Many times, we get so busy in our own lives that we often don’t prioritize praying for others. While we may not mean to be so forgetful, our friendships and relationships are gifts that we must be better stewards of. And being good stewards means we carry their burdens, praying for God’s best in their lives. So what are things to pray for others specifically?
When I think about the many friends and those that have become like family over the years, I feel so blessed that God brought them into my life. But life happens and we’re all called for different experiences, different places, and different seasons. For those reasons, we may lose touch or are not keeping in touch as much. No matter the amount of contact that you’ve had, no matter how far they live, or however long that it has been, we can always do one powerful thing for them: prayer.
Things To Pray For Others
Every single person on this earth has something that they will need prayers for. Every single person. Even if we think that someone has it made. So even if we don’t personally know what’s going on in their life right now, here are some things to pray for.
Pray For Faith
If there is one that believers and nonbelievers alike need more of, it is faith. We may have many loved ones that have not met Christ yet. And we need to be diligent to ask our Heavenly Father that He will call them to himself. God can show up in anyone’s life at any time in the most impactful ways. While we can’t know when or how that will be, we can continue to knock on the door until God answers our prayer.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. - Matthew 7:7 (NIV)
Faith in Jesus is our foundation as Christ’s followers and think of what came with it. It came with having Jesus walk alongside us for eternity. We want the same for those we love so it needs to be a priority to pray for faith for others. Even as believers, let’s face it, we could always use more faith. It is a lack of it that gives us our daily worries and struggles. If we had more faith, we would be able to accomplish more. So just as we pray for more faith for ourselves, we need to pray the same for others.
He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. - Luke 17:6 (NIV)
Pray For Peace
Can you imagine perfect peace? Not the peace as the world gives but Jesus’s peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27 (NIV)
A lack of peace causes us to be worried, anxious, steals our joy, and blinds us from seeing God’s goodness. A demonstration of this was found in 1 Samuel 16 with King Saul. When the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, he was tormented by an evil spirit instead. Saul became paranoid, threatened of his kingdom, jealous, and constantly looking to kill David. How tormented must he have been to hold the heavyweight consequences of his own sins. How precious must peace have been to Saul?
Maybe a loved one is struggling with guilt or shame. Maybe they’re living a life of dissatisfaction, running after anything that promises them fulfillment. A lack of peace causes us to chase materials, status, wealth, and all the things of this world that cannot fill us. When we have Jesus’s peace, we have the assurance that all things will work for good, no matter what craziness is going on in our world. We may not know the weight that our loved ones are carrying right now. But we can pray for God’s peace to cover them and lift their heavy burdens.
Pray For Healing
As healthy people, we can take our good health for granted. Oh, how we miss feeling “normal” when we suffer flu symptoms or are experiencing food poisoning. Our lack of health opens our eyes to how health truly is a great asset in this world. But we know those that are suffering from chronic pain or a debilitating disease that changed their life forever. It could be their mental health as well as their physical health. When we ourselves don’t suffer from an illness, the experience of those who do may not be relatable. However, imagine the joy they would have to receive healing!
Imagine having lived with years of depression and anxiety or carrying on the weight of unforgiveness. Or the hurt from a betrayal of a former friend or living under the weight of your own heavy-handed expectations. How freeing it must be to finally heal from them. Healing is needed for so many areas of our lives. So let’s remember to pray for healing over others.
Pray For Provision
You may notice that there are a few subjects that not too many people like to speak about and finances are one of them. We may not be fully aware of other people’s financial situation. Some people have debt that keeps them awake at night, some may wonder how they will be able to pay next month’s rent, or how they will pay to have the car fixed. Sometimes it is a mindset about money that needs to change. Maybe it is for them to learn to be better stewards of it. Provision is both the gift itself and the ability to take care of the gift.
No matter their struggle, our Heavenly Father can avoid abundantly beyond measure. So we can pray that our loved ones are taken care of in this area. Just as we pray for financial blessings, we can pray the same for others.
Let Us Pray
Heavenly Father, I lift up my (family members, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbors) today living all over the world. I pray that you will call them to yourself. Open their eyes to see You, open their ears to hear You, and open their hearts to receive You. I pray that those that received You will have an increase of faith so that they see even more of You. I also pray that you will give them Your peace that will drive away every anxiety, torment, and doubt that is not of You. I pray that by Your stripes, they will be healed of their physical, emotional, and mental sickness. And I pray that You will bless them with the provision they need each day. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
Recommendation
Knowing God starts with knowing His Word. If you don’t already own a Bible, there are many churches that give one for free. You can also download a YouVersion Bible App. Or if you’d like a physical copy, it can easily be found on amazon.