What We Can Pray When Asked

Pray for them as they requested, but do not neglect the spiritual needs

When someone asks us to pray for them, often they have a specific request, be it health or family or job related. They are faced with a difficulty, challenge or suffering and they reach out for prayer from you.

Sometimes one will ask you to keep them in their prayers, but don’t specify what for. It may be embarrassing for them, or they don’t want to appear to gossip, or whatever. People will have ‘silent requests’ believing that since God knows their need so there is not reason to state it.

It’s better ask specifically, but perhaps it’s not always possible to know everything.

But what can we pray when we don’t know what to pray for?

First Pray for Felt Needs

There are at least three reasons we are asked to pray for someone. Because they feel hopeless or helpless, or feel unable or unworthy, or because they see it modeled in the Bible.

We recommend praying as specifically as possible for their ‘felt’ need, that is: the actual request they’ve made. Perhaps their daughter is getting married, or for an unsaved in-law whose last days are approaching. Maybe it’s a recent injury, financial difficulties, etc. Maybe they just want peace, or more comfort or joy.

Pray for them as they requested, but do not neglect the spiritual needs. Ask God to help them, but take this opportunity to bring them before the throne of grace and ask our Father also for the things He wants for them.

Here’s what we can pray when we don’t know what to pray:

We’ve written previously to pray that they would know the Lord – ask Him for their salvation; that they would grow in the Lord; that they would have health, blessing, grace, peace, mercy, love, etc.

Here are ten more prayers we suggest:

The upside with these is they are what the Lord is after for all his dear children. It’s safe to say that no matter how much grace or peace or wisdom we have, we could use more. If we are maturing, we continue to mature. (Ephesians 4:15)

• But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. - 2 Peter 3:18 ESV

• Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. - Romans 5:5 NKJV

• Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. - Psalm 119:18 LSB

• My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. - John 17:15 NIV

• As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. - Colossians 2:7 NKJV

• Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. - Romans 12:2 CSB

• Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. - Philippians 4:4 RSV

• Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, - Ephesians 6:18 RSV

• And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. - Colossians 3:15 ASV

• Send out Your light and Your truth, they shall lead me; They shall bring me to Your holy hill, And to Your dwelling places. - Psalm 43:3 NASB

This is just a starter list, but there are many Scripture passages that reveal to us what the Lord is after, these show us His will for us as we seek to grow up in Christ and walk in step with Spirit, to please the Father. When we pray these, we bring people to Jesus.

Our prayers lately are from Colossians 1:9-12, which sums this up nicely.

We will pray these for you, and ask that you also pray these for us?

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Until Monday, grace and peace…