6 Reasons We Can’t Give up on Lost Loved Ones

Consider these stories:

• In my first pastorate, the congregation had prayed for more than a decade for a man in the community known as “the meanest man you’ll ever meet.” When God grabbed his heart, though, that man melted under the power of the gospel.
• For a number of years, a relative of mine seriously struggled with addictions—but God’s gracious response to the prayers of His people pulled him out. Years and years of prayer eventually made a difference.
• For many years, my dad (who is now with the Lord) believed there were multiple ways to God. When he heard the gospel, though, he heard truth – and God saved him at age 71. Many of us had prayed for 36 years, and God heard.
• We prayed for my mom for 47 years before she gave her life to Christ at age 79. Though she lived only six more months, they were glorious months for her.

I tell you those stories to remind us that we can’t give up on non-believing loved ones. Here’s why:

1. God still wants people to be saved. He sent His Son to die for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:6). He’s patient with us, “not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). He loves your loved one.
2. God still hears prayers. He’s a good Father who wants His children to bring their requests to Him. In some amazing way, He invites us to Him and listens when we pray. Why would we not continually take our needs and desires to Him?  
3. God doesn’t live by our time schedule. We’re the ones who live by the calendar and the clock. God’s work is always on time – never early, never late. We can trust our loved ones to Him even when it feels like His delay reflects a lack of concern.
4. God might be working in our loved one’s heart, and we don’t know it. See, God can work however He wishes in our loved ones – and He’s under no obligation to let us in on the details. Our job is to pray, trust, and keep on praying.
5. God might answer our prayers after He calls us home. Some believers pass away still longing for their remaining loved ones to turn to Christ. I’ve seen God, though, draw those loved ones to Himself through the memories of their departed relative. In some cases, we won’t know that God heard our prayers until we all get to heaven.
6. God still works miracles. He really does. He still responds to long-prayed prayers. We can trust that, in the words of Charles Spurgeon, “he has sweetly embraced us every time [we’ve prayed], he has always bowed the heaven and come down to listen to our feeble cries; he has never denied a promise, never broken his word, even when we have pleaded a thousand times a day.”[1]

In fact, readers, tell us stories of God’s answering your prayers for loved ones. Let’s encourage each other. If you want us to join you in praying for someone, let us know that, too.

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[1]https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0240.cfm