but sometimes I still mess up in spite of my best intentions. Then I feel like a failure. Do you think God still loves me? Have I displeased or disappointed God? Will He turn His back on me? Sometimes I wonder.” 

Three Important Points About Salvation and Transformation

Here's what I shared with her, that I believe every believer needs to understand and remember:

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is also called “The Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24.) This is because When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior by faith, God's grace (His favor, goodwill, kindness that we did not earn, merit, or deserve) is poured out on us (Romans 5:15; 1 Corinthians 1:14,) and we are then saved by grace, not by our own "good works" or efforts, not by anything we could possibly do—or not do. We are saved Only because God's grace is immediately released over us from the moment we decided to put our trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation (Ephesians 2:1-9.)

2. The “Good Works” (Matthew 5:16, Romans 2:10, Titus 2:6-8, Titus 3:8, aka: “works of righteousness”, “works of God”, “God's works”,) refer to actions that are pleasing in God's eyes. They are given to us to perform, not for us to get saved through them, but (a) so that we can start our lifelong practice/training in the Process of Transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18,)—of being transformed every day, more and more, into the image of Christ, (b) so that we can spend our lives no longer in service of the Power of Darkness, but in service of the Kingdom of the Son of His Love (Colossians 1:13.) (c) so that we can become servants of the Most High God proclaiming the way of salvation (Acts 16:17,) and (d) become servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1Cor4:1,) and (e) become fellow workers with God to establish His Kingdom in the earth (1Cor3:9.)

3. God's transforming grace is with people who have a humble and contrite spirit, and a repentant heart (Psa 34:18, 51:3,17, Isa 57:15, Ezk 14:6, 18:30.) A humble spirit before God is one that has been broken. It has no pride or arrogance. It does not embrace, flaunt, hold on to, justify or seeks support for its sin. A contrite spirit is one that has been crushed, or that trembles at God's word (it is sincerely remorseful, conscious of guilt and of falling short, and wanting to make amends or corrections.) A repentant heart acknowledges its sin, and that sin is sin—no matter how much it wants it. And it makes every effort to turn away from what displeases God. It makes the decision and takes the hard, difficult steps towards making different choices--choices that truly honor God. This is the Big difference between the saved and the unsaved. Scripture says that God gives grace to the humble (Jam4:6, 1Pet5:5.) I believe that this is a different aspect of grace than the grace that is extended to every human being on earth today because of Messiah's sacrifice for us. Today, every single person on the planet enjoys the grace of God's patience--a postponement of judgement and execution for their sin (2Pet3:9.) But from the moment our heart and will are desperately hungry and thirsty for transformation in Christ, and we ask God to deliver us from sinning, He will also give us the grace that we need to achieve transformation and to have victory over the sin in our lives. This usually happens over time; but I've also seen transformation in certain instances happen suddenly—in just one moment. Either way, we will experience transformation.

We must realize that Full and Complete Transformation is Gradual—One step at a time. It's a Life-long Process and a Life-long Pursuit. It is Heaven's Pathway for Spiritual Growth.

Salvation is God's Amazing Gift to Us, Not Something We Could Possibly Earn

“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” ~ Eph. 2:8-10.

The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) by Messianic Jew David H. Stern, puts it this way:

“8 For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. 9 You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. 10 For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do.”

God is focused on the following attitudes of our hearts: humility, contrition, and repentance. And He will evaluate our actions based on these heart attitudes. 

'But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”' ~1 Sam 16:7 (NKJV) 

This is because God knows that: 

“...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” ~ Rom 3:23 (NKJV)

We will never be complete on our own in this life. We are now only complete in Messiah Jesus. So, when Father God looks at us, all He sees is Christ in us, and whether or not our hearts are humble, contrite, and repentant before Him, thirsting for transformation. So, God is never displeased or disappointed in us. He does not see us as failures and He will never turn His back on us. He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5,) and He will never forget us (Isa 49:15) because He sees our hearts, and our desire and efforts for transformation.

The Five Steps to Transformation

Our Part:

Step 1 – Believing and Trusting in Messiah. We are doing what pleases God, when we believe (trust) in Messiah as the One sent by God to deliver us from sin. 

'Then they asked him, “What must we do to perform God’s works?”Jesus answered them, “This is God’s work: to believe in the one whom he has sent.”' ~John 6:28-29 (ISV)

Step 2 – To come before God with a humble, remorseful, and repentant heart (Psa 34:18, 51:17, Isa 57:15, Ezk 14:6, 18:30.), whenever we have fallen short of God's standards; and to ask Him for—and be open to—transformation. Then give God time to bring about this transformation in us by His Holy Spirit. It will happen sooner or later; either all at once, or gradually. In His time and in His way, not in ours. We must remember that we are precious in His sight—our humble, contrite, and repentant heart is priceless to Him. We are His special treasure. In Christ, we are loved and holy unto Him. And since we all have our shortcomings, we must also be patient with others who are also looking forward to transformation, praying for them and allowing God to be the judge, because we can only see the external behavior--the flaws and failures. But only God truly knows every person's heart. 

God's Part:

Step 3 – God has woven Christ's spirit into our spirit. Now, we are God's brand new creation, created (transformed by God) into one-being with Christ, who equips and empowers us through the Holy Spirit, to live the life of righteousness God had already planned for us. By God uniting Messiah and us spiritually into one body/being, He gave us access to the full state of obedience of Christ (by grace, not earned ourselves,) and to the full power of the transformation God started in us, that we may continue growing, from glory to glory, into ever greater levels of understanding and obedience, in the righteousness of Christ: “For we are God’s masterpiece, created in the Messiah Jesus to perform good actions that God prepared long ago to be our way of life.” ~ Eph 2:10 (ISV)

Step 4 – God is continually working in us, to make us willing and able to obey Him (Php 2:13)

Step 5 – We who believe can be confident of this: That God will keep us all growing in the transformation process, until the day Jesus Christ returns, when we all will be finally made complete.

“...He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” ~ Php 1:6 (NKJV)

By God's grace, we are only responsible for steps 1 and 2. And God Himself is responsible for steps 3, 4, and 5, We are spiritual beings being transformed by God Himself into the image of Christ, therefore He will complete the good work He started in each of us who are in Christ.

This is Why we can encourage ourselves with this powerful verse from scripture, Philippians 4:13:

“...we can do all things through Christ who strengthens/empowers us.”

The Living Bible puts it this way:

“...for I can do everything God asks me to, with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.”

This is such a beautiful encouragement to us. We are not helpless or hopeless. We are not gloomed into discouragement or doomed to failure. We are being transformed by Him, and have been strengthened and empowered in Christ!

Prayer for God to Make Us Complete

“20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” ~ Hebrews 13:20-21.

 

Isa 26:12 “Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us.”