Expert: Australian International Evangelist Matthew Starrs - 4/28/2005

Question
Can we as Christians pray for healing for a non believer and pray for them to be saved and find the lord. Will God answer these prayers, we belong to a small house group and have been told that god will not heal non believers. we were also told that prayers for non believers are somewhat pointless in the fact that they do not believe in God. Is there any scriptual references that prove this either way?  

Answer
Hi Steve,
Wow. I can hardly believe someone is telling you this stuff. I doubt that whoever is telling you this see's too many miracles. Of the hundreds of healing miracles that I have seen the overwhelming majority have been for unbelievers. Signs and wonders are for unbelievers. You ask for a scripture . . . just read the book of Acts. It's full of them.
You ask if we can pray for non-believers. I believe that if we don't pray they will never be saved.
Your house group needs to get back to the basics of the Gospel and realise how little seperates us from the lost. It is only the Grace of God that saves us, and unless you purge out the religious hypocrisy that likes to make a distinction betwen "us and them" you will NEVER be useful to God in this generation.
Blessings!
Matthew.