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A PRAYER FOR Whosoever

Is there anyone you know whom you consider to be “unsaveable”? By that, I mean they have rejected God for so long and in so many ways that it would take a miracle for God to reach them. (Don’t forget, it takes the miracle of the new birth for God to reach any of us!) Some people, it seems, have lived in such a callous and brazen way that their hearts would never soften toward the person of Christ.

One such person was Mel Trotter, the son of a godly mother and a drunken father. Growing up in the late nineteenth century in Illinois, Mel’s mother tried to influence him for Christ and to teach him to pray. But he and his brothers helped their father tend the bar in a saloon, and Mel soon was on the road to alcoholism himself. He became a barber, got married, and soon became involved in petty theft as a way to support his addiction to alcohol. He would leave home for extended periods of time, and

on one occasion he returned home to find his small son dead. He even sold the shoes his child was to be buried in to get more money for liquor.

Mel Trotter became a destitute, degraded drunkard. Yet his mother and his wife never stopped praying for him, as well as another friend who was praying for him and witnessing to him about Christ.

On January 19, 1897, Trotter was in Chicago. In the dead of winter, he had sold his own shoes to buy more drink and was utterly destitute and alone. His thoughts turned to plunging himself in the freezing waters of Lake Michigan and ending it all. He “happened” to walk by the front door of the Pacific Garden Mission where a hospitable doorman urged him to come in and get help. He went in and listened to a sermon preached by Harry Monroe and committed his life to Christ. In a short time, Mel Trotter joined Monroe in traveling all over the region preaching the Gospel. In 1900, he was made superintendent of a branch of the Pacific Garden Mission which opened in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For the rest of his life, Mel Trotter ministered to “whosoevers” who were as “unsaveable” as he was,

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helping to open 67 more rescue missions in cities across the United States. He was known across America as “The happiest man in the world,” and “The man who raves about Jesus.”

Mel Trotter used to say, “I had the deafest ears, and the hardest heart, of any man in Chicago. But when my friend prayed for me and told me about Jesus’ love on the cross, it broke my heart and changed my life, and now I belong to Christ” (italics added).

Was Mel Trotter “unsaveable”? In the world’s eyes, yes—but not in the eyes of the friend who unceasingly prayed for his salvation. Jesus saved Mel Trotter because faithful loved ones interceded for him until he was saved.

Mel Trotter was a “whosoever.” Someone interceded for him, and he called on the name of the Lord and was gloriously saved. The same thing can happen to the “whosoevers” in your life. Will you become an intercessor for them?

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Eli the priest warned his sinful sons that there would be no one to intercede for them if they continued to sin against God (1 Samuel 2:25).

The prophet Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would one day intercede for sinners (Isaiah 53:12).

The apostle Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27).

Jesus Christ is the great intercessor on behalf of the saints, speaking to God for us at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).

So intercessory prayer is prayer offered on behalf of others. But something else marks true intercession.

The Passion of Intercessory Prayer

In the examples above, did you notice a consistent theme? Intercession is not found in contexts of ongoing needs—prayers of that sort are called petitions (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV). Rather, intercessory prayers are offered in moments of

The Principle of Intercessory Prayer

It is tempting, but erroneous, to think of all prayer in the spiritual life as the same. There are prayers of praise, prayers of petition, prayers of lamentation and grief, prayers for deliverance, prayers of confession—and prayers of intercession. We don’t always know our “whosoever’s” exact geographic location, spiritual condition, or personal needs—and intercessory prayer doesn’t require all those details. Intercessory prayer requires only that one person pray for another person who needs God’s help. If you know the details, fine—you can pray even more intelligently and specifically. But if you don’t know, you can pray anyway. God knows everything about the person you are praying for and can answer your prayer.

Scripture is filled with examples of intercessory prayer. Note the consistency of one person praying for another:

Moses promised to intercede for Pharaoh and the people of Egypt (Exodus 8:9). In fact, Pharaoh actually asked Moses to intercede for him (Exodus 8:28).

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Fortunately, he had four friends who interceded for him in a rather unique way. They tore away the roof of the crowded house where Jesus was teaching and lowered their friend, lying on his mat, right down in front of Jesus!

The simplest definition of an intercessor is a person who takes others to Jesus. Today, the way we take people to Jesus who are unable to get there on their own is through intercessory prayer. Just like the paralytic’s friends did, we go boldly into the presence of God. By prayer, we go “boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

What is the most desperate and urgent need of every person alive today? It is to be saved from spiritual paralysis; it is to be healed from the effects of the life-taking disease of sin; it is to be delivered from the waters of judgment which will pour down like a torrent upon all whose sins have not been washed away by the living water offered by Jesus Christ.

People who have not been born-again through faith in Christ don’t know their greatest need is to be saved. That’s why intercessors must take them to

great crisis; situations which could be called life-or-death—times when we cry out to God to do something to save the person(s) for whom we are concerned.

Intercession is prayer with passion. Intercession is not prayer-as-usual. Intercession is pleading with God in times of great danger. Intercession is recognizing that someone is facing great trouble and distress and without the interceding hand of God, all may be lost. Intercession is batten-down-the-hatches and bar-the-door prayer. It’s “I’m not getting up off my knees until I know God has answered” prayer. Intercession is high-wire, death-defying, praying-without-a-net prayer. It’s what you do when your time is up and a life is at stake. Intercession is prayer with passion.

The Primary Purpose of Intercessory Prayer

I know of no clearer illustration of the primary purpose of intercessory prayer than the story of Jesus healing the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12). The paralytic was a helpless man who needed to get to Jesus to be healed. But he had no ability to get there on his own.

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“whosoevers,” meditate on these promises from God regarding prayer:

“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears” (Psalms 18:6).

“Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17).

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

“He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you” (Isaiah 30:19b).

“Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am’” (Isaiah 58:9).

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

Jesus; they will not get there on their own. Therefore, the primary purpose of intercessory prayer today is to bring Jesus those who do not know Him—family members, co-workers, friends and neighbors, government leaders, all the “whosoevers” of this world.

Who do you know that needs to be brought to Jesus and be saved? That person is your “whosoever.” Are you passionate enough about their need to take up residence at the throne of grace until they are healed for all eternity by Jesus? If you are willing to pray, God promises He will hear your prayers.

Promises for Intercessory Prayer

Prayer is only as good as the deity to whom it is directed. Intercessory prayers offered to idols and false gods will result in no one’s deliverance or salvation, regardless of how passionately they are prayed. But intercessory prayers—in fact, prayers of every kind—offered to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Scripture, will be heard and answered. As you begin to pray for your

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“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14).

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).

If we couple these verses with 2 Peter 3:9, we are equipped to pray for those who do not know Jesus: “The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” We have already seen that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The Lord is willing for “whosoever” to be brought to Jesus. The only question that remains is this: Are we willing to become intercessors on behalf of those who have not gone to Jesus on their own?

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Who would have expected you or me to come to Christ? Aren’t you glad someone expected the unexpected and interceded for you?

Don’t give up. Winston Churchill is famous for telling a group of English schoolboys during World War 2, “Never, never, never, never . . . never give up!” Actually, Jesus was the first to give students that advice—His own disciples. And the subject of His words was prayer: “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). The parable was about a widow who bothered a judge so persistently that he finally gave in and met her demand for justice. Paul said that because he had received mercy from God he would not “lose heart” in seeing others receive it as well (2 Corinthians 4:1). Jesus said that those who ask boldly, refusing to take “No” for an answer, will be heard (Luke 11:5-13).

How long did it take you to come to Christ? Aren’t you glad those praying for you didn’t give up?

As you prepare for your ministry of intercession, here are some

thoughts that will help:

Expect the unexpected. Are you thinking of someone who needs to know Jesus, but in your opinion, is the last person who would ever bow before Him in humble surrender? God seems to specialize in doing that which we least expect. Who would have expected a Jewish rabbi named Saul, the chief persecutor of Christians, to embrace Jesus and become the greatest evangelist in history (Acts 9:1-19)? Who would have expected a wretched English slave trader named John Newton to find Christ and write “Amazing Grace,” the most recognized hymn in the world? Who would have expected a British attorney named George Lyttelton, who set out to disprove the conversion experience of the apostle Paul, to become a worshiper of Paul’s Savior? Who would have expected a drunkard named Mel Trotter, who sold the shoes his dead child was supposed to be buried in so as to buy another drink, to find Christ in a “skid row” mission and open 67 more missions to reach the down-and-out in America?

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Keep a “Whosoever Journal.” The life of an intercessor is a disciplined life. The prayers for those whom you want to be saved may not be answered overnight. Sometimes the length of time we are called to intercede results in an amazing spiritual work in our own lives. And a journal is the best way to keep track of how you are praying, how God is answering, and what He is showing you along the way. Get a notebook, or use your computer—the method is not critical. Record the promises of God from Scripture. Write out your prayers for the person you are praying for. Put down on paper the reasons why you want this person to be saved. The discipline of writing forces you to think slowly and clearly—and to pray that way as well.

I don’t know if the person who prayed you into the kingdom kept a journal or not. But I know you are glad he kept your name written on his heart, and maybe on a prayer list as well. A journal is nothing more than the record of a journey—one your “whosoevers” will thank you for someday.

Pray with faith. Whenever we talk about praying persistently, it is easy for prayer to take on the character of a mantra—something we do mindlessly a certain number of times until the answer comes. Not so! Prayer is a faith-work, an exercise of reasoning with God by faith over the salvation of lost souls. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and he who prays without faith ought to expect nothing in return (James 1:6-7). When Abraham was concerned about family members in the city of Sodom who could be destroyed in God’s judgment, by faith he reasoned with God for mercy—and he got it (Genesis 18:16-33). Faith could be called confidence in the character and promises of God. The one interceding for the “whosoevers” in his life will take these words of Jesus to heart: “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24). Heaven alone will reveal the faithful reasoning with God that took place over the eternal state of your soul and mind. Aren’t you glad that whoever prayed for you also believed you?

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Sometimes it helps to know how to pray for the “whosoevers” you are praying for. Following are

some sample prayers to help you get started. Expand them, personalize them, and write out

your own as you gain experience as an intercessor. The intercessor’s journey begins with the very first prayer—so step out in faith as you anticipate what

God is going to do.

(In the following prayers, insert your whosoever’s name when you see a blank.)

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May my Christian walk be an exampleof the transforming power of the Gospel.

Give me the strength, power, and patienceto find every opportunity to share

my faith and Your goodness with ___________.

I know that if my whosoever will call uponYour name, You will give ___________ eternal life.

Father, I lift up this dear soul to Youand pray for ___________’s soon salvation.

May he/she believe on Jesus Christ and be saved.

A Prayer for Whosoever

Your Word promises that if whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord

he/she shall be saved!

Today I claim that promisefor my whosoever.

I pray ____________ would fully understandthe magnitude of his/her sin andthe grace and forgiveness that You

offer him/her through the shed blood of Your Son.

My heart’s desire is that ___________will soon accept Jesus Christ

as personal Savior.

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A Prayer for a Husband

Heavenly Father,

I bring before You in prayer my husband ________.

I thank You for the privilege of spending my life on earth with him, but I long to know that I will have

fellowship with him in heaven as well.

Please touch ________’s heart with Your grace and love, and open his eyes to see the salvation You have

provided in Christ.

Help me to be a living testimony of the power of Christ to change lives.

I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, the Great Intercessor, Amen.

A Prayer for a WifeHeavenly Father,

I bring before You in prayer my wife ________.

I thank You for the privilege of spending my life on earth with her, but I long to know that I will have

fellowship with her in heaven as well.

Please touch ________’s heart with Your grace and love, and open her eyes to see the salvation

You have provided in Christ.

Help me to be a living testimony of the powerof Christ to change lives.

I ask these things in Christ’s name, Amen.

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A Prayer for a ChildHeavenly Father,

Thank You for the priceless gift of my child ________.

My greatest joy would be to see him/her come to know you as his/her Father in heaven; to learn to

trust You for every care and need in life.

Please help me, as ________’s parent, to reflect Your character every day so he/she can get to know

You through my life.

Please give ________ the gift of faith that he/she may believe on Christ and be saved.

I ask this in Christ’s name, amen.

A Prayer for a Dad

Heavenly Father,

How grateful I am for my father.

Even though he raised me without faith in Christ, he gave of himself in many ways, the best he knew how,

and I am grateful for all he did.

Father, help me to repay what I was given by giving the love of Christ to him. Help me to honor and

serve my parent in such a way that a hope for eternal life might be quickened in his heart.

Please don’t allow his life on earth to end without his life in heaven beginning.

I pray this in Christ’s name, Amen.

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A Prayer for a MomHeavenly Father,

How grateful I am for my mother. Even though she raised me without faith in Christ, she gave of her-

self in many ways, the best she knew how, and I am grateful for all she did. Father, help me to repay what

I was given by giving the love of Christ to her.

Help me to honor and serve my parent in such a way that a hope for eternal life might be quickened in

her heart. Please don’t allow her life on earth to end without her life in heaven beginning.

I pray this in Christ’s name, Amen.

A Prayer for an Extended

Family MemberHeavenly Father,

Thank You for the relationship I have with ________.

I am burdened that he/she does not know Christ as his/her Savior.

Please show ________ the joys and blessings of being a part of the family of God through faith in

Christ. I will look for any open door You give me to show and share the love of Jesus with him/her.

Please adopt ________ into Your eternal family.

I pray this in Christ’s name, Amen.

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A Prayer for a Friend

Heavenly Father,

How blessed I am to have a friend like ________!

Our friendship is a gift from You—but I believe it has a deeper spiritual purpose.

I want our relationship to be centered on Christ so that he/she might enjoy the same spiritual dimension

to life that I do.

________ does not know Christ or see the need for Him, and won’t unless You intervene. I’m praying

to ask You to do that—to draw ________ toYourself so we might be friends forever.

I ask this in Christ’s name, Amen.

A Prayer for a Co-Worker

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for my working relationship with ________.

My heart’s desire is that he/she might come to know Jesus. I know that our working relationship could be even more productive and more fruitful if we shared

common spiritual values.

But more than impacting our work, I just want ________ to be saved, to have the gift of eternal life.

Please grant this, Father. I ask in Christ’s name, Amen.

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Lead your whosoever to the Lord by walking down the

Romans Road to Salvation:

God loves you!“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

God has a wonderful plan for your life!“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10b).

1. Because of our sin, we are separated from God.“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

2. The penalty for our sin is death.“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

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5. Can you be sure that if you ask Christ to save you, He will?“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.... These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:1,13).

3. The penalty for our sin was paid by Jesus Christ!“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

4. If we repent of our sin, then confess and trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be saved from our sins!“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” (Romans 10:13).

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10).

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