9 powerful and effective prayers for a lost soul

You might have a friend, a family member, or someone you know who has drifted away from their faith.

Prayer is one of our greatest weapon to help the lost souls get back to God. Moreover, praying through scriptures will make your prayer even more powerful and effective.

Below, we outline nine prayers you can pray for a lost soul backed by God’s Word. You can personalize this prayer by mentioning the name of the person you want to pray for:

1) Prayer for repentance

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

– 1 John 1:9

Heavenly Father, thank you for You are a faithful and just God. Today, I lift up to you every lost soul who has gone astray. You know the sins they are living in right now and these sins might have kept them away from Your presence. Convict their hearts of their unrighteousness and help them to repent of their sins. Remind them God of this promise You have in Your Word in 1 John 1:9 that You are faithful and just to forgive them and purify them if they confess their sins to You. Give them the courage to admit their sins. Thank You for Your provision through Jesus that by His blood you will cover their sins and this can help them to be ready to come back to You when the time is right for them. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

2) Prayer for grace

“For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

– 2 Chronicles 30:9b

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are a God who is gracious and compassionate! You do not turn Your face away from every lost soul who chooses to draw near to You again, as You said in 1 Chronicles 30:9b. Today, I pray that You’d bring every lost soul under Your saving grace. God, I pray that you’d help these lost souls realize their need of grace from You. For it is not by works that they will be saved but it is by Your grace alone, God. I pray that you give them the grace to return to back to You. Remind them that only You can satisfy the desires of their heart.  I pray that You would bring every lost soul to repentance by Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

3) Prayer for freedom from shame and guilt

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

– John 3:17

Heavenly Father, thank You for your great love for every lost soul that You even sent your beloved Son, Jesus for them. I pray that You would remind them of this truth in John 3:17: that You sent Jesus to earth not to judge and condemn the sinners, but to save every lost soul. I pray you’d free them from shame and condemnation of whatever sins they have done. Let them know that freedom is found only in Your Son Jesus by repenting and confessing their sins. Break the chains of shame and guilt that is keeping them away from drawing back to You. Help them remember Lord of the reason why Jesus died on the cross for them. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

4) Prayer for mercy

“Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “Return, faithless Israel,” declares the Lord. “I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord;” “I will not be angry forever.””

– Jeremiah 3:12

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are a merciful God and Your mercies are new every morning. Even today, I lift up to you in prayer every lost soul that have wondered away from the right path. Have mercy on them, Lord. I claim Your promise in Your word in Jeremiah 3:23 for every wandering soul that when they return to you, you will not look at them in anger and but with love and compassion. You will not be angry with them forever Lord as long as they turn back to You. I pray that every lost soul will know Your mercy is available to them because when they repent and confes their sins. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

5) Prayer for love encounter

“God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- Romans 5:8

Heavenly Father, thank you that You are a God who loves the lost ones so much that You gave Your only begotten Son Jesus to die on their behalf. I pray that every lost soul would know the amazing truth of how much You love them. I pray that they will understand their need to rely on Jesus who loved them and died for them. May this truth permeate through their innermost being. May you encounter them with the Your Love, Father. Let Your love be so real in their lives right now Lord that they cannot resist it. Fill their heart with Your love that it would overflow and cause them to get down on their knees again. They need to feel Your love especially now, Lord. Do not cast them away from Your love. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

6) Prayer for healing

“You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.”

– Isaiah 38:16-17

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our great healer and restorer. Even for the lost ones who have experienced so much pain and suffering, You still restore them to health and let them live again. I pray that Your supernatural healing power can penetrate them and let Your love take over their life. Let every lost soul know that You are the One who heals all brokenness, deformity and disease, no matter how deep it goes in their being. But this healing will only be complete when they repent of their sins and turn back to You again, Lord. Nothing is impossible for You. Heal those who have been offended by You and that has caused them to turn their back on You. Open up their eyes to see how You see things. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

7) Prayer for protection

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.”

– Psalms 5:11

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our safe place and protector. You spread your protection even for those who have gone astray. Just as Your word says in Psalms 5:11, remind every wandering soul that in You alone they can take refuge and are safe. In You alone they will find the joy that they have been seeking, the kind of joy that cannot be taken away from them. Continue to protect them God even from the enemy’s schemes and plans. Do not let them be continuously deceived by the enemy. Do not allow the enemy to kill, steal and destroy Your plans for their lives Lord. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

8) Prayer for a change of heart

“I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.”

– Jeremiah 24:7

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the God who knows us from the inside out. You know everything that is happening even in the hearts of the lost ones. As we lift them up in prayer to You, may you give them a new heart that longs for You. Remind them of the times that they were so passionate in loving You. Fill them with a desire in their heart go back to their first love once again. Rekindle their passion for You once more. Just like you said in Jeremiah 24:7, as they return back to you with their whole heart, You will be their God and they will your people. Give the lost souls a heart to know You, God. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

9) Prayer for a revelation

“Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”

– Luke 15:3-5

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our great shepherd. Just as you showed in the parable of the lost sheep, I pray that every lost sheep would have this revelation directly from You — that you are the shepherd who’s willing to leave the ninety-nine to go after the one who lost its way. Reveal to them once again that You are the shepherd who will never leave them nor forsake them. You are the God who would come after them and chase them until they get found. Open up their hearts to receive this revelation of your great love and mercy, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

To you who’s praying for the lost soul

Use these prayers as guide on what to pray and allow the Holy Spirit to bring healing and love to those who are hurting and lost.

God hears your prayer and He sees your heart for the ones who have wandered away from the truth.

You may not see God working but He surely does behind the scene. Even when you can’t see it, He’s at work.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

– 1 John 5:14

Just keep praying, my friend!