Let's say you know someone who has walked away from God, or has never known or believed in God. And you pray and pray for them. Can you have faith on their behalf?
Tricky one this. So let's analyse it carefully.
Yes, you can have faith on their behalf. This means you have faith in God that God loves them as one of His creations, and that He dearly desires that they return to Him and spend eternity with Him.
So, by having faith on their behalf, you are actually opening a channel through which God can respond to your prayers. God listens to you and is aware of your pleas on behalf of someone else. So your prayers are answered by God creating opportunities for that person to return to God.
But this bit is important: God creates opportunities for that individual to return to Him in response to your prayers. But God never controls that individual. He never forces that individual to return to Him. God merely shows him the way. But the final decision to return to God or not rests with that individual.
Thus it follows that yes ... you can have faith on behalf of someone else. Your faith, (sincere belief), is that God will answer your prayer by calling your friend back into the fold. Remember Christ saying that He would leave the ninety-nine sheep in search for the one that is lost? So, God will call back that lost sheep, but He will never force him back.
It is worth repeating: Through your faith you pray for another person. God hears your prayers and responds by allowing/creating opportunities for that person to return to God, or find God in their lives. God does not force that person in any way. To do so would be forcing His will, (and yours), on that person. The person must always be free to make his own decision. Your prayers and your faith are a channel and a plea to God on this person's behalf.
...here many in the church don't think that this applies to the LGBTQIA+ community.
ReplyDeleteGod can call them back.
DeleteGod invites everyone to His Kingdom.
DeleteGod bless, Tom.
Home run with this one, Victor. Each person makes their own decision.
ReplyDeleteAs the parable depicted; many are invited to the banquet few decide to turn up.
DeleteThank you and God bless you, Sandi.
Thank you.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
God bless, R.
DeleteThanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteGod bless, Kathy.
DeleteGreat explanation, Victor. I will continue to pray on behalf of a loved one -- and try not to fret about the outcome.
ReplyDeleteYes Mevely. Continue to pray in the hope that they will return to God. I'll pray with you.
DeleteGod bless.
A wonderful explanation, Victor.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bill.
DeleteGod bless.
I'm so thankful that God hears my prayers on behalf of others who need His saving grace. This reminds me of a song we did in children's choir: "Jesus is a gentleman who never forces His way in. He stands knocking at your door until you let Him in."
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Victor!
That is true, God will never force His way onto people. We are free to choose. We can pray for others who have wandered away; but we cannot and should not force them.
DeleteGod bless, Martha.
There are many for whom i am praying in this way, and i do hope they all respond. I'd love to see every one of them in Heaven.
ReplyDeleteAmen. What a generous person you are, Mimi.
DeleteGod bless you.