The Perfect Prayer for Unsaved Loved Ones

Moment of Salvation

The Pharisee Saul was a persecutor of the early Christian Church. We read that he …made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison (Acts 8:3) and … breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1).

While Saul was carrying out his unholy work, he had no idea that the God he thought he knew had a plan for him. While Saul was traveling up to Damascus from Jerusalem, he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (Acts 9:4).

When Saul requested to know the identity of the One who was causing him such unrest, the answer came back: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest … Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do (Acts 9:5-6).

Three days later, … there fell from his eyes as it had been scales [referring to the scales of fish and crocodiles]: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized (Acts 9:18). It was the moment of Saul's salvation, and it was frightening, thrilling, and history-changing.

Saul the Pharisee would soon become Paul the Apostle, and the world would never be the same.

Remove the Scales

The phrase which has stayed with me over the past three decades is …there fell from his eyes as it had been scales.

I have taken this so personally because it perfectly describes my experience. Born and raised Jewish, I became disenchanted with religion at age 17 and became an atheist. At age 28, the Lord removed the scales from my eyes and I have worshiped Him ever since.

I am eternally grateful to God for removing those soul-destroying scales, as you no doubt are. Had He not done so, we would still be dying in our sin and destined for a Christless eternity.

Over the 33 years of my pilgrimage with God, I have frequently prayed that He would remove the scales from the eyes of loved ones – both family and friends. Regarding family, I'm still waiting for the first to have scale-free eyes, and it has been an anguished wait.

In the meantime, I employ the scale prayer daily, beseeching our Heavenly Father to remove the scales from so-and-so's eyes that he or she might clearly see the Lord Jesus Christ!

I find it to be the perfect prayer for loved ones, and so very, very concise.

Oh that the Lord would remove the scales from the eyes of our blinded loved ones!

David Ettinger is a writer/editor at Zion's Hope, Inc., and has written for Zion's Fire magazine since its inception in 1990.