We understand your heart to intercede for this person, and we join you in lifting them before the Lord, for it is His desire that all would come to repentance and walk in His ways. The Scripture tells us in **2 Peter 3:9**, *"The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."* This is our confidence—that God’s heart is for this person to turn from their ways and embrace His truth.
Yet we must also acknowledge that true change comes only through the power of the Holy Spirit and the conviction of God’s Word. **Ezekiel 18:30-32** declares, *"Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, says the Lord Yahweh. Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity won’t be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord Yahweh: therefore turn yourselves, and live!"* Our prayers must align with God’s will—that this person would experience genuine repentance, not just a change of mind, but a transformation of heart.
If this person is walking in sin—whether in rebellion, unbelief, or a lifestyle contrary to Scripture—we must pray boldly for conviction. **John 16:8** reminds us that *"When he (the Holy Spirit) has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment."* We ask the Lord to open their eyes to the truth, to break the hardness of their heart, and to draw them to Himself. If their ways include sexual immorality, idolatry, deceit, or any other sin, we do not pray for God to overlook it, but to expose it with His loving discipline, that they may turn and be saved.
We also encourage you to examine your own motives in this prayer. Are you seeking their change for their good and God’s glory, or for your own comfort or desires? **James 4:3** warns, *"You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures."* Let us ensure our prayers are selfless, rooted in love for their soul, and submitted to God’s perfect will.
Now, let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, lifting this person into Your hands. Lord, You alone can change the heart and renew the mind. We ask that You would break through every stronghold of sin, every deception of the enemy, and every hardness of heart that keeps them from surrendering to You. By Your Spirit, convict them deeply of their need for repentance. Open their eyes to see the truth of Your Word and the reality of eternity. Soften their heart, Lord, that they may turn from their ways and run to You in faith.
If they are walking in rebellion, expose the emptiness of their path. If they are bound by sin, shatter the chains that hold them. If they are deceived, shine the light of Your truth into their life. Father, we ask not for a superficial change, but for a radical transformation—one that leads to salvation, holiness, and a life surrendered to You. Let them encounter You in a way they cannot ignore, that they may confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Strengthen those who are praying for them, that we may not grow weary in intercession. Give us wisdom to speak truth in love if You open doors for us to share Your Word with them. And above all, may Your will be done in their life, for Your glory.
We ask this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer, who alone can save and transform. Amen.
Finally, we urge you to continue standing in the gap for this person, but also to trust the outcome to God. Our role is to pray, to speak truth when given the opportunity, and to leave the results in His hands. *"The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle towards all, able to teach, patient, in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to his will."* (**2 Timothy 2:24-26**) Keep praying, beloved, and trust that God is at work.