Is there any scriptural basis for praying on behalf of the unsaved?

Answer

Christians are people of prayer, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and some of our prayer requests concern the spiritual condition of our unsaved friends and relatives. We desire their salvation and pray for that purpose. In this, we echo Charles Spurgeon, who expressed, “If sinners are to be damned, let them at least leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

It is important to pray for the unsaved. Our Savior came to seek and save the lost, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10), and a central theme of Luke’s gospel is Christ’s compassion for those often considered outcasts in Israel. Our Savior “desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,” “who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4), so when we pray for the salvation of an unsaved individual, we are aligning ourselves with Jesus’ expressed desire.

We should pray for the unsaved because, in reality, we cannot know who God’s elect are before their conversion (consider Saul of Tarsus). Spurgeon humorously suggested that it would be convenient if the elect had a large “E” stamped on their back, but, of course, they do not. While we understand that all of God’s elect will ultimately be saved at some point during their earthly journey (see John 6:37,39), that may not occur until the day they are called home to be with the Lord.For example, the thief on the cross). It is through individuals with “beautiful feet” who bring the gospel that God uses as the means of reaching His chosen ones «How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! », (Isaiah 52:7).

We all have individuals in our sphere of influence who are unsaved, and we should be praying for them because we care deeply about them and because we know that God cares for them and desires none of them to perish—His desire is for all of them to come to repentance «The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. », (2 Peter 3:9). It is natural to pray for those we care about. Consider the compassion the young servant girl showed to her Syrian captor: “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy!” «And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. », (2 Kings 5:3). Assuming that she prayed for Naaman, her prayer was on behalf of the unsaved. Consider the compassion Paul felt for his lost Jewish brothers: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people” (Romans 9:2-3). Another devout servant of God’s—Moses—was, like Paul, ready to give his life for the sake of his people see Exodus 32:32.

Jesus instructed us to pray for the unsaved.

Pray in this manner: “Ask the Lord of the harvest . . . to send out workers into his harvest field” «Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. », (Luke 10:2). This prayer concerns the “harvest field” of evangelism in the world. It is a prayer that people will be saved and God will be glorified.

We have another biblical command to pray for the unsaved: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. . . . This is good, and pleases God our Savior” «I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; », (1 Timothy 2:1,3) «For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; », (1 Timothy 2:1,3). The Ephesian church (where Timothy pastored) had apparently stopped praying for the unsaved, and Paul was encouraging Timothy to make it a priority again. His desire was for the Ephesian Christians to have compassion for the lost. Once again, we have no way of knowing who the elect are until they respond. And as John MacArthur aptly points out, “The scope of God’s evangelistic efforts is broader than election” «For many are called, but few are chosen. », (Matthew 22:14).

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” «Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. », (James 5:16), and “the eyThe eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12;cf: Psalm 34:15). God indeed hears the cries of His children. We understand the fate of those who perish in their sins, and that understanding alone should motivate us to pray continuously for our unsaved acquaintances, hoping that they, too, will heed God’s call and join us in heaven.