What's the point of praying for people who don't want anything to do with religion?
Have you ever been truly lost? Not just turned around in a mall, but genuinely scared that you might not find your way back?
Picture this: a group of seven and eight-year-olds at a birthday party in a Florida State Park who decide to skip the marked trails and just walk into the woods. After wandering around swampy areas that are typically home to alligators, wild hogs, and bears, they realize they have no idea where they are or how to get back. That moment when they realize they're lost is terrifying—especially for the biggest kid in the group who knows that if something comes after them, he’s probably not outrunning anyone.
When those kids finally found their way back to their worried parents, the look on their faces wasn't anger first—it was pure relief and joy. "You're alive!" Then punishment would come later, but that first moment was just overwhelming happiness that the lost had been found.
This story captures something profound about how God sees us. In fact, Jesus told three stories about lost things that reveal exactly how heaven responds when someone who's been spiritually wandering finally comes home.
The Heart Behind the Stories
Jesus was dealing with some criticism. The religious leaders of his time—the Pharisees and scribes—were bothered that he spent time with tax collectors and sinners. They couldn't understand why someone holy would hang out with people they considered "unworthy." So Jesus, in his typical style, told them three stories that would completely flip their understanding.
Three Lost Things, One Big Truth
The Lost Sheep: Jesus asked them to imagine a shepherd with 100 sheep who loses just one (Luke 15:3-7). What does that shepherd do? He leaves the 99 and searches until he finds the one that's lost. When he finds it, he doesn't scold it—he picks it up, puts it on his shoulders, and carries it home. Then he throws a party and invites everyone to celebrate with him.
The Lost Coin: Next, he told them about a woman who loses one coin (Luke 15:8-10). She lights a lamp, sweeps the whole house, and searches carefully until she finds it. When she does, she calls her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her.
Both stories end with the same punch line: "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
Think about that. When someone decides to follow Jesus, angels cheer! If you’ve trusted Jesus then you should know there was a celebration in heaven because you came home.
The Story That Changes Everything
But Jesus wasn't done. He told a third story—one you might have heard called "The Prodigal Son" (Luke 15:11-32).
A younger son asks for his inheritance early, which was basically like saying to his dad, "I wish you were dead so I could have your money now." The father gives it to him anyway. The son takes off, blows all the money on reckless living, and ends up so broke he's feeding pigs—the absolute worst job for someone from his culture. He gets so desperate he wants to eat the pig food because he's starving.
Finally, he "comes to himself"—meaning his thinking clears up from all the bad decisions he's been making. He realizes even his father's servants eat better than he does, so he decides to go home and ask to be a servant, not a son. He doesn't expect restoration—just hopes maybe he can get some bread.
But here's the beautiful part: while he's still far away, his father sees him coming and runs to him. Before the son can even apologize, his father is hugging him and kissing him. Then the father calls for the best robe, a ring, and shoes—symbols of full restoration to the family. He throws a party because "my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
The Older Brother Problem
The story doesn't end there, though. The older brother, who had been working in the fields doing everything right, hears the party and gets angry. He refuses to join in. When his father comes out to talk to him, the older brother basically says, "This is unfair! I've been good this whole time, and you never threw me a party. But this son of yours who wasted all your money gets a celebration?"
Sound familiar? Sometimes people who have been following God for a while struggle when they see God welcome someone whose life has been a mess. They get hung up on all the "wasted time" and poor choices.
But here's what we need to understand: every day someone doesn't know Jesus is tragic. But God takes every one of those tragedies and turns them into glory. If you think you're too far gone, you're not. God will take every poor choice you've made, no matter how terrible, and use it for his purposes when you come home to him.
What This Means for Us
These stories reveal something incredible: spiritual wanderers are the future found.
That person in your life who doesn't know Jesus, who seems lost and scared because every human system they try to cling to falls apart—they're not just lost. They're someone God created with a story and a purpose, just like you.
Jesus came for the lost.
He came for the sinner.
He came for people who are spiritually wandering around, trying to figure out what life is about without knowing there's a loving Father waiting to run to them.
A Practical Way to Join God's Mission
At Neighborhood Church, we're part of something called the Grove Initiative—a movement to reach people in Central Florida with the love of Jesus. But here's the thing: none of that will happen without prayer. Jesus himself said when we see the harvest of people ready to know God, the first thing we should do is pray.
That's where the 3-2-1 prayer plan comes in. It's simple: pray for 3 people at 2 o'clock every day for 1 purpose—that they would come to know Jesus.
This isn't just a nice idea. There's actually a practical tool to help you do this consistently. The 3-2-1 prayer booklet (free downloads here) gives you:
Help identifying who to pray for (someone from your extended family, school, work, or hobbies)
Specific prayer suggestions with Bible verses
A notes section to track what God is doing
Tear-out pages you can put somewhere you'll see them daily
Here's something amazing: often when you pray for someone else, you become the answer to your own prayer. You're asking God to work in their life, and sometimes he uses you to do exactly that.
Your Next Steps
If you've never made the decision to follow Jesus, don't wait. You might think you're too far gone or have made too many mistakes, but you're not. God is waiting to run to you, put his arms around you, and welcome you home. Apart from him, you'll spend eternity separated from God. But he offers you eternal life and a plan for your life that's better than anything you could come up with on your own.
If you already follow Jesus, here's your challenge:
Read about the 3-2-1 prayer plan today—don't put it off
Write down one name of someone who doesn't know Jesus
Set an alarm for 2 PM on your phone
Start praying for that person daily
Be open to becoming the answer to your own prayer
We were all lost once. We all know people who are still lost. Jesus saves the lost, and he sends those he's saved to reach the lost. When we do this, there's joy in heaven—and there's restoration for people who desperately need to know they have a Father who's been waiting for them to come home.
The spiritual wanderers around you aren't just lost—they're the future found. And God wants to use you to help them find their way home.
