An Intercessory Prayer for Others

Father, I come to You today not for myself, but for the people You have placed on my heart. You know each one by name. You knew them before I ever did.

I lift up my family to You. Some of them are carrying burdens I cannot see. Meet them where they are, Lord. Give them what I cannot give them.

I lift up my friends. The one who is waiting on hard news. The one who is worn out and hiding it well. The one who has drifted far from You. Draw near to each of them today.

I lift up the people I will never meet — the sick in hospital beds, the lonely behind closed doors, the hungry, the grieving, the afraid. You see every single one. Let none of them be forgotten, because none of them are forgotten by You.

Lord, I do not always know how to pray for them. I do not know what they need most. But You do. So I bring them to You the way a friend carries a friend to the door of a doctor — not with answers, but with hope.

Where I have grown tired of praying, renew my patience. Where I have given up on someone, forgive me, and let me begin again. Keep their names on my lips and their faces before my eyes. Give me eyes to see the needs around me, and a heart that refuses to look away.

Thank You that You hear every word, and that You love them more than I ever could.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Intercession simply means praying on behalf of someone else — standing before God for another person the way a friend might speak up for a friend. You don't need special words or special standing; you just need to bring people to God and leave them in His hands. Pray this whenever someone is on your heart and you don't know what else to do for them.

A Verse to Hold On To

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men." — 1 Timothy 2:1 (KJV)