Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
You’ve clicked on a website to pray for a lost soul. You may feel the burden of wanting someone you know to be saved through Jesus Christ.
Where do you start? How do you pray? What should you pray?
With any of these five powerful prayers for a lost soul, you can begin to pray for that person who is on your heart. You are not required to use the exact words in these prayers, but rather use them to get you started praying to God. Feel free to alter the prayers as needed for your precise circumstance.
It is vital to couch prayers like these (or really any prayers) in the solid foundation of Scripture. Verses are quoted at length here to give you the depth and context needed for understanding before you pray. As you read the Bible verses paired with each prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth and open your heart to discernment.
Then, as you pray, you pray from a foundation of God’s Word. As you pray, your own personal prayer requests may rise to the surface. We encourage you to share them below in the comments section. Keep praying!
As Jesus traveled around Israel, he would often walk through towns and encounter people. The following story shares such an incident, which can be helpful as you pray for a lost soul in your neighborhood.
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19.1-10, NIV).
Prayer For a Lost Soul in Your Neighborhood
Dear Lord God, I come to you in prayer for my neighbor (neighbor’s name). He says he doesn’t believe in you much at all and doesn’t need “any religious nonsense.” I agree with him, Lord, I don’t want any nonsense either!
I lift him to you, that you may soften his heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. I ask that you help me live out my belief and faith in Jesus as I live around him. I pray that he may come to salvation in due time. I make this prayer through Jesus, Amen.
Another time, Jesus told a story about a family that was being torn apart by anger and selfishness.
“Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.13
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.17
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
20 So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”(Luke 15.11-32, NIV).
Our family members are typically the people closest to us and so we will feel a heavy burden for them to be saved. Think about the father’s love for his son in this story as you begin to pray.
Prayer For a Lost Soul in Your Family
Lord Jesus, I pray for my (family member), who is lost. They have no interest in you Jesus and think being saved is “just a crutch for weak people.” I’ve tried many different ways of explaining you to them, but they don’t want to listen.
I think that I will not be the one who will influence (family member) to consider you, Lord. So, I pray for a divine appointment to enter into their life. May their paths cross at the right time so that your truth will break through and they will know of your love and grace and mercy. I lift this prayer in your mighty name, Amen.
If you work outside of the home, you likely spend 40+ hours around other people, some of whom may not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. You may be thinking of someone right now that you want to pray for. Stand on the promise and hope of this scripture from the Gospel of John. Imagine the place that Jesus has prepared for us as you pray.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him” (John 14.1-7, NIV).
Prayer For a Lost Soul at Work
Dear God in heaven, I give you thanks for awakening me to the influence I could have with people at work in regards to you and your grace. I don’t want to be preachy or anything, but I can live my life of faith in a way while I work, so that people may be curious as to why I am the way I am.
I know I don’t need to be perfect and I can only do any of this through the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to especially prayer for (coworker). We work together a lot so I’m asking for my “Jesus-ness” to rub off on her. May she see the hope that I have in the midst of varying circumstances.
I pray that she may come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, and it is in his name I pray, Amen.
School can be a challenging environment to live a life of faith in Jesus, much less talk about him with others. Consider this encouragement from James:
“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5.19-20, NIV).
Prayer For a Lost Soul at School
Dear God, I pray for my whole school. There are so many problems here and people act so snotty toward each other. I want to be a good witness for you, especially with (fellow student).
Since we have a few classes together, I ask for your favor as I strike up conversations with him. May the Holy Spirit guide my words and thoughts. I know he is lost and he has opened up a bit about how empty he feels. May you bring about his salvation and fill him with your love and grace. I pray this through Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.
The following scripture is perhaps the most well-known Bible verse in the world. It’s been printed on signs at sporting events, on bumper stickers, t-shirts, and on various social media posts. It’s so familiar that we can miss out on the depth of truth that is there, especially with the verses that come after it.
God’s heart is for the world–the whole world. This means everyone. No one is excluded from God’s desire for them to know they are loved. So, while you may have prayed for a specific person with one of the prayers above, this prayer is more of a general prayer for lost souls everywhere.
“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.(John 3.16-18, NIV).
Short Prayer for Lost Souls in the World
God, I lift my voice and heart to you in prayer for the lost souls in the world. I know there are billions of people who do not know you as their Redeemer, as their Forgiver. I pray for preachers and missionaries and teachers and radio and internet outreach and so much more–all ways for people to hear of your great love for them.
I pray against any obstacles to people hearing of your love. I pray their hearts are receptive when they do hear. I pray for them to respond to what they experience. I pray for their salvation, Lord. In the merciful and loving name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Final Thoughts
You can pray for many things. Simply click through the 100+ prayers on this website covering everything from financial matters to finding the truth or finding lost pets. You can see that you can pray to God about anything, any time.
But praying for a lost soul is a very special and specific type of prayer. It’s prayer centered on love. Your love for the person, God’s love for the person, and how to bring those together. Consider pondering the truth of this reminder from the Apostle John as you pray.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15.9-12, NIV).
If it is all about love, then begin to live your love by praying for the lost souls around you, and see what God does through your prayers!