At the very least, I wanted to leave them with an opportunity for valid hope. I remember one time just standing around the coffin—there were only about 12 people there, including the older woman who knew her brother was just a pagan. I love Jesus, my wife Nanci, and our daughters, sons and five grandsons! You probably won't be able to make all of the pain go away. And that is how we should pray too. Do not make this prophecy a prophecy that is just part of the makeup and background music of Christmastime. Their fear will not magically disappear simply because you care for them. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. It’ll help you become the unbeliever… Prayer They Will Know God. Always … Hurting people sometimes say things they don't mean, or which are inaccurate or even, in our opinion, ungodly. Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. You can find salvation and today is the day of salvation.” I think that’s the way to … I believe that wisdom guides us to consider the following four steps... 1. Website: http://navysealchadwilliams.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NavySEALChadWilliamsRay Comfort & Unbeliever Remember that there is only one Savior (and He is not you). Praying the will of God may require that we ask Him to remove His protection and comfort in order to drive them to the place where they must seek God. Try to help them identify who or what they worshiping. Many years ago I was asked to conduct a funeral for an unbelieving man by his family. Sadly, I have attended many funerals where ministers fed the false hopes of unbelieving people. Christians have a reputation, whether valid or not, for hijacking difficult moments in non-believers' lives and turning them into an open door for proselytization. They would have to decide whether they wished to unwrap it and discover for themselves what was inside. However, when the person needing hope or encouragement does not believe in Jesus, what can we do? Back off if you sense serious resistance. Move forward if the response is positive, or perhaps even if it is neutral. It is therefore important to deal with the following:… Avoid turning their emotional words into an argument, especially when they need to know that you are a safe place for them to express their struggle or confusion about what is happening to them. Standing in a hospital waiting room with some Christian friends and several members of their family, I knew that I was not sufficient to rescue them from the circumstances they were facing. In my post yesterday I advocated an approach to evangelism which tackles the sinfulness of man head-on, and challenges the unbeliever to see and explain his depravity, and therefore see his need for a Savior.A more systematic way of applying this concept was developed by the Ray Comfort/Kirk Cameron team from The Way of the Master. Why Do We Stand for Worship, and Does Sitting Make it Less Valuable? Minimize discussions about his medical condition or other topics that will sidetrack the discussion from the gospel. Article Images Copyright ©, 4 Steps for Helping Non-Believers Going Through Hard Times, 10 Loving Ways to Interact with the Visually Impaired. A Funeral Service Text for an Unbeliever. All of them were hurting and something within in me wanted to be used of God to minister comfort and hope to them - all of them - in their time of struggle. Jesus Christ is your only hope of comfort and source of joy in this present evil age, as well as in the world to come. Obviously you want to be ready for the possibility of them meeting Jesus personally, but do not assume that the immediate moment is sovereignly designed for their salvation. You may simply be the gentle seed-planter during this season of struggle in the person's life. We can allow them to grieve, giving them a listening ear and loving arms. Connect with them as a fellow human and offer them true compassion as you tell them how your own personal hope continues to rest in the Lord. Christian Truth. You are no longer lost to sin. If you know someone who is hurting, take them to the Psalms: The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 2. Pastor and Christian Leadership Resources, 10 Christian Hymns That Need to Be Put to Rest. Be content with that. I'm the author of fifty-some books and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. Whatever God did that day in their hearts and minds, my hope is that they considered the possibility, as non-believers, that Jesus is very real and able to do abundantly more than we asked or thought during their season of hardship. When a follower of Jesus is going through a hard time, there is common ground: point them to Him and then walk alongside in any way we are able. Thankfully, there are words of comfort and truth that we can share with those who grieve, even when we are uncertain about the eternal destiny of their loved one who died. Comfort, materialism, sensuality, and addiction are false gods that keep unbelievers in bondage. … Death - What does the Bible say about it. 1. Ask engaging questions (generally avoid “yes” or “no” questions) to get him to open up to discuss his fears, past spiritual experiences, and questions about salvation and the gospel. God harvests those seeds later at the appropriate time. Perhaps God will even give us apt words that reach to comfort and cheer, as these proverbs suggest. What Should We Say to the Loved Ones of an Unbeliever Who ... About Randy Alcorn. ( Romans 10:1) Paul prays that God would convert Israel. Look for ways to gently share how God has come alongside you in your own times of heartbreak, doubt or pain. This is a great comfort to those of us with loved ones who have passed into eternity and we are not sure of the destination of their souls. Not just an unbeliever, but someone who apparently had lived a pretty awful life, because the family members were standing in the background, and the pallbearers were standing in the back as we’re about to go in for the funeral. Listen to them and don't give in to the impulse to "set them straight" theologically if they process raw emotion in ways and language that Christians might never utilize. Nancy Guthrie teaches the Bible at her home church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as at conferences around the country and internationally, including her Biblical Theology Workshops for Women. 10 Prayers to Help You Exchange Anxiety and Fear for Peace. Depending on your closeness with the grieving mother, you may be able to help her cope with the grief through emotional and physical support. Tragically, he died in his sinful behaviors. When it came time for me to leave them, they knew that I was more of a friend than someone trying to play the rescuing hero. Salvation may be defined as freedom from the power of sin. 4. People who in the past have been very offended by my even mentioning Jesus. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. God will use you in those lives, and this is contingent more so on your availability than your ability. You likely cannot fix their dilemma. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. (Psalm 10:17, NLT) You light a lamp for me. If you’re not sure how to express condolences when someone passes away, here are some messages you can use to comfort a friend or family member experiencing a … We Christians tend to speak more quickly than we listen. You don’t have to narrate and adjudicate every aspect of this unbeliever’s life in order to say to people, “There is hope for you no matter what it is that you’ve done. Here are a few prayers to help you get started when praying for a unbeliever. Comfort the family . How to Plead for Unbelievers. Answering unbeliever’s objections without a strategy often leads you into arguments, and you rarely are effective in winning people to Christ. Using the 5-step system to answer unbeliever’s objections will help you to have a conversation, instead of an argument. Losing a loved one is always an occasion for sorrow. Another member of their family was on a breathing machine in the intensive care unit, and had been given a disheartening prognosis. Revelation 21:4 promises, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Even so, when we suspect that a loved one will live eternally separated from God, it is devastating. How can the Bible comfort me? We must not dilute the gospel. … I presented that package as best as I could. I would rather do a suicide of a believer than a funeral for a blatant unbeliever. She is the author of numerous books including her most recent, Saints and Scoundrels in the Story of Jesus and her upcoming, God Does His Best Work with Empty. Suffering a miscarriage can be truly traumatising for a woman. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness. (Psalm 9:9, NLT) LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. What Does Scripture Say about How to Handle White Privilege? Pentatonix Performs 'Can't Help Falling In Love' A Cappella, The Month of Love - Crosswalk the Devotional - February 14, 6-Year-Old Claire Crosby Ukulele Cover Of 'Can't Help Falling In Love, 4 Ways to Have Godly Expectations in Marriage - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - February 15, 8 Ways to Cultivate a Childlike Faith as an Adult. God is a sovereign Judge of righteousness, full of grace and mercy to all who call upon Him. So preach the gospel. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. If they sense you rushing past their fear, their pain or their emotions in order to bulls-eye them for spiritual conversion, you may actually take them backwards in their considerations about the Gospel. This step applies to more situations than just our discussion today! Do not fear messing things up; you will not create any catastrophe as long as you are intentionally loving, relationally sensitive, and sincerely compassionate. So what should a Christian say or do when someone who does not share faith in Christ needs counsel, help and hope? 7 Ways to Give Your Kids Life to the Full, 10 Things We Got Right in 50 Years of Marriage, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2021, Crosswalk.com.