The Ins & Outs of Prayer Requests
What is a Prayer Request?
A prayer request is simply someone requesting a prayer. When someone is experiencing an event or situation that they feel they need people to pray for, they send in a request urging others to pray.
What Can I Request a Prayer For?
No prayer is too big or too small! If you feel inspired to ask for prayers, then ask. Prayer requests come in a wide range, and even if your request is similar to someone else's, no two requests are exactly the same.
Here are some common prayer request categories:
- Heal a disease or illness
- Recovery from a disease or surgery will be quick and painless
- Test results are what you hope they will be
- Help someone turn back toward God
- Help strengthen faith
- Ease undue stress and anxiety
- Ask for guidance with a relationship
- Ask for inspiration related to financial burdens
- Ask for wisdom and understanding about a specific circumstance
- Unspoken requests
It is Important to Note
There is no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed to reach out for help. In fact, when you let someone else pray for you, you are empowering them, permitting them to strengthen their own faith and relationship with God.
How Do I Write a Prayer Request?
Writing a prayer request isn’t difficult, however, depending on the format of the platform where you place your request if it isn’t catchy it does risk the chance of being overlooked. This isn’t to say people won’t see your request and won’t pray, but it doesn’t hurt to appeal to the masses.
Here are some helpful recommendations for you to design an engaging request:
- Create an eye-catching headline or first sentence- Depending on the format you are using to submit your request, you may or may not have a headline or subject line to fill in. If you don’t, make this your first sentence. In one sentence, summarize your request. Keep it short, but attention-grabbing.
- Focus on one request at a time- While contemplating your request, you may realize you have a slew of prayers you’d like to request. Set your intentions for one request at a time, don’t ask for help figuring out a way to pay your mortgage that month as well as ask your son to find a job soon. Make a separate request for different needs.
- Be detailed without being overly detailed- Express the reasonings you are asking for prayers. Allow the reader to get a glimpse of who you are and your needs. But be sure to not say too much. Don’t ramble on. Keep your description clear and to the point.
- Show your gratitude- Add a line in your request thanking those who are praying for you. Let them know that you appreciate the time they are taking to pause their life and focus their attention on petitioning God on your behalf.
Where Can I Submit a Prayer Request?
There are so many options available to you for submitting your prayer requests. Often, your church will have a way for members to submit a request. There are prayer lines you can call and add your request to, social media groups dedicated to requests, and online forums that you can submit your request to.
Generally, your request can be submitted as anonymous if it makes you more comfortable. On most of these platforms, you will be able to see other requests, allowing you the opportunity to pray for others.
We Will Pray for You
If you submit a prayer request to us, you can be rest assured we will pray for you. Every Friday we post a Prayer Request announcement on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. You can post your request in the comment section of the post or message us anytime on either platform with any requests you have. If social media isn't your thing, we have a site where you can submit your prayers to. You can find that site here.
Tips for Praying for Others who’ve Requested Prayers
Throughout our mortal lifetime, we will all run into some bumps in the road. Sometimes these bumps are small, mere annoyances, while other times, they can be life-altering events, frightening challenges which we may not know how to overcome; especially in the moment. Some matters may not be considered a hardship, rather someone you know has a job interview and they need some extra encouragement. Whatever the circumstance may be, you can guarantee situations will arise that will affect us, our family members, our friends, their family members, our co-workers, our acquaintances, and everyone. During an incident, someone you know may reach out to you and ask you to pray for them.
Here are some helpful suggestions to pray effectively for someone else (or even yourself):
- Pray for all involved- When someone asks you to pray for them, assess the request so you can make the most of the prayer. An example would be your friend coming to you with a request to pray for their sick mother. Take a moment to examine the situation. What is really being asked here? How can you create a better prayer? Of course, you pray and ask God that the mother may be healed, but that’s only scratching the surface. You need to ask God to give guidance to her doctors; set them on the right path. You need to pray for your friend and help them find comfort and peace in this time. You need to pray for the family, the extended family. Ask that they all remain steadfast in their faith. Ask that His presence be made known to them.
- Don’t push your perspective onto the prayer- Instead of oversaturating the prayer with your wants and needs, try to discover and understand God’s intentions and for His will to be done. Ask God to reveal His purpose to you. This can help you figure out what you truly need to pray for.
- Banish fear- Too often, our prayers are generated from fear. Fear over a disease, fear over finances, fear over the unknown. God wants us to turn to Him in times of fear, and to trust in Him fully. When you are fearful and anxious, first pray that He will rid you of those feelings, ask Him to share some revelation, and then pray for what you are asking.
- Don’t forget to check in- Check in with the person who requested the prayer. See how they are doing, if things are better or not. By following up, you are showing them that they are cared for, that they are important and loved.
Lastly
Our Father wants to hear from us and to help us. He wants to see us succeed. When we pray, we are communicating with our creator, put our needs in His hands, and trusting that He will take care of us. This doesn’t mean you will get the exact answer you think you want. Fully trusting Him means you will get the answer He knows you need most.
-Torrance Church of Christ