Blog Part 4: Praying for the Resistant

Opening

I've met with many resistant people over the years. And what I've learned is that resistance rarely looks like defiance. It looks like delay.

"I'll think about it."
"Maybe someday."
"When things settle down."
"Not right now."

It reminds me of Felix in Acts 24, when Paul presented the gospel to him clearly and powerfully. Felix's response? "That's enough for now. When I find it convenient, I will send for you" (Acts 24:25, NIV).

He wasn't rejecting the truth. He just believed he had time to deal with it later.

But resistance isn't always about procrastination. Sometimes it's about pride - the fear of admitting that the way we've been living needs to change. I know that resistance well. When I was 17, I realized the way I was going was leading to destruction and hurting others. For me, it took scraping the bottom of the barrel before I was willing to surrender.

But not everyone hits rock bottom. Some people genuinely like their lives. They feel like things are good enough. They haven't had a too-close-for-comfort moment that shakes them awake.

And then there's another kind of resistance - the kind that grates against grace itself. The idea that "really bad people" can confess their sins and get into heaven feels unfair. It's too easy. It offends their sense of justice.

Or maybe it's the question that haunts them: "What about my grandparents? My loved ones who died without Christ? If they're not in heaven, I don't want to be there either."

Resistance has many faces. And when I started praying for resistant people, I realized I needed to name what's really keeping them from saying yes to Jesus.

Praying for the Resistant - Example

In Part 1, I shared how I started naming barriers in my prayers rather than just saying "Lord, help them know You in a personal relationship." Now let me show you what that looks like when praying for someone who's resistant:

"Father, they've heard the gospel. They know the truth. But they're not ready to say yes - not yet, maybe not ever.

Some of them think they have time. They believe 'someday' will come, and when it does, they'll deal with You then. They don't see how fragile life is, how quickly 'later' can become 'too late.'

Others are overwhelmed by the idea of surrender. They see the gap between where they are and where they'd need to be, and it feels impossible. They're afraid of admitting they've been holding on to wrong assumptions, afraid of the changes You'd require. Pride is holding them back - and Lord, I understand that. We've all been there.

Some of them actually like their lives. They haven't hit rock bottom. They haven't had a crisis that shakes them awake. And in their comfort, the gospel feels unnecessary. Why fix what isn't broken?

And then there are those who are offended by grace itself. The idea that 'really bad people' can be forgiven feels unfair to them. It's too easy. It undermines their sense of justice. They don't want to be part of a system that lets everyone in.

Or maybe they're haunted by the ones they've lost - grandparents, parents, friends who died without You. And the thought of heaven without them is unbearable. So they resist, because accepting You feels like betraying the people they love.

Lord, You alone are the one who can break through these barriers. Salvation is a work of Your Holy Spirit. Break through whatever wall they've built. Give them a sense of urgency. Help them see that 'later' might never come. Soften their hearts before it's too late."

Biblical Precedent: Felix

When we think about resistance, Felix comes to mind.

He was the Roman governor of Judea - powerful, educated, with access to the best Rome had to offer. And he had something even more valuable: direct access to the Apostle Paul.

Acts 24 tells us that Felix sent for Paul and "listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus." Paul didn't hold back. He reasoned with Felix about "righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come" (Acts 24:24-25, NIV).

This wasn't a casual conversation. Paul was laying out the gospel clearly - the reality of sin, the need for righteousness, the coming judgment, and the salvation offered through Christ.

And Felix's response? "He was afraid."

The message was getting through. Felix felt the weight of it. He was standing at the threshold of a decision that would change everything.

But then he said: "That's enough for now. When I find it convenient, I will send for you" (Acts 24:25, NIV).

And Acts tells us he sent for Paul frequently after that. They had many conversations. But Felix never committed. He kept listening, kept delaying, kept waiting for the "convenient" time.

As far as we know, that time never came.

That's the danger of resistance. It's not always a hard "no." Sometimes it's a soft "not yet." And "not yet" can become "too late" before we realize what we've lost.

Why This Matters

So why does it matter that we pray this way for the resistant?

Because when we pray with this kind of compassion, we stop seeing resistance as stubbornness and start seeing it for what it really is - fear, pride, grief, confusion, or a false sense of security.

We recognize that resistant people aren't necessarily hardened. They're hesitating. And hesitation can harden over time if no one prays for them with urgency and love.

When we pray like this, we also position ourselves differently. Instead of pressuring them or arguing harder, we start asking: How can I help them see what I couldn't see when I was resistant?

The most powerful tool we have is our own story. Being honest about your own resistance - what you were holding onto, what you were afraid of, what finally broke through - creates a bridge that arguments never can. When someone sees that you understand their hesitation because you lived it, suddenly the gospel doesn't feel like pressure. It feels like grace.

Maybe it's also sharing how fragile life really is - not to scare them, but to help them see reality. Maybe it's gently challenging the assumptions they're holding onto: "Do you really think you'll be more ready later?" or "What if heaven isn't about who deserves it, but about who accepts the gift?"

Prayer for the resistant isn't just about asking God to soften their hearts. It's about asking Him to give us wisdom and courage to speak truth in the moments that matter.

Closing

Resistance isn't the end of the story. Felix hesitated - and we don't know how his story ended. But we do know this: God is patient. He pursues. And He uses people like us - people who once resisted too - to reach those who are still hesitating.

And here's the reality: even today as believers, we still experience resistance with God. Why? Because we're human. We resist His call to forgive. We resist His prompting to obey. We resist His invitation to trust Him more fully.

So when we pray for resistant people, we're praying with empathy - not from a place of superiority, but from a place of understanding. We know what it's like to hear the truth and hesitate. And that shared humanity becomes a bridge.

When we pray for the resistant with compassion - when we name their fears and their delays without condemnation - we start to see them the way God does. Not as lost causes, but as people He's still pursuing.

That's the kind of prayer that doesn't just move heaven. It positions us to be part of the moment when "not yet" finally becomes "yes."

Next in this series: Part 5 will explore praying for the wounded - those whose pain makes God feel distant or unsafe.

Invitation to the Pilot Devotional - Everyday Evangelism

If you want to go deeper in learning how to engage lost people with confidence and compassion, I've created a 40-day devotional that equips believers to recognize moments of spiritual openness and respond with grace. I'm currently looking for a small group of people to pilot this resource and provide feedback before a wider release - if you're interested in being part of the pilot group, email me at grant.reed@rd2tell.com. The pilot involves 15 minutes of daily reading for 6 weeks, plus one hour of weekly group discussion (virtual is an option).

Author Bio

Grant Reed is the founder of Ready to Tell Ministries and serves as Prayer & Care Director for Marked Men For Christ, a global men's ministry reaching 19,000+ men across 30 countries. He holds an M.Div. and M.A. in Ministry from Southwestern Seminary and is a graduate of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism. Grant is a passionate speaker, teacher, and author focused on bringing others to Christ and equipping believers to share their faith with confidence and compassion.