How do you pray for someone who doesn't know God?

Pray for them the way you would talk with a close friend about someone you love, and let go of the script you want God to follow. In our EMBRACE series I call this evangelistic intercessory prayer. It is how we wait for someone to be ready without pushing them. You can watch the full message here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srg9iwa6gvw.

Why do church invitations feel so awkward?

Most outreach asks you to interrupt people. You drop an invitation into a random conversation, both of you feel weird, and nothing lands. The picture we use in EMBRACE is a hug. You open your arms, and then you wait for the other person to lean in. A stranger who grabs you for a hug is creepy. God gave people free will and doesn't force himself on anyone, so his church shouldn't either.

What do I do while I wait?

You pray. Maybe you have already given your friend the books, the Bible and the invitations. Now it is time to wait, and that waiting is active. It happens in prayer.

What does Acts 17 teach about prayer?

It shows a God who wants to be found. Paul is in Athens, a city full of temples, making a careful argument to people who trusted logic more than faith. In the middle of that argument, in verses 26 to 28, he says God made the whole human race so that we would seek him, that God is near us, and that we live and move in him. That relational God is the model for how we pray.

Is it wrong to ask God for things?

Asking is fine, but prayer can't be only asking. I told our church that "people have faith in prayers and not pray in faith." When every prayer is a request, prayer turns into a transaction. Parents know how it feels when a child only shows up with a hand out. God wants a relationship with us, and our prayers should sound like one.

How do I start praying for someone far from God?

Start with love. We are tempted to pray "God, save them now," which asks God to override the free will he gave them. Instead, tell God who this person is to you. This is someone I love, they are far from you right now, and I want them to know you. That shift in tone puts the other person first.

What should I ask God for myself?

Ask God to make you sensitive to their needs. A few years into pastoring, I learned that what people say often doesn't match what is happening behind closed doors. Discernment shows you when to act and when to speak. Some of us have plenty of action and too few words, and some of us have it the other way around. That sensitivity also grows patience. I have preached hundreds of sermons, and I have not converted anyone. God does that work.

Why keep praying when nothing changes?

Persistence changes you. When you pray for someone day after day, God shows you new things about them, and you can't look down on a person you keep lifting up to God. It also shows God how much you want it.

What if my plan for them isn't God's plan?

Then hold your plan loosely. We live in Silicon Valley, and some of us would bring God a Gantt chart if we could. God has more for you than you can hope for, so "that 10 year plan is actually a limit not a blessing." Parents, this applies to how we pray over our kids. You might be praying for a scientist when God is shaping an artist.

How can I pray with confidence?

Believe that God is working even when the result isn't what you pictured. When I first felt called to full-time ministry, my wife and I had a careful plan to start small and keep my day job. It didn't go the way we planned, and I was frustrated. Then I was asked to come pastor in Palo Alto. It was the best decision I ever made, because God was working on a plan bigger than mine. Whether or not the people you pray for ever walk into our building, what I care about is their relationship with Jesus.

Join us Sundays at 10 AM PT at 3549 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306, or watch live at youtube.com/@uamez. Plan your visit at uamez.com.