Praying for Friends of Other Faith Backgrounds

By Kristen Lindsey

Adam* was the new doctor in our town of more than 3,000 residents. Our town was nestled away in southern Arkansas, hidden by forests, known for deer hunting, with two-lane highways leading in and out. Adam did not fit the typical resident profile of white and Christian. Being Pakistani and Muslim made him the minority. However, this did not stop my mom from seeking him out.

I believe that my mom was born with a radar for internationals: everywhere we lived it seemed as if she would always find internationals to befriend and share with them about Jesus. As soon as my mom befriended Adam, she began praying that he would hear the gospel and believe.

With an increase in international migration to the US over the past decade, our reality is that we will encounter someone of a different faith. We all probably have an Adam in our lives.

The question, then, is how do we pray for people of other faiths. What does Scripture say?

1. We are to pray for the proclamation of the gospel.

In Ephesians 6:18–20 and Colossians 4:2-4, Paul asks for the churches to pray that God would open a door for him to share the gospel, that God would give him the words to say and that God would give him boldness in his sharing.

In Romans 10:14-17, Paul asks a series of questions to make the point that people cannot believe without hearing the gospel. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).

If you want your friends, family, or people in general of other faiths to come to know Christ, then you must pray that God will open the door for the gospel to be preached. David Fant Jr. said, “Whether the Word is spoken or written, it is the power of God unto salvation.” To pray for the proclamation of the gospel is to pray for the salvation of others.

2. We are to pray for God’s kingdom to come.

The most common prayer in the Christian church is the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:5–15). This prayer was given as a model for Christ’s disciples. Jesus tells us to pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done. God’s kingdom and His will are two sides of the same coin: by the coming of God’s kingdom, God’s will is done; God’s will is done by the coming of His kingdom. The kingdom of God is not an abstract idea; it refers to God’s kingship over individuals. By praying for the kingdom of God, we are in essence praying for the salvation of those that God is so patiently waiting to come in before Jesus comes fully to reign as King. (See 2 Peter 3:9.)

With this biblical foundation in mind, what are some practical steps?

First, we build a relationship with others of different faith backgrounds. Scripture is not silent in instructing us on our responsibility in sharing the gospel with others, and we know that sharing becomes more effective if we have a relationship with the other person.

Also, as we build relationships with others, we then have a face to put with the larger faith group as we pray. As my mom began praying for Adam, she realized that if he would come to know Christ then he would have access into the world of Islam that she never could have. With Adam’s face in mind, she in effect began praying for about 1 billion Adams.

Secondly, learn more about the faith backgrounds of the individuals for whom you are praying. Learn about what they believe and who they are as people. I will never forget the first rule of giving a speech that my professors taught me in college — know your audience. The first rule for us as we desire to pray for our lost friends should be to know the person for whom we will intercede. If her faith teaches her that there is no life after death, pray and ask God to use death in that person’s life to be an open door to share the gospel. If a parent has abandoned her, then you can pray that God would reveal Himself as a parent who will never abandon.

Diligently, we pray for people of other faith backgrounds, beseeching God on their behalf, that the gospel would be open to them and that they would be part of the kingdom of God by belief in Jesus Christ.

*Name changed.

Kristen Lindsey, a native of Arkansas, graduated from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham in December 2008 with a Master of Divinity. Kristen resides in Birmingham, where she is a freelance writer.