Christians: Serious question regarding salvation?

Question

My mom has been praying for her sister's salvation for over 40 yrs, but still no change. Why hasnt there been a change?
People trying to disprove prayer dont even bother because whatever u say isnt going to change my mind about God.

Answer 1

No one else can bring about another's salvation. That's something the individual has to do in their own time. Your sister maybe what is referred to as a "Hickory Tree." Read the following article for explanation. http://www.endtime.org/library/articles/hickory_tree.html

Answer 2

Sometimes a more direct approach is needed, but I assume your mother has already had that talk with her in some form or another. Sometimes people are not open when someone is trying to "get them," if you know what I mean. So it could be that upon seeing your mom's zeal at one point in time, your aunt decided to stand back from the whole thing. I'm speaking from experience on this, because I did something similar years ago. In that scenario, it's best to take all pressure off the person and put them in the Lord's hands. By that I mean, pray a prayer of faith for them one time, and release the care of that person to the Lord. Let it go completely. Then over time, when they see that you aren't trying to "get them" they begin to open up and become more receptive. They aren't on their guard against it anymore. Then the Holy Spirit can continue to draw their heart over time. The most valuable thing your mom can do beyond that point is honestly love her from her heart. Everybody responds to true love. But at the end of the day, what the other posters said is true, it's still her free will decision.

Answer 3

Change occurs deep in the heart, so it's impossible for you to know for sure that there has been "no change." Still sometimes people choose to never come to Jesus. It's a choice that God freely allows. You can continue to pray for her and God can continue to knock at the door of her life, but she still has the option to ignore the knocking and never open the door.

That doesn't mean that your mom or you should ever stop praying. Sometimes answers to prayer are a long time in coming. I prayed for a relative who was an alcoholic from the time I was a young girl. When I was in my 30's, this relative suddenly stopped drinking altogether and became a completely different person. I regret that I must admit I'd stopped believing it could ever really happen. As long as your aunt is alive, there is still hope that she could change her mind and choose to follow Jesus.

Answer 4

God says that he answers all prayers that are prayed by belevers in Christ. But there are hinderances to prayer
1. Unbelief
2. Unasking (Have not because ask not)
3. Unconfessed sins (If i regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me!)

But the problem that we are talking about is about the salvation of another person. Each person has a Go given right to acept the Gospel or Reject the Gospel and no matter how hared we pray we CANNOT and God WILLNOT force a person to come to Himself.

Dont give up keep praying maybe God will allow their heart to be softened to the Gospel!

Answer 5

Your mom is doing the right thing by praying. It shows she loves her sister very much.

Sometimes we can't see the changes that happen as a result of prayer, because they happen deep within the heart. Before I became saved I had a lot of people praying for me, but even as I started to believe in the Bible I still kept the same old mask of disbelief in public. Call it pride.. For a long time I didn't want to admit they were right!

Some people will be prayed for and still never see the light. That's their decision. The Bible says there will be no sorrow in heaven, and I believe that includes sorrow over lost loved ones. So no worries about suffering a miserable eternity as the result of someone else's not coming to Christ.

Whatever you do, don't give up. Encourage your mom to keep praying. Believe for a miracle. Have faith. God is in control. :)

Answer 6

You know the geological time scale? I think it's safe to say God's sense of time is relatively like this-not exactly, because I prefer not to cloud God with false human understanding. Prayer is not just a recitation or a thought, but an action. If your aunt has been caught in a destructive lifestyle or something, if you actively love her there might come a change. Jesus didn't simply pray, but gathered with the despised of the world and loved them actively. If you only pray and condemn outside of that, there will be no hope.

Answer 7

In the 1800's, there was a man named George Mueller, who established several missions and orphanages. He was known as a man who lived by prayer.

He prayed for the salvation of five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Mueller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Mueller's funeral the last one was saved.

As Jesus taught us, we are to persevere in prayer. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus used a parable of a widow seeking justice. The judge decided to grant her justice after some time, just so she would leave him alone. But God is not like this unjust judge. The caution though was, when He returns, will He even find faith on the earth?

Answer 8

It depends on how you believe God works. If you believe that God has given us free will then in truth praying for someone elses salvation is a pointless exersize, because God has given them the free will to choose and will not force them just because of your prayers.

If you believe that God has not blessed us with free will then you have one of two things to hold to. Either He has chosen to not yet give the call for irresistable grace or she is not chosen to be one of the elect. I know that is kind of harsh but that is the other view.

Personally, I think it is good to pray for peoples salvation, not because it will change anything, but because it helps you keep a heart for that person. If you have a heart for that person then you will continue to try to "win" (for lack of a better word) them over. I understand the Holy Spirit has a role to play but that role really only comes into play when God's children are doing what they are supposed to do.

Answer 9

Well, I can't really answer that one, but what you should know is that nothing just happens. Check out the story of Sara and Abraham when God promised them a son, and took them yrs to get.

Check the story where Elijah predicted drought, where he told his servant Ahab that there is a sound of abundance of rain. He(Elijah sent his servant to go and look towards the sea if there's any sign of rain, He(Ahab) came back and said there's nothing. He kept on going up towards the sea but nothing. At the seventh time he saw a lil cloud rising out of sea, like a man's hand.

What I'm trying to say is Gods' timing is perfect, He is always on time with everything, but that doesn't mean that we should wait for Him to do everything for us. We must meet Him halfway, do our part and He will do His part.

There are things that don't come but by prayer and fasting. Don't give up on her now, keep going on.....don't let anything tell you that she will never change, its not over until God says so.

I'll also pray for your aunt, to receive Christ while He still can be found.

Answer 10

Your mom's sister isn't ready yet, her heart is not open. You know God gave us free will, she has chosen not to listen. I don't know all the circumstances here, I do know that your mom should never stop praying for her sister's salvation, and for her heart to be opened to God. Your mom sounds like a wonderful devoted woman and God answers prayer in his time and in his way. Remember God does know what is best for us all, and hears all our prayers even when it may seem to us he isn't listening. Why don't you ask for prayer from all the Christians here on answers, for your Aunt? I will pray for her, you, and your mother. God Bless and Keep the Faith!!

Answer 11

When prayer seems to work, it is usually a coincidence. However, there is some evidence that when many people pray or even wish for the same thing, something obtainable, like a healing, it may work. The people usually have to be close to the person being healed, so in actuality we are not sure whether it was the prayer or the natural physical energy of the people that accomplished the healing. There is no way this type of healing could be accomplished on your sister, unless it is accomplished by some sort of brainwashing.