I. How To Pray For An Unbeliever

A. Considerations

1. We often pray for the welfare of unbelievers, i.e., “heal them of their illness”, “provide a job for them”, etc. Not wrong, but certainly not enough. More is needed.

2. We sometimes pray that people would act like better Christians when the fact is that they are not Christians. Their need is not for them to behave like Christians.

3. Their need is for true conversion. They need to be born again, & filled with the H.S.

B. Examples / Thoughts

1. John 16:8-11 And when He (Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict (convince) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

2. Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

II. How To Pray For A Christian Vs. 9-12

A. Course Corrections Regarding Prayer

1. For those who are truly saved, we pray for them differently.

2. We pray for them to realize the fullness of truth re. what Christ has done for them, and how they can live in increasing victory over sin and for God.

3. We pray for them to realize God’s great love and affection for them..

4. We pray that they might learn the faithfulness of God, & be free to trust him always..

B. Knowledge Of God’s Will (Spiritual Insight) V. 9

1. Knowledge of His will-

a. The universal will of God for all Believers. Many areas are addressed.

i. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 Sexual purity

ii. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Joyful, thankful, constant prayer

iii. 1 Peter 2:13-17 Be a law abiding citizen

iv. 1 Peter 4:1-5 No drunken parties, etc.

b. The particular will of God for individual Believers.

i. 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1– For Paul: apostleship

ii. Romans 1:10– Paul’s desire to see the Roman Christians, if it was God’s will

iii. Discovering God’s Will

Romans 12:1, 2 NLT– And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

2. Knowledge With Wisdom– Wisdom is the outworking of knowledge.

a. EX.-Practical steps in avoiding impurity, drunkenness.

b. EX.-Wise steps in cultivating prayerfulness, thankfulness, obey the law.

3. Knowledge With Spiritual Understanding– More than moral understanding of what God says re. His will for our lives. Understanding the “rightness” of God’s will

4. Some mock the idea of God’s particular will; others go overboard re. God’s will.

5. We don’t need a Voice from Heaven to choose socks, but also not live as secularists.

C. Have A Worthy Walk V. 10

1. Bible Believer’s Commentary– “God does not reveal His will to us in order to satisfy our curiosity. Neither is it intended to cater to our ambition or pride. Rather the Lord shows us His will for our lives in order that we might please Him in all that we do.”

2. “…that you may walk…”. V. 10 flows out of V. 9.

a. Right knowledge should lead to right behavior. Purpose of knowing is responding.

b. walk– to move in a deliberate direction. To order one’s behavior. It is to be a walk of response, not of initiation. God is the initiator, we are the responders.

3. Worthy Of The Lord-

a. Worthy– having the weight of another thing. Balancing the scales; a life like Jesus’

b. Rather than seeing the impossibility of being exactly like Jesus, let us understand that the exhortation is to keep Jesus as the goal, and his life as the model for ours.

4. Fully Pleasing Him– Pleasing in every area of our lives. NIV- “in all respects”

a. No area willingly or accidentally compromised or considered unimportant.

b. No 50/50 rule, or 80/20, or 90/10, but that we would be pleasing in every area.

5. Fruitful In Every Good Work– In works, words, love, spiritual gifts, mercy, grace

a. Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

b. One of the complaints against the Church is that they don’t help anyone.

c. Being fruitful in every good work would take away honest criticism from accusers.

6. Increasing In the Knowledge Of God– How important is the idea of “knowing God?”

a. Verse 6– “knew the grace of God in truth”. Salvation-Past

b. Verse 9– “filled with the knowledge of His will”. Ongoing Christian walk-Present

c. Verse 10– “increasing in the knowledge of God”. Future growth

D. Abundant Power V. 11

1. The strengthening is from God; His power. The Christian needs strength to live this life

2. (Why do we need strength?) Answer- for all patience and longsuffering

a. Patience– to remain under (Under burdens, trials, illnesses, opposition)

b. Longsuffering– self restraint. Opposite of wrath and revenge.

3. with joy– Not w/a begrudging “grin and bear it” attitude, but w/true joy b/c of God.

E. Thankful Hearts V. 12

1. We are thankful b/c of the Big Picture. That is the attitude God wants us to have.

2. Qualified– to be able or authorized for a task.

3. It is God who makes us qualified to be partakers of all that the saints can enjoy now and shall inherit.
See verse 5- the hope laid up in heaven.