And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint [lose heart] – Luke 18:1.

One of the easiest areas to lose heart as we pray is with our unsaved relatives. Our family members are often the ones most resistant to our evangelistic efforts.

When we see actions that irritate or aggravate us, we tend to ask God to change our family behavior. Their profanity is offensive. Their materialism taints the true meaning of Christmas. Their drinking at family gatherings mars the family gathering. So, we pray, Lord draw them to You, make them stop. It could be a wife asking God to change her husband or their child. God’s first concern is not about their actions, but their soul, He’s concerned for their salvation, heart change precedes behavioral change.

When a person’s heart is changed their behavior will change because what’s in the heart manifests on the outside. For some reason, our family has a difficult time listening to us; so rather than giving up on them, continue to pray and ask the Lord to place His laborers in their lives to minister to them. They are more inclined to listen to others than us.

Live a lifestyle that reflects the character of Jesus; don’t be a Sunday Christian and all other days you’re living and talking like them. This brings about confusion about the true meaning of Christianity, don’t be a stumbling block.

What you must realize is that God wants them to receive salvation just as much as you want them to; He does not want anyone to go to hell, He placed you in their life to be an intercessor. There will be days its hard to pray for them because of some of the words or actions they have done towards you, but yet, the Lord is waiting on you to intercede for them.

When you think about giving up, think about how many times the Lord prayed for you to receive salvation. How many times He’s still praying for you because of some of your actions and words. Now it’s your turn to pray to the Lord for your family and relatives. Your prayers are going to be the ones to deliver them whether you live to see it. When you pray for someone’s salvation, you know that this is in the will of God and He will answer. Don’t lose heart, keep praying!