How much effect do our prayers for unbelievers have?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Xandria
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
X

Xandria

Guest
I realize that this question is probably difficult to answer since only God really knows but I would still like to hear what you have to say. Lately I have been thinking a lot about the effect of our prayers for people who don’t believe in God. If we often pray for a person (for example a family member), how are the chances that after death this person will spend eternity in heaven? After all, Our Lady at Fatima said that many souls go to hell because they have no one to pray for them.

I’m so worried about my family and often pray the rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet for them. (Btw, is it okay to dedicate the rosary for all my family members or is it better to pray one for each of them?).
 
we must always have hope 🙂

yes, prayer can be very effective. But we should persevere in prayer and not give up. I do believe that God can change people’s hearts as a result of our prayers ,and He can work miracles.

Try to trust God as much as you can when you pray.

I often worry about my family and friends too and also pray for them… I think it’s alright to pray the Rosary for all your family members, but it might be more effective to do the whole thing for just one person at a time… you can also try doing a novena for each of your family members 🙂

God bless.
 
Your prayer is only as effective as much as you trust in God, who is Omnipotent and who is the One who makes hearts converts, saves souls, heals, and grants joy and peace.
 
This is probably the wrong place, but here goes. Was watching a re-run of Mother Angelica last week on EWTN. A caller calls in and asks Mother a question about prayer Mother’s response gave me goose-bumps, as it was something I had never considered before. She said that since God is all-knowing and exists outside of time, He can take our prayers of today and apply them to people who lived hundreds of years ago because He saw those prayers for all eternity. (I hope I explained this correctly —if not please correct me). God can do whatever He wants with our prayers, whenever He wants.
 
"I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers to God make, and all the people those little prayers were destined to affect, and all the consequences of those effects down through the centuries, we would be so paralyzed with awe at the power of prayer that we would be unable to get up off our knees for the rest of our lives."

-Peter Kreeft,
p. 23Angels (and demons) What Do We Really Know About Them?
 
Thanks for your answers so far. I know that trust is very important but then there is also the issue of the free will of every person.:confused: Maybe on accord of our prayers for it the soul receives extra graces but the decision to accept them lies still with them. So at that point we are unable to help? But I don’t know, this is all just speculation on my part.

Did any of the saints talk about this?
 
ejb21 said:
This is probably the wrong place, but here goes. Was watching a re-run of Mother Angelica last week on EWTN. A caller calls in and asks Mother a question about prayer Mother’s response gave me goose-bumps, as it was something I had never considered before. She said that since God is all-knowing and exists outside of time, He can take our prayers of today and apply them to people who lived hundreds of years ago because He saw those prayers for all eternity. (I hope I explained this correctly —if not please correct me). God can do whatever He wants with our prayers, whenever He wants.
Click to expand...
I once read about St. Padre Pio saying the exact same thing in regard to a good death of someone already dead.
 
St. Augustine’s mother prayed for him for many years and he eventually converted. So did Fr. John Corpi’s mother and he too was converted. Mother’s prayers and ours do not go unanswered. Some people we pray for will only convert on their death beds after living lives of abusing their free will, but they can convert with someone out there persisitent enough to pray for them. St. Therese prayed for a hardened criminal to convert, a Catholic who had refused to go to confession all the days leading up to his execution. Just before he was sent to be killed he kissed the cross three times and Therese, when she heard this, knew her prayers for his conversion were heard.
 
I believe our prayers have more effect, then we will ever know… in this life. 😉

My sister returned to the Church, this past Easter; after 30 years away.

God bless you.
 
Xandria
As you quite rightly say so yourself “only God really knows” and only God needs to know really.However,Im sure you have noticed yourself or been impressed with someone else who leads by example.For example on the prayer forum here at CAF you will come across some of the most prayerful kind caring devoted followers you are ever likely to meet.Some prayer threads have been giong for a long while and these same prayer warriors pray every day for them.To read some of the prayers that have been answered is mesmerising.It truly gladdens the heart.
If you look on the prayer forum you will read testimonies of peoples prayers being answered even miracles.Baby Mica was one but there were & are many more.

When non believers see our quiet example of prayer where no-one can sway us from doing so they will see our ambassadorship to the Lord.We are all ambassadors for the church “desciples” and if we show by our deeds/example the power of prayer they will open their hearts & minds to let the Holy Spirit in.
So lets continue to pray for their conversion to faith.God bless
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top