Do you have friends or family members that don't know God (or don't have a relationship with Him)? Chances are you do. The Bible says that people who are lost are surrounded in darkness and cannot see the truth. How do we get them to see the truth? Maybe you've tried talking to them. Maybe you've tried praying for them. Sometimes the effort seems futile because some people seem like they will never change. I've heard the doubts that prayer will even work on someone who refuses to know God. After all God's not going to make them come to Him. There is freedom of choice and accepting God is a choice they alone can make.
But if this helps - let me offer another perspective.
Imagine you are in a cave. It is pitch black and you are completely lost as to which direction you should go. Suddenly you see a flicker of light. Your first and natural instinct is to take a step toward that light. Though it may be small it offers you a tiny bit of hope. But suddenly the light disappears. You stop - unsure of where to go. You are once again surrounded in darkness. Your eyes begin to adjust to the darkness and there may be times when you actually forget you're in the darkness. But although you may be able to see the hand in front of your face and you've learned to cope with your environment, you're still in the dark. You are still lost.
Imagine a rescue worker at the exit of the cave. He has a tool to help him see in the dark - a flashlight. If he turns on his flashlight for a brief second, the light makes its way to you for a brief second. The flicker of light is helpful but not as helpful as it would be if he kept the flashlight on and shining in your direction. A solid stream of light would draw you to the exit - to the point of being rescued (of being saved).
Now imagine your loved one is in the darkness and you are the rescue worker. You have been given a great tool by God (prayer) to shine light into your loved one's life. Only the light that shines from your flashlight is not an ordinary light. It is the Light of truth. We can choose to turn our prayer flashlight on or leave it off. When we turn it on (when we pray), God's light of truth is generated and shines into the darkness. We are calling on God's truth to shine in the direction of our loved one. I believe every time we pray we turn on a light for someone in the dark to see. And the more we pray - the stronger the light. I mentioned in a previous post that I'm committed to pray for people in intervals of 40 days. You may have a different prayer plan. For me praying 40 days creates a constant light stream. A more continuous stream of light is easier to see than flickers of light. I believe the more dedicated we are in prayer the longer God's light will shine. The longer the shine, the more inviting it becomes. Maybe this is why we are told to "pray continually" (1 Thess 5:17). Your friend or loved one still has a choice to make. But by praying - we at least provide a choice. We can provide a source of hope that might not have been visible to them before.
John 12:35 - So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
John 12:46 - I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
One final thought - God provided the tool for us to use. He wants us to shine the light. He wants us to pray. I Samual 12:23 says: "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you." Think how different the world would look if it was filled with light. Let me encourage you to turn your flashlight on.
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