When thou art converted ...

	Luk 22:31	And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:
	Luk 22:32	But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

If I knew that someone close to me were to betray me, what would have been my response?

Jesus knew that Peter would betray Him but Jesus was concerned about Peter more than Himself and prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail.

What does it mean that "thy faith fail not"? Didn't Peter's faith fail when he denied Jesus publicly? Was Jesus praying that Peter would not deny Him? If so, that would have meant that God did not answer His prayer. So the only alternative is that Jesus prayed that when Peter would deny Jesus, he would still have faith to be converted and to "strengthen thy brethren". Faith here seems to mean the faith of repenting and coming back to God.

Jesus knew Peter's weakness. Jesus did not expect that Peter would do what he said in the following verse.

Luk 22:33

And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

This was not the faith Jesus was expecting from Peter. Rather what Jesus expected from Peter was that Peter would be converted. Here is what the word convert means:

Lexicon Results for epistrepho (Strong's 1994)
Greek for 1994
Pronunciation Guide
epistrepho {ep-ee-stref'-o}
TDNT Reference	Root Word
TDNT - 7:722,1093	from 1909 and 4762
Part of Speech
v
Outline of Biblical Usage
1) transitively a) to turn to 1) to the worship of the true God b) to cause to return, to bring back 1) to the love and obedience of God 2) to the love for the children 3) to love wisdom and righteousness 2) intransitively a) to turn to one's self b) to turn one's self about, turn back c) to return, turn back, come back
Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count Â? Total: 39
AV - turn 16, be converted 6, return 6, turn about 4, turn again 3, misc 4; 39

Here are the verses where epistrepho was used to mean turning to God and not a physical act of turning or returning:

Mat 13:15

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Mar 4:12

That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.

Luk 1:16

And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

Luk 1:17

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Luk 22:32

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Jhn 12:40

He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Act 3:19

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Act 9:35

And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

Act 11:21

And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

Act 14:15

And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

Act 15:19

Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:

All these verses except Luke 22:32 seem to use the word epistrepho to mean a once-a-lifetime conversion. Here is Luke 22:32:

Luk 22:32

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

So can I say that Peter had never been converted even though he had been following Jesus for more than 3 years? If so, what is this faith Peter had, which Jesus refers as thy faith?

I need to consider this more as I do not have the answer yet.

Lord Jesus, You know well my weakness and my sinfulness. Like Peter I am prone to deny you in my daily life and you know this so well. Yet thank you for your continual prayer that my faith would not fail and that I would return to you and strengthen brothers and sisters. Amen.