God’s Word is great fuel for heartfelt prayer. The combination of faith-filled prayer and Scripture (pure truth—John 17:17) is dynamite in the hands of a believer. But sometimes we get stuck regarding how to pray for someone. Here is a way to use Scripture to empower your prayers:
- Make a list of people to pray for, such as family, friends, neighbors, or peers. It can be as extensive or as simple as you want.
- Jot down some facts about each one’s life. Don’t become overwhelmed by a person’s needs, but trust God to help you focus on one area. If you don’t know the individual well (new neighbors, for example), keep in mind that God does. You don’t need a complete list. Again, trust God’s leading.
- Ask God to show you a specific verse to pray over each person. The passage might relate to that individual’s season of life (such as geriatric health issues, new parenting, college decisions) or with a specific trial the person is facing (health concerns, employment, relationship difficulties). In addition to problem-oriented topics, you can also pray for positive growth, such as asking God to develop a godly quality in that person.
- Pray that Scripture regularly (daily or weekly) for each person. You can personalize it further by inserting people’s names into the Scripture as you pray. A simple photo album, with a page for a photo of each person and the corresponding verse, can also guide your prayers.
By faith, blessings will come. The person you’re praying for will be blessed because God’s Word never returns void (Isa. 55:11). You will learn more Scripture through the repetition. And you may be surprised to discover that when you see that person, the verse you have been praying for him or her is so alive in you that it instantly comes to mind.
This is an exciting way to pray—using God’s Word as fuel for prayer and trusting Him to use it powerfully.
JOAN SHERMAN is an editorial assistant for Prayer Connect.
