Praying for others?

[socialchameleon]

I've been reading a few threads on here during my lunch hour at work and noticed one person commenting on the Christians they work with in the U.S.A.

Very quickly, a fellow co-worker who was Christian was shocked that her colleague (an Atheist) did not believe in the concept of hell or the idea of religion. The Christian co-worker apparently said this made her "sad" and that she would pray for her Atheist colleague.

I'm confused why a Christian would see the need to pray for a person who does not believe in religion.

Do Christians believe that by praying for another, this will lead to the "non believer" avoiding a fiery eternal existence in Hell ? Or are they praying for that person to demonstrate humility and a caring nature to others for the purposes of their own god / "assent to Heaven "?

Hopefully a Christian (or otherwise) reading this will be able to give me a bit of in sight?

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Apologies I seem to have inadvertantly rated my own thread as 5 stars

I assure you this was by accident and not over conifdence in my topic