STIIR – Loving the Lost

When we served as missionaries in Spain, God called us to pray for an unreached people group in Extremadura. Less than one percent of the population were believers. The Lord impressed upon my heart, “Pray earnestly for these people. Love the lost.” I would take groups up to a mountain overlooking the city of Cáceres and pray. As we prayed, God reminded us that His heart is for the lost. He had sent us to a land that was not our own, to learn a different language and live in a foreign culture, so that others might know His love. God burdened my heart for people living without hope. Looking back, our ministry reflected many aspects of GCA's STIIR pathway (Strategy, Training, Inquiry and Insight, Inspiration, Relationships), but at its heart was a commitment to pray for and love the lost.

That same heart for the lost is reflected in the ministry of Paul and Silas. One of the clearest examples of loving the lost is found in Acts 16:25–34. After being beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel, Paul and Silas responded not with bitterness but with prayer and praise. Their worship was heard throughout the prison. Then, when an earthquake opened the prison doors and loosened every chain, they chose compassion over self-preservation.

The jailer, fearing execution if the prisoners escaped, was about to take his own life. Instead, Paul and Silas stopped him and shared the good news of Jesus. As a result, the jailer and his entire household came to faith. Scripture tells us that he “was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household” (Acts 16:34).

God calls us to love the lost, not condemn them. We are to love them into the Kingdom of God. We are to pray for them and their families. Just like Paul and Silas, we are to be ready to share the gospel even in the most difficult of circumstances. Paul and Silas had so much joy that everyone in the jail heard their prayers and praises to God Almighty, who is sovereign over all. Do we see the lost as God sees them? Are we known more for criticism or for Christlike compassion? How can we love the lost and pray for them?

Loving the lost is at the heart of God's mission. Through prayer, genuine relationships, and a willingness to share Christ even in difficult circumstances, we become instruments of His grace. As we live out the STIIR pathways, may God give us hearts that see people as He sees them, eyes to recognize those living without hope, and the courage to love them into the Kingdom.