Why Pray for someone to get saved

[traveller]

IF GOD really wants "all men" to be saved, why doesn't HE do to everyone what HE did to Paul?

For the same reason God doesn't give everyone $1 Million. For some it would be a blessing and others a curse. Some people get a vision and it puffs them up and they would start prancing around like banny roosters and complete inflated with their own sense of importance. For some people, they would glorify the vision more than Christ, and for others, it would only incite their pride. God shows true visions to those He knows that He can trust with the correct response.

I hadn't thought of tht before Shiloh. Good insight, brother.

[kross]

IF GOD really wants "all men" to be saved, why doesn't HE do to everyone what HE did to Paul?

For the same reason God doesn't give everyone $1 Million. For some it would be a blessing and others a curse. Some people get a vision and it puffs them up and they would start prancing around like banny roosters and complete inflated with their own sense of importance. For some people, they would glorify the vision more than Christ, and for others, it would only incite their pride. God shows true visions to those He knows that He can trust with the correct response.

I hadn't thought of tht before Shiloh. Good insight, brother.

Millions of people die and go to hell when GOD could do to them what HE did to Paul and they would be saved. You think He doesn't do this to save them because it would cause a pride issue? Does that somehow seem worse then LAKE OF FIRE issue?

[Guest shiloh357]

Millions of people die and go to hell when GOD could do to them what HE did to Paul and they would be saved

So, it's God's fault because someone goes to hell? Are you SURE that is a road you want to travel down? God has done far more than show people a "vision," and still they reject Him.

. You think He doesn't do this to save them because it would cause a pride issue?

Parially, yes, but I will also give you another reason. Peter made this comment:

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

(2 Peter 1:16-18)

Peter is recalling what had to be the most amazing experience of His life prior to the resurrection of Jesus. Peter is at the end of his life, and he knows that he is about to die as a martyr. Usually when you are near death and you know the end of your life is near, you get around to talking about the most important things there are. Peter at the end of his life, after all that he had seen, recalls this ONE spetacular event where Jesus is transfigured and He sees Jesus in his glory, he sees the prophet Elijah and Moses, and audibly hears the voice of God from heaven!! Now I don't know about you, but if I were Peter, and I had any doubts about who Jesus was, this event would pretty much seal the lid shut for me.

Yet Peter goes and says something more:

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

(2 Peter 1:19)

After Peter had been an eyewitness to Jesus' glory and had audibly heard the voice of God, Peter said that Word of God was a more sure "word of prophecy" than His own eyewitness account. Peter trusted the Bible more than He trusted in the amazing things He heard and saw.

One reason that that most don't get visions is that we have the Bible and the Bible is far superior as a witness to the existence of God, and the reality of Christ than any vision could ever possibly hope to be.

Why precisely does God choose some to receive visions and others not to? Could be any number of reasons, but the fact is that vision or not, the way of salvation has been made plain, it has been documented in the Bible and enough evidence has been provided for anyone who is willing to believe to accept it.

For those unwilling to be convinced, no amount of evidence or proofs could ever offered to cause them to see the truth.

Also note that at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth, satan will be released and He will amass a major army from the whole earth. People who are living on the earth will join with Satan for one last assault on the Kingdom of God even though Jesus is living on earth, the existance of God cannot be denied, and there will be no debate on the truth of who Jesus is. Even in the face of undeniable proof, many millions of people will still rebel and join satan.

The problem is not a lack of evidence, but a hardness of the heart.

Does that somehow seem worse then LAKE OF FIRE issue?

I am not sure what you mean by that question.

[Smalcald]

Also, the Gospel is now free and available around the world, Paul's conversion was part of the start of that process. When Paul was converted probably less than 10,000 people at the MOST in the entire world had ever heard of Christ. Today billions of people since then have been presented with the Gospel, some listened some did not. We cannot as a human predict who will listen and who will not, we do know that no one mistakenly goes to hell, some sort of administrative screw up at the higher levels, being in the wrong place at the wrong time etc. no hell is a choice that we make, faith is a gift that we simply recieve.

Of course the question is what about those who NEVER heard any of the Gospel? Well there are several possible answers but no sure answers in this area. One would be that they will or have heard the Gospel in that period before death or maybe right after death? The other option is more straightforward, God knew that they would not believe in the first place, what can the clay say to the potter?

But I would say that I don't know and leave it at that.

[Wayfarer122]

Who is to say that God did not put us in the lives of unbelievers so that we could pray for their salvation as well as bear witness to God's saving grace?

[ayin jade]

IF GOD really wants "all men" to be saved, why doesn't HE do to everyone what HE did to Paul?

For the same reason God doesn't give everyone $1 Million. For some it would be a blessing and others a curse. Some people get a vision and it puffs them up and they would start prancing around like banny roosters and complete inflated with their own sense of importance. For some people, they would glorify the vision more than Christ, and for others, it would only incite their pride. God shows true visions to those He knows that He can trust with the correct response.

I hadn't thought of tht before Shiloh. Good insight, brother.

Millions of people die and go to hell when GOD could do to them what HE did to Paul and they would be saved. You think He doesn't do this to save them because it would cause a pride issue? Does that somehow seem worse then LAKE OF FIRE issue?

There are those who saw Jesus and refused to believe. Do you think that if God gave everyone a damascus road experience like paul that everyone would turn to the Lord?

[ayin jade]

To answer your question ...

Why pray for the lost? Because He said to pray and take everything to Him in prayer.

Philippians 4

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[irishcowboy]

It has been said that GOD does not put special effort into saving anyone. The HOLY SPIRIT will woo and those who want, will choose.

right, God has already given the Gift of Salvation, it is up to us to choose whether or not to receive it. Salvation is available to everyone, some will choose to accept it others will reject it. If I were to give you a birthday present(gift) you have a choice, you can either accept it, or reject it. if you accept it, you have a choice to either leave it closed or unwrap it. it is your choice, you can see what you have or you can just look at the pretty wrapping (the sunday comics).

if you choose to unwrap it, you then have a choice to make as to whether to just look at the nice gift or to take it out of the box and use it. how many of us have gifts that we have never unboxed much less used? some of the gifts I have received over the years have virtually no purpose or have never been used (I still have one from 1984 that has never been used, but have not found anyone else that would use it either....)

if you choose to use the gift, you have to get the instructions out to find out how to operate the gift. the Gift of Salvation is very much like that, with the Gift of Salvation, we have to accept it, then we have to unwrap it, then we have to unbox it then we have to learn how to use it.... we have several smaller gifts, we have the Fruit of the Spirit, we have the Offices, and we have the Gifts of the Spirit. we can either look at them or we can learn to operate in them. IT IS OUR CHOICE.

If GOD were going to make a special effort to save someone, would HE make that effort based on HIS will or the will of a person?

until a person tells God to leave them alone, God will continue to use His Spirit to try and bring them home........ it is our choice to accept or reject, God will still love us, and He yearns to have us with Him. as any dad would want is to have their son (or daughter ) to come and sit with him, to share time with him. but as with many dads, they do not have their children wanting to spend any time with them, as we are with God, HOW MUCH TIME DO WE WANT TO SPEND WITH GOD, OUR FATHER.

Who should decide who is going to live with GOD for all eternity, us or HIM?

it is our choice

If it were my house, I would choose who comes in and who is left out. (LIke the man at the wedding feast)

it is us that chooses, if we choose to be clean we will be invited in, if we choose to live in sin, we will be cast out, our choice.

So, if GOD is going to do something out of the ordinary, some special effort to save who we pray for, why not pray for everyone so GOD will do this for all men?

that is what we are suppose to be doing....... example; a boy was blamed for something that he did not do by a man that said the boy did it, with out no proof and with out seeing anything that happened. this man was nasty, baligerant, and well, really just not nice. prayer was said for this man for many many days, a few years, one day the man came over started taking to the father of the boy and was really nice to him and since then was really nice. the prayers went from being focused on the man and changing him, they changed and were focused on the father of the boy praying for the man to the father praying for himself to be more loving towards the man prior to the man coming over and being nice. we are to pray for each other and for those that are not saved, that they have help in RECEIVING salvation, and the Holy Spirit.

not all people will accept the salvation, it is their choice.

If GOD is doing all HE can to save all men, I gotta say HE is failing. If, on the other hand, HE is saving who HE wants, than HE probably has a perfect record. ("All that the FATHER gives ME will come to ME and of them I will loose none" Says JESUS)

God does not want robots. God wants us to love Him with out being forced. one of the most awesome things that I have found is when a child gives me a hug, with out being told to. (like when you go to your long lost aunts house and she is wearing the most aweful perfume known to man, and your mom (or dad) want you to go give her a hug) when a hug has to be asked for, there is no joy, when the hug comes from a voluntary source it is so warm and wonderful. if you have to ask your child for a hug every day, it gets old, but if your child hugs you because he (or she) wants to it is new new new, every time it is wonderful every time.

God wants us to love Him voluntarily........

IF GOD really wants "all men" to be saved, why doesn't HE do to everyone what HE did to Paul?

Does God have to force Himself on us all? would it be choice? do we really need all these signs and wonders?

Paul Loved God, and thought he was doing everything right. when it became clear to him that he was sinning against God, he repented and it ultimately cost him his life, for he always loved God.

Just questions that run through my head.

just a few things that ran through me.

[kross]

Millions of people die and go to hell when GOD could do to them what HE did to Paul and they would be saved

So, it's God's fault because someone goes to hell? Are you SURE that is a road you want to travel down? God has done far more than show people a "vision," and still they reject Him.

. You think He doesn't do this to save them because it would cause a pride issue?

Parially, yes, but I will also give you another reason. Peter made this comment:

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

(2 Peter 1:16-18)

Peter is recalling what had to be the most amazing experience of His life prior to the resurrection of Jesus. Peter is at the end of his life, and he knows that he is about to die as a martyr. Usually when you are near death and you know the end of your life is near, you get around to talking about the most important things there are. Peter at the end of his life, after all that he had seen, recalls this ONE spetacular event where Jesus is transfigured and He sees Jesus in his glory, he sees the prophet Elijah and Moses, and audibly hears the voice of God from heaven!! Now I don't know about you, but if I were Peter, and I had any doubts about who Jesus was, this event would pretty much seal the lid shut for me.

Yet Peter goes and says something more:

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

(2 Peter 1:19)

After Peter had been an eyewitness to Jesus' glory and had audibly heard the voice of God, Peter said that Word of God was a more sure "word of prophecy" than His own eyewitness account. Peter trusted the Bible more than He trusted in the amazing things He heard and saw.

One reason that that most don't get visions is that we have the Bible and the Bible is far superior as a witness to the existence of God, and the reality of Christ than any vision could ever possibly hope to be.

Why precisely does God choose some to receive visions and others not to? Could be any number of reasons, but the fact is that vision or not, the way of salvation has been made plain, it has been documented in the Bible and enough evidence has been provided for anyone who is willing to believe to accept it.

For those unwilling to be convinced, no amount of evidence or proofs could ever offered to cause them to see the truth.

Also note that at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth, satan will be released and He will amass a major army from the whole earth. People who are living on the earth will join with Satan for one last assault on the Kingdom of God even though Jesus is living on earth, the existance of God cannot be denied, and there will be no debate on the truth of who Jesus is. Even in the face of undeniable proof, many millions of people will still rebel and join satan.

The problem is not a lack of evidence, but a hardness of the heart.

Does that somehow seem worse then LAKE OF FIRE issue?

I am not sure what you mean by that question.

To put it out there clearly, I thingk GOD decided before HE started creating who would be saved and who HE would not save. No person makes a choice for GOD outside of HIS Spirit working a change in them to make that choice. Thus, the LAMB's book of life was sealed from the foundations of the world.

All men are slaves to sin and Satan until they are set free by an act of GOD. Sin and Satan will not lead a man to GOD.

[kross]

IF GOD really wants "all men" to be saved, why doesn't HE do to everyone what HE did to Paul?

For the same reason God doesn't give everyone $1 Million. For some it would be a blessing and others a curse. Some people get a vision and it puffs them up and they would start prancing around like banny roosters and complete inflated with their own sense of importance. For some people, they would glorify the vision more than Christ, and for others, it would only incite their pride. God shows true visions to those He knows that He can trust with the correct response.

I hadn't thought of tht before Shiloh. Good insight, brother.

Millions of people die and go to hell when GOD could do to them what HE did to Paul and they would be saved. You think He doesn't do this to save them because it would cause a pride issue? Does that somehow seem worse then LAKE OF FIRE issue?

There are those who saw Jesus and refused to believe. Do you think that if God gave everyone a damascus road experience like paul that everyone would turn to the Lord?

I believe GOD knows exactly what it wouold take to save anyone HE wants. I am absolutely certain of that. And, I believe HE saves exactly who HE wants to save by doing and establishing the situation that brings them to salvation.