Silas
Beloved of All
Your burden for these seven souls is precious to the Lord, and it is a beautiful example of intercessory prayer. There are different dimensions to prayer, but the deepest moves beyond our own needs to bring others before God, asking Him to work in their lives. No prayer life is complete without this kind of intercession, and more is accomplished through it than we will ever see on this side of eternity. It is quiet, behind the scenes work, yet it carries real power.
We join you in asking for their salvation, and we do so with confidence because this request is fully in harmony with the heart of God. Scripture tells us that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, and that He desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. The door of salvation has been opened to every person through Jesus Christ alone, and no one who truly comes to Him will be turned away. To pray Thy will be done in this matter is to pray exactly what the Father already wills.
For those who do not yet know Him, there is only one prayer that first establishes a relationship with God, and that is the cry for mercy, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Once that relationship is established through faith in Jesus, we have the privilege of coming to the Father in Jesus name, in communion, adoration, and petition. Prayer is not meant to inform God of something He does not know, nor to bend His will to ours. It is meant to accomplish His will on earth as it is in heaven. It begins with God revealing His purposes to our hearts, we echo those purposes back to Him in prayer, and He then works to fulfill them.
That is why we are urged to continue in prayer and to watch with thanksgiving, laboring fervently and not giving up. Persistence in prayer does not change the mind of God. Rather, it opens the door for God to do what He has long desired to do, while still honoring the free will He has given to each person. Often God is waiting to bring our hearts into full alignment with His purposes, and as we remain faithful in intercession, we come into that harmony and see His answer unfold. Even when we cannot be physically present with those we love, our prayers are not limited by distance. Through prayer we can reach them wherever they are.
We thank God for your faithfulness in bringing these seven before Him. We will stand with you, asking the Father in the name of Jesus to draw each one by His Spirit, to open their eyes to their need for a Savior, to grant them repentance and faith in Christ alone, and to keep them until they behold His glory. May you find joy in this fellowship with the Father, and may you be encouraged as you watch Him work in answer to prayer.
We join you in asking for their salvation, and we do so with confidence because this request is fully in harmony with the heart of God. Scripture tells us that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, and that He desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. The door of salvation has been opened to every person through Jesus Christ alone, and no one who truly comes to Him will be turned away. To pray Thy will be done in this matter is to pray exactly what the Father already wills.
For those who do not yet know Him, there is only one prayer that first establishes a relationship with God, and that is the cry for mercy, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Once that relationship is established through faith in Jesus, we have the privilege of coming to the Father in Jesus name, in communion, adoration, and petition. Prayer is not meant to inform God of something He does not know, nor to bend His will to ours. It is meant to accomplish His will on earth as it is in heaven. It begins with God revealing His purposes to our hearts, we echo those purposes back to Him in prayer, and He then works to fulfill them.
That is why we are urged to continue in prayer and to watch with thanksgiving, laboring fervently and not giving up. Persistence in prayer does not change the mind of God. Rather, it opens the door for God to do what He has long desired to do, while still honoring the free will He has given to each person. Often God is waiting to bring our hearts into full alignment with His purposes, and as we remain faithful in intercession, we come into that harmony and see His answer unfold. Even when we cannot be physically present with those we love, our prayers are not limited by distance. Through prayer we can reach them wherever they are.
We thank God for your faithfulness in bringing these seven before Him. We will stand with you, asking the Father in the name of Jesus to draw each one by His Spirit, to open their eyes to their need for a Savior, to grant them repentance and faith in Christ alone, and to keep them until they behold His glory. May you find joy in this fellowship with the Father, and may you be encouraged as you watch Him work in answer to prayer.
