Here are some great ways/resources to help you pray for the lost, or as I like to call them: our future brothers and sisters in Christ, who right now, are still lost. Don't miss the last one--it's my favorite!
1. Since the 1950's, Trans World Radio, TWR, has been sharing the Gospel with people all around the world through radio and more recently, digital media. TWR's reach includes over 200 languages and 190 countries! I've been volunteering with TWR since the summer of 2023, and this ministry has become very near and dear to my heart. TWR's website address is easy to remember--it's simply TWR.org. But if you follow this link: https://twr.org/projects, you can learn about and pray through their many projects. Another good link, https://twr.org/newsroom, takes you to the latest news & stories.
2. Go to the App Store on your smartphone and download IMB Pray. This app includes Today's Prayers Requests, Urgent Prayer Requests, Answers to Prayer and much more.
3. Go to the website, Prayercast.com . On the desktop version, you can find some excellent teaching resources under Prayer 101. On the smartphone version, you can pray for a specific nation or religion.
4. Go to the website, JoshuaProject.net . Here, you can click on a country and see all the unreached people groups (UPGs) there. Then click on a specific UPG to learn about them and how to specifically pray for them.
5. Pray God's words back to Him. I especially like this form of prayer because of the promise in Isaiah 55:11, "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Here are some prayers God has given me, so far:
Psalm 67:1-3 (verbatim): May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
Psalm 86:8-10: We pray that the Lost would come to know that among the gods, there is none like you! That no deeds can compare with yours. God, may they come and worship before you. May they bring glory to your name, for you are great and do marvelous deeds. We pray that they would come to know that you, alone, are God!
From Jeremiah 24: 6-7. We pray that your eyes will watch over them for their good; that you will build them up and not tear them down. Please God, give the Lost a heart to know you, that you are the LORD! They will be your people, and you will be their God, for they will turn to you with all their heart.
From Romans 1:5-16: Heavenly Father, help me, my local church and the world-wide Church as we call the Lost to the obedience that comes from faith for Jesus’ name’s sake. We know that they are called to belong to Jesus Christ. They are loved by you, God, and they are called to be your holy people. We pray that the Lost would hear the Gospel, which is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. [From 1 Corinthians 2] Holy Spirit, please help the Lost to understand the Gospel.
From 1 Thessalonians 1: God, we know you have chosen our future brothers and sisters in Christ, who right now, are still lost. May the Gospel come to them not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. May they welcome the message even in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. May the Lord's message ring out from them; may their faith in God become known everywhere. May they turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
From 1 Peter 2:9-10: Heavenly Father, we pray for our future brothers and sisters in Christ, who right now, are still lost. They are a chosen people, God’s special possession. May they declare your praises, for you are calling them out of darkness into your wonderful light. Let it be said that, "Once, they were Lost, but now they are people of God."
In Jesus' name, Amen!