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Help! I don’t know what to pray for: Here are 6 biblically-
sound suggestions
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Article By Empowering Everyday Women Ministries
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Posted May 1, 2017
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Credit: Getty/ davidf
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Lots of God-fearing, Jesus-loving, church-going Christians are intimidated by prayer. Why? Because
they don’t know what to say. That doesn’t have to be you!
The truth is, none of us knows exactly what we should pray for, which is why Romans 8:26 (NLT) is
good news. It says, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what
God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be
expressed in words.”
Since Scripture plainly expresses that we are unequipped to be certain about what our petitions to the
Lord should be, it’s okay to relax, know that God is not judging you, and go to Him in sincerity.
To help provide a bit of guidance, here are 6 biblically-inspired prayer requests.
Pray for Favor. Favor is God’s love demonstrated. Grace, which is a huge aspect of divine
favor, is the manifestation of God’s goodness in your life. It’s okay to ask the Lord to favor you.
Who doesn’t desire to see God’s goodness? Psalm 84:11 says in the NIV, “For the LORD God
is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from
those whose walk is blameless.” God wants to show you His favor. It pleases Him to bless you,
so don’t be afraid to ask Him to.
Pray for His Will. We’ve all heard the line in the Lord’s prayer from Matthew 6:10 that says,
“Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” Hopefully it hasn’t just become part of a prayer
routine rather than a heartfelt request. The favor of God is found when you are in His will. Just
as Solomon prayed for wisdom, and received wealth and honor as a result, if you seek first the
things of God, “all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). By praying God’s will, you
position yourself to receive good things from the Lord.
Pray for Righteousness. Matthew 6:33, which was just referenced above, reads in full, “But
seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”
(ESV). To seek righteousness is to follow after the example of Christ, and desire to be holy like
Him. Alone, our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), which is why we must ask the Lord
to make us righteous, because only He can. It’s not our works that purify us, but the blood of
Christ.
Pray for a Greater Love for People. According to Jesus, the second greatest commandment
is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). Many of us have too little grace and patience
when it comes to other people. We get frustrated with them at the drop of a dime and neglect to
show them the love of Christ because we don’t prefer them. Well, all mankind is God’s creation
and therefore His treasure, so treat people as such. When you love on people, you are loving
on God and as a result, there are rewards, blessings and favor you will reap for doing so.
Pray for a Passion for Purpose. Sometimes, when God gives us a certain assignment, we
feel as if we are not equipped to carry it out. We face challenges that make us want to walk
away, so we dread pursuing purpose. Isn’t it shocking how disabled we become the moment the
Lord calls us into action? Resist the urge to quit by praying for the passion the prophet
Jeremiah mentioned in Jeremiah 20:9. When he felt like giving up, he said the word of the Lord
was like “fire shut up in my bones” and he could not hold it in. Earnestly petition the Lord for the
same burning desire to follow His plan for your life.
Pray to Hunger after His Word. Your soul should yearn after the Word of God, and you
should not feel complete without it. God’s word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path
(Psalm 119:105), guiding you through life so you don’t try and blindly find your way. Pray that
the Lord not only give you a hunger for His Word, but also an understanding of it. The Bible is
too important an influence in your walk with God to be reduced merely as the go-to source for
an occasional feel-good quote.
The next time you’re feeling like you don’t know what to pray for? Start with these 6 things, which
should grace every believer’s lips.
In the meantime, our prayer for you is Psalm 20:4: “May he give you the desire of your heart and
make all your plans succeed.”
Need help strengthening your walk with God? Allow Empowering Everyday Women Ministries’ prayer
team to intercede for you. The Lord is ready, willing and able to aid you in your journey. Let’s pray!
Click here to submit your request.
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