Going to bat for the people you love, the right way.
How do you pray for someone? You bring that person before God by name, ask Him to meet their real needs in body and soul, and trust Him to do what is best for them. That is intercessory prayer, and it is one of the most loving things you will ever do for another human being. This is for anyone who has told a friend I will pray for you and then froze up, not sure what to actually say. You do not need fancy words or a seminary degree. If you can talk to God about your own life, you can talk to Him about someone else’s. It matters because your prayers for another person reach places your hands never could.
Start by Bringing Them to God
Before you rattle off a list of requests, just bring the person to God. Turn your attention to the Lord, thank Him for the one you are about to pray for, take a moment to listen, and ask for His help to pray well. Praise God for who He is and for the fact that He already loves this person more than you do. That simple shift settles your heart and reminds you that you are handing them to the One who can actually do something. You are not informing God of a need He missed. You are agreeing with Him and asking Him to move. As you pray, focus on the person and listen for how the Holy Spirit leads you, because the Spirit will often press a specific need onto your heart that you never would have thought of on your own. Ask Him for grace and mercy to fall on them, and let the Spirit shape your words.
Pray for Their Soul First
Here is the most important prayer you can ever pray for another person, and most of us skip right past it. Pray for their soul. Before their job, their health, or their circumstances, pray that they would know Jesus Christ and have eternal life. If they are not walking with God, ask the Lord to draw them to Himself and open their eyes to the gospel. If they already belong to Christ, pray they would grow deeper, love God more, and walk closer to Him. Everything else you ask for matters, but nothing matters like where that person stands with God. Lead with the gospel, every time.
Jesus Prayed for Others, So Can You
You are in good company when you pray for someone, because Jesus did it constantly. The night before the cross, He prayed for Peter by name, that his faith would not fail. In John 17, His great high priestly prayer, the Son of God prayed for His disciples and then prayed for every believer who would ever come after them, which means Jesus prayed for you. If the Lord Himself spent His prayer time lifting up other people, we are on rock-solid ground doing the same. He even teaches us to pray for our enemies and for the ones who hurt us. Following His example, as Christians we focus our prayers outward, on a world full of people who need God, and not only on ourselves.
Pray Specifically and by Name
Vague prayers are easy to forget and hard to see answered. So pray specifically. Lift the person up by name, name the actual need, and pray for the deep desires of their heart, not just bless them and amen. There is real value in writing it down. Keep a short list, write the person and what you are praying for next to their name, and you will be amazed how often you get to circle an answered prayer later. Praying specifically is what lets you see specific answers, and seeing those answers builds real joy and real faith. Get concrete.
What to Pray for Someone
Once you are praying for the person, here are the things worth asking God for. Use this as a practical starting point and let the Holy Spirit guide you from there.
· Their salvation and walk with God. That they would know Christ, or grow deeper in Him. Always the first and biggest ask.
· Wisdom and direction. That He would give them wisdom for the decisions in front of them, reveal His purpose for their life, and grow their desire for Him.
· Strength in hardship. That He would give them courage, patience, and perseverance to stand firm in the middle of their difficulties.
· Healing and protection. If they are sick or ill, pray for healing, and ask God to protect them and the people they love. Pray they would be encouraged and not lose heart.
· Peace and encouragement. That He would fill them with His peace, lift their heart, and send the encouragement they need to keep going.
· Their relationships. That He would heal what is broken, grow forgiveness where there is hurt, and surround them with a community of people who point them to Him.
Pray the Scripture Over Them
One of the most powerful ways to pray for someone is to pray the Bible right back to God. Find a verse or a promise that fits their situation and turn it into a prayer for them. When you pray God’s Word, you are praying with confidence, because you are asking for things He has already said He wants. Paul did this constantly. Read his letters and you will find him telling whole churches exactly how he was praying for them, that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, strengthened with power, rooted in love. Borrow Paul’s prayers. Pray Scripture over your people and you will never run dry on words.
The Power of Praying for Others
Do not ever think your prayers for someone else are too small to matter. The Bible says the opposite.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16 (NKJV)
A righteous person praying in faith moves things in the unseen. Look at Acts 12. Peter was locked in prison, and the church gathered and prayed earnestly for him through the night. God sent an angel and walked him right out the prison doors while they were still praying. That is what intercessory prayer can do. You may never see the full impact of the prayers you pray for your brothers and sisters, but heaven does, and God acts on them. So go to bat for them. Pray boldly for your family, your friends, your neighbors, and even the people who are hard to love.
It Will Change You Too
Here is the part nobody warns you about. Praying for someone changes you as much as it helps them. It is hard to stay bitter toward a person you are lifting up to God every day. As you intercede for them, your heart softens, your relationship heals, and you start to see them the way God sees them, and things happen in the unseen that you may never fully know about. Pray for them long enough and watch what happens, not just in their life, but in yours. That is the quiet gift of praying for others. Your friends stop being names on a list and become people you genuinely carry. You find fresh hope as you watch God work, real joy every time a prayer is answered, and you walk away encouraged yourself, because interceding for your friends pulls your eyes off your own troubles and onto a God who is big enough for all of it.
A Simple Prayer to Pray for Someone
If you still feel stuck, borrow this and make it your own:
Dear God, I lift up [name] to You right now. You know exactly what they need today. Draw them close to You, fill them with Your peace, and meet them right where they are. Where they are hurting, bring healing. Where they are weak, give strength and courage. Above all, Lord, I pray they would know You more. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Common Questions About Praying for Someone
What do you say when you pray for another?
Bring the person to God by name, thank Him for them, and ask Him to meet their specific needs, starting with their walk with God and moving to their circumstances. You do not need perfect words. Honest, specific words are enough.
How do you pray for someone who does not know it?
You can pray for anyone, anytime, whether they know it or not. Lift them up by name in your private prayers and ask God to work in their life. They never have to know for God to answer.
What is intercessory prayer?
Intercessory prayer is simply praying on behalf of someone else, standing in the gap for them before God. It is an act of love and faith, and Scripture says the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
What should I pray for a friend?
Pray first that they would know God more, then for wisdom, strength, healing, peace, and protection in whatever they are facing. Praying Scripture over your friends is one of the best ways to do it.
Does praying for someone really help them?
Yes. God hears and acts on the prayers of His people. You may not always see how, but praying for someone reaches places you never could, it often leaves you encouraged, and it changes your own heart in the process.
