Introduction

This is a book report that I did for continuing education credits.  I have tried to carefully document throughout this short work.

 

           

 

For such a small book, Lee Thomas’s Praying Effectively for the Lost has had a large impact on my life and ministry.   Although I am in my 71st year, for the past several God has been filling me with a message and this book provided a vital page in that message.  Two great truths are revealed in this work.  The first is that, “The Lost will not be saved unless someone prays for them.”  The second is, “Satan, since Calvary, has no weapon but a lie.  And, when a Christian understands this, Satan cannot stop them in their service to God.”  I hope that there were more than a few who were as touched by this book as I was.  Although this is a book report, there will be times when I will insert my own thoughts.  I will try to use italics for these thoughts.

 

 

 

Thomas begins the first chapter with the shocking statement, “The lost will not and indeed cannot be saved unless someone prays for them” (page 1).  Thomas asserts, and I agree, that once we understand the biblical view of the lost, we can understand that that shocking statement is indeed true.  The Bible shows the lost as being: children of the devil (John 8:44), under the authority of Satan Acts 26:18), in a strong man’s house (Mark 3:27), prisoners of war (Isaiah 14:17), and blinded to the Gospel (II Corinthians 4:3-4).

            If we comprehend this truth and come to grips with our role in the salvation of lost souls, we need to agree with Thomas when he says, “ …, let’s learn how to pray effectively for the lost and join our Lord in doing the main thing” (page 3).

In Chapter Two, Thomas talks about the Biblical basis for our praying for the lost.  He states a number of examples but he makes the statement “If we had no Biblical basis for praying for the lost other than the fact that God expects us to, this would be enough” (page 5).  He continues by saying “God was “stunned” when he could not find a single intercessor for (Israel 59:16).  This tells me that he was expecting one” ( page 5.)  God was looking for a man to stand in the “Gap.”   I believe that we are standing in the gap when we make intersession for others, that, it is in the Gap where the battle is fought. 

 

In Chapter Three, Thomas discusses the personal factors that are needed for effective prayer. Thomas asserts that there are two essential factors.   The first he lists is righteousness.  We have the imputed righteousness that comes through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, but Thomas says that “…personal righteousness is also crucial” (page 7).  Although personal righteousness cannot stand alone without God’s imputed righteousness, I believe that it is imperative that a Christian to live a life that is above reproach if God is to answer their prayers.  Thomas quotes Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

The second essential factor is faith.  Thomas writes, “This is an unbreakable law in

the spiritual realm” (page 7).   He quotes Christ when he says in Matthew 9:29, “…according to your faith, be it unto you.”

In addition to these two essential factors, Thomas lists eight others.  Briefly, I will list these.  The first is brokenness.  If we are not broken and desperate for the salvation of the lost, shedding tears, we will most likely not see any results in our prayers.

The second is travail.   This is the suffering in agony of the fate of the lost if they do not come to salvation.  I believe that we have taught those sitting in the pews that suffering is to be something that is foreign to a believer.  It is no wonder that the vast majority of Christians have never won a soul for Christ,

The third factor is persistence.   Praying as often as possible each and every day for the lost is a key, “…because of Satan’s reluctance to give them up…” (Thomas 9).

The forth factor is aggression.  Thomas writes, because prayer is warfare, I want to suggest that aggression is important weapon in intersession” (page 10). I often say to Satan is, “Satan, I know that the only thing you have is a lie and your lies cannot hut me.  Let your captives go!”  Thomas declares that, “We fight by praying” (page 10).

The fifth factor is pleading.  Briefly, according to Thomas, pleading is simply presenting to God why he should save the lost individual.

The six is motive.  Thomas believes that, if our motive is not right, God will not answer our prayer for the lost.  In other words, if we pray for a person to get saved for any other reason than for that persons own personal good, then our motive is not acceptable to God.

The seventh is a sacrificial spirit.  Thomas reminds us that Paul was willing to be lost that his people might be saved (Romans 9:3).  I learned a number of years ago that it was useless for me to lay hands on someone and pray for them unless I had asked God to “Put me last and put them first.”  I believe that Thomas is saying that we have to be able to put the lost first if they are to be saved.  I agree.

The last factor is unity.  Thomas says, “All things being equal, unity is the most powerful factoring praying for the lost” (page 13) Why is unity powerful in praying? Thomas lists these reasons.  One, God values unity among his people.  Two, There is only one strong man.  When God God’s people come together against him, he has no chance.  Finally, Thomas says that pride is broken.  When someone is humble enough to ask for God’s people to help pray, Satan loses control.

In Chapter Four, Thomas writes about specific requests.  He opens the chapter by saying, “Most of us encounter difficulty in praying for some one to be saved because all we know how to do is to say, ‘God, please save so and so’” (page16).   But, he says that we tire of that and begin to feel foolish when nothing happens and then we quit.  Thomas says that “…this kind of praying involves four areas: the individual, the soul winner, the word of God, and revival” (page 16).  He says that when we learn to pray for specific things, our praying becomes more effective.

`Now, we get into the things that I have learned to do and try to do three times a day.  Praying for the individuals by name, Thomas says that we need to ask God to do five things in that lives.

The first is, since we know that they are part of a huge number of lost souls, praying for God to separate them out from the crowd.  Now, Thomas uses the word sanctify, but that is not the term that I use.  I ask God to draw a circle around them, and get in the circle with them so that they bump into God every time they turn around.

The second is that we ask God to bless them.   We don’t ask God to harm them to get their attention.

The third is that we ask God to convict them of the sin of unbelief in His son.  This is the sin that will send people to hell (John 3:18).  Thomas says that, “People already know what their ‘sins’ are except for the sin of unbelief in Christ” (page 17). 

The fourth is “We ask God to illuminate is mind to the truth” (page 17).  Thomas teaches that it is not enough just to bring the lost under convection.  They must have their hearts and minds opened to the Gospel Last, Thomas says, “We are now ready to ask God to save him.  However we must be willing for God to do whatever it takes to facilitate his salvation” (page 18).  I do this with fear and trembling.  

Thomas states m “once the individual is ready to receive the Gospel, someone must share it with him” (page 18).  He says that the natural thing to do is to pray for God to send workers to do that.  He says that, “As a matter of fact, this is exactly what he tells us to do” (page 18). Thomas quotes Christ when he says that the harvest is white but the labors are few, but he also adds that “labors are not only few in number but also puny in duration and value” (page 18).  Therefore he says that we ask Got to equip the people with the essential qualities that will make them effective witnesses. 

Thomas finishes this chapter by saying, “If we really want multitudes saved, then we need to pray for revival.” (Pages 18-19)  He says that,” The classic scripture or revival begins this way, ‘If my people which are called in my name shall humble themselves and pray…’ (II Chronicles 7:14)’ “(page 19) Thomas tells us to pray for revival if we want to see souls saved.

In Chapter Five, Thomas talks about spiritual warfare.  He teaches that the primary purpose for praying for the lost is not to convince God to save them.  He says that, “…it has to do with spiritual warfare- freeing them of demonic influence so that they can be saved” (page 22).  Thomas says that the lost are prisoners of Satan and that he refuses to release them.   According to Thomas the whole world is under the influence of Satan but that most are unaware of it saying that they are, “…perhaps even unconsciously asleep in the arms of Satan” (page 22).   He continues by saying, “The Evil one dose not ‘touch’ the Christian, but the world is helplessly in his grasp” *page 22).

Thomas says he considers Mark 3:27 the most important verse when if come to saving the lost.  In that verse Christ says, “No man can enter a strong man’s house and spoil his goods, except that he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house”  (pages 22-23).   This means that no one can be saved unless someone frees him from demonic influences.

If we are to win the war for lost souls, Thomas says that there are some things that we need to do.  He says that, “The first of these is to use our God appointed weapons’ (page 23).  Thomas quotes II Corinthians 10 4.  “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.”  Thomas reminds us that, “ “…the actual combat is prayer…” (23).

The first of these is the blood of Christ and it is one of the most powerful weapons.  Thomas quotes Billheimer, “’When Satan slew the innocent Son of God, he destroyed himself…not annihilated, but destroyed.   All of the legal claims that he secured upon the earth and Adam’s fall are now completely cancelled; since the cross, he has absolutely no right at all upon anyone or anything.  It means that allay the power that he now exercises he exercises solely by deception and bluff’” (pages 23-24).  When we plead the blood of Jesus, Satan all of his demons are already defeated.

Thomas teaches that, “Another powerful weapon is the name of Jesus” *page 24).  In Luke 10:17, The disciples reported to Jesus, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through your name.”   Thomas says that there are three Biblical reasons why the name of Jesus is powerful. 

First, he Lord over all creation.  Second, He is lord through crucifixion.  Hebrews 2:14-15 says, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject unto bondage.”

Third, is He is lord through coronation.    Thomas quotes I Peter 3:22, “ Who has gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”

Thomas lists the Word of God as another powerful weapon in prayer.  Since all that Satan has left is a lie, and the Word of God is the truth, Satan’s lies cannot stand against the truth.

In addition, Thomas lists praise as another powerful weapon.  I know this personally to be true.  Satan cannot stand against praise.  This is not just praise that we do together in worship service; it is often the praise we give God when we are alone with God His temple with that temple being our inner being.

Thomas list fasting as “…another powerful but little-used weapon in our arsenal” (page 25).  He continues by saying, “The purpose of our warfare is to defeat the enemy and fasting is designed to do that effectively” (page 24).

Thomas states that another powerful weapon is love.  Thomas writes, “ The one who loves the lord with all their being and loves lost souls cannot be stopped!” (Page 25).  Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.”

According to Thomas, and I agree, these weapons are designed to pull down strongholds.  He says that, “Strongholds are mindsets that are against the word and will of God” (page 26).  The chief of these strongholds is unbelief in the name of Jesus.   Thomas states, “ Since unbelief is the only sin that condemns one to hell, Satan regards it as priceless, guarding it with other strongholds” *page 27).  Thomas says that, “the fundamental truth that we must understand is that there is always one key stronghold in the life of each unsaved individual that hinders the person from receiving the gospel’ (page 28.)  The battle is never fought over a multitude of sins but rather over only one. 

Thomas also says that, “Another absolutely essential element in the spiritual warfare aspect of winning souls is that of excising our authority in Christ: (page 29).  The authority that Christ has given us is incredible, but Thomas says, “…we have to use it”(page 29).  God has called us to be instruments of Christ’s authority.     Because Christ paid for their sins on Calvary, Thomas says that, “He paid for that sins on Calvary” (page 29).  I believe that he owns every soul two ways.  The second way is that He owns them through creation.  As we read in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, there was nothing that he did not create.  If you create something, you own it. So, He owns souls through creation. 

Thomas makes this bold statement, “There is absolutely no reason for even one single soul to die and go to hell because Christ has already paid their redemption price.  And the only reason anyone will go to hell is that we have not taken out place of authority and bound the strong man, insisting on their salvation.  The devil will not release them until we make him” (page 29).

Thomas says, “The last but incredibly important element in praying for souls is continually resist the devil.  We are told to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the wiles of the Devil in that evil day. 

According to Thomas, “There are only two reasons why any prayer for salvation of souls will remain unanswered; either there is sin or unbelief in the one doing the praying, or else Satan is hindering the answer” (page 30).  Thomas says that we need to have a plan or strategy for our praying.  He suggests various ways that we can pray such as prayer groups, triplet praying, and prayer partners.  I would add that, not matter whether we pray by ourselves or in groups, we need to be organized and systematic.  The more organized we are, the more we are apt to pray.

In Chapter Six, Thomas includes a number of personal testimonies and in Chapter Seven, he asks the reader to make a personal commitment to prayer the lost.

In conclusion, I will say that this small book is one of three books that God has led me to in the last several years in order to impart the message that he is giving me for His