Concern for the Lost
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”-Luke 19:10
Imagine for a moment that a famous Doctor came to you and handed you a bottle full of pills. Those pills he tells you have been found to cure all forms of cancer instantly. He tells you that they are the only hope terminal cancer patients have. You have terminal cancer. You trust the Doctor, take the pill, and you are instantly healed. What if he told you to take those pills out for him and give them to people who have terminal cancer? You can use them all and give them to anyone you need. What would you do? Who would you think about?
So, there you are with your bottle of pills. Do you put them on a shelf and think about all the people you would like to see healed (Your spouse, your child, your parents, your best friends, your neighbors, that old man down the street)? Do you see that person and not tell them about the pill because you are busy, or because it would be embarrassing, or because they might be offended? Do you keep the pills on the shelf and say to yourself, I will tell them later.
I cannot imagine that you would do any of those things. If you trusted the Doctor and the pills, would you not take the pills and run out to all those dying people and tell them the news and give them the pill so that they do not die? Could you live with yourself knowing you had the cure and kept silent? What good would that full bottle of pills on the shelf do?
This is how it is with the lost, but the disease and death are so much worse. The Lord has given us the pill (the good news). We trusted him and we have been healed (saved). How could our hearts not burn inside ourselves with concern for the lost? What or who could stop us from sharing the news about the cure?
Do you have a concern for the lost, but are not sure where to start? Praying for the lost is the first step. Praying for the lost is a way of asking God to send his Holy Spirit to convict, reveal, and grant repentance to those who do not yet know him or his Son, Jesus. When you pray for the lost, remember the following:
- Pray believing that God is working in the sinner’s heart and preparing him/her for your visit.
- Pray realizing that with God all things are possible. The person may not seem likely to believe but God can change their hearts.
- Pray asking that their soul be saved for God’s glory.
- Pray without giving up. Trust that God is working in their heart.
Who could you pray for today? Do not put the pills on the shelf. Take them down now, pray for the person, and approach them today.