How did you meet God? For some people, God is someone they have known all their lives. For others, God is the gracious person they first heard of from a friend or even a stranger. And for many who have carried burdens on their back for too long, God was the person they finally confided in when they could no longer hold back their tears. We each meet God in different ways, but what a wonderful feeling it is to finally have a Best Friend, a merciful Redeemer, a Loving Creator, and a protective Defender.
Still, there are many who have yet to know God. With this prayer, you can ask the Lord to help them know Him and His Word.
Prayer for a non believer
Divine Redeemer,
I once was lost in the depths of sin and darkness, but Your boundless grace found me and healed me. For Your mercies, I am forever grateful. No amount of time is enough for me to count my blessings and thank You for them one by one. Forgive me for having fallen short of Your glory, for the many times I succumbed to the devil’s tempting whispers. Still, You snatched me out of his grasp and welcomed me in Your embrace as if I were the most perfect and precious child. Great is Your mercy, O God, for it heals not only the sick but also the guilty.
Today I offer this prayer for unbelievers who remind me of who I once was: lost, weary, and alone. May You shine Your Heavenly light upon them so that they may be blinded away from the ignorance of their past beliefs. I pray that You will guide them as they walk through life by following the path of righteousness and that one day, I will be able to see them praising Your Name and rejoicing together in Heaven.
Help them feel Your love for them, and assure them that You are carefully preparing a bright and wonderful future for them. When their darkest days arrive, I hope that they will remember how I shared the Gospel with them, and they finally lay down their burdens before You. When that time comes, I hope that they will bow before You on bended knee, begging You to save them from the misery of a faithless life. What a beautiful sight it will be for them to behold Your glory and watch as hope and wonder bloom on their once tired features.
Heavenly Father, send forth Your Gospel to chase away the darkness and uncertainties in their lives. Amidst the shadow of sinfulness, unholiness, and temptations, let there be light.
Amen.
Short prayer for unbelievers
Gracious God,
Today I pray for those who have not yet seen the light, for the weary hearts who have not yet placed their trust and faith in You. Direct their paths, Lord, and lead them to salvation. Have mercy on them, and inspire them to be Christian stewards and evangelists. May Your Gospel touch their hearts with love and inspiration so that they may feel the glory of knowing You.
Amen.
The Word of God
but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you
1 Peter 3:15 NRSVUE
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Matthew 28:19 NRSVUE
Intercessory prayer to Saint Augustine and Saint Monica
Saint Monica, Saint Augustine,
Your story of faith and conversion has inspired many Christians, but today I pray not for the devout but for those who have not yet known the Lord.
Saint Monica, God used you to bring the Gospel to your household. Throughout your life, you had been His loyal servant, sending His message to your husband and son. Thank You for helping St. Augustine reflect on God and helping him discover His passion through faith.
Saint Augustine, you restlessly sought the truth, and your pursuit brought you to many doorsteps. However, nothing satisfied the hunger of your soul until you were led back to God, the God whom your mother, Saint Monica, introduced to you as a child. Throughout your life, you have seen many false deities and unholy beliefs. You have committed many follies too, but great is the grace of God, who granted you not just mercy but also passion – passion for helping others discover the Lord. Under His royal banner, You built devoted communities that inspired others to put down the false riches of the world and instead work for His glory. You have saved many souls from eternal punishment by showing them the blinding truth: that God is our Divine Redeemer and Jesus Christ is the only path to Heaven.
I offer this prayer for people who do not believe in God to both of you. Touch them with the Gospel, and may the Holy Spirit fill them with inspiration to go out and teach God’s Word to others. Both of you are in a better position to know the Lord’s will for me, and I know that with both of you joining me in this prayer, they will be more effective. May You pray for all who are faithless and have yet to meet the Lord.
Further reflection
There’s a story of how a student curiously asked a professor this question: “Why did God create atheists, and what can we learn from them?”
The professor thoughtfully replied that atheists and unbelievers teach us the lesson of true kindness and compassion, one that is not fueled by religious obligation. Atheists do not believe in God (and so do not abide by what the Bible says about being generous and compassionate to others). So whenever they perform an act of kindness and care, it is from the goodness of their hearts, not because they feel compelled to do so.
The professor also added a profound piece of advice that when someone asks you for help, do not say that you will pray for God to help them. Instead, ‘become an atheist’ by helping them with your own hands. In this way, you are not only acting as a third party asking God to help the less fortunate, but you are purposefully letting God use you as an instrument to help others.
This encounter not only teaches us that God created everything with a purpose (even if we don’t understand it at the moment) and that, as Christians, we should not discriminate against unbelievers. Instead, we should look at the positive side and patiently teach them the Word of God because, in reality, many of them are just as kind, compassionate, and down-to-earth or maybe even more so.
The next time you meet someone who doesn’t know the Lord yet, take the time to sit down with them, teach them, and offer a prayer for non believer so that the Lord God can fill his/her mind with the truth.
