What should I pray for?

Quick answer

Jesus gave us the perfect prayer blueprint in Matthew 6, but the Bible shows we can bring everything—praise, needs, justice, and longing for His return—to God. Whether we pray alone, with others, or in silence, God hears, responds, and even fills in the gaps when we don't have the words

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

We can approach God in prayer in different ways about countless things. For instance, we can pray the Scriptures, such as some Psalms back to Him; bring Him our troubles, needs, and requests (Psalm 91:15; 50:15; Philippians 4:6); and pray on behalf of others (1 Timothy 2:1). One of the most helpful verses to instruct us on the spiritual discipline of prayer in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, which covers the order in which to pray and what to pray about. We can also pray for requests about God , such asking for His will to be done, like Jesus did in Matthew 26:39 or praying that God’s justice would be delivered, like David did in Psalm 69. As believers, we should eagerly await Christ’s return to this earth (Revelation 19:11—20:6; Revelation 22:20), and we can pray for this, too. Additionally, we can pray in corporate settings (Acts 2:42) and participate in communal fasting alongside prayer (Acts 13:2–3). Lastly, at times we simply won’t know what to pray for, but we can take comfort knowing that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:26).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

We can worship God through prayer by praying Scripture to Him. For example, we may pray Psalms of thanksgiving and praise, such as Psalms 100 and 103.

In Psalm 69, David prays for justice–not vengeance–and we can do the same.

We can bring God our troubles and our needs (Psalm 91:15; 50:15) through prayer.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13), Jesus covers general areas that help us know what to pray for, such as honoring who God is, submitting to His will, and petitioning for our physical and spiritual needs to be met.

We should always pray for God’s will to be done, just as Jesus did despite knowing the horrible torment He would later face (Matthew 26:39).

During corporate prayer (Acts 2:42), we can ask others for prayer requests, and we can request prayer for us or those we know.

Sometimes, fasting as a spiritual discipline can accompany prayer fast (Acts 13:2–3).

At times, our hearts are so heavy we don't even know how to express our sorrow to God, but in such situations we can rest assured that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:26).

Instead of getting anxious about our current situation, we should bring our requests to God (Philippians 4:6). Requests can be anything from asking Him to help a family member grow spiritually to asking Him to guide us in wisdom as we make a big decision.

Praying on behalf of others is important (1 Timothy 2:1); this extends to people we know and those we don’t know, such as our government leaders or our military. We can better know how to pray for them by understanding God’s will, which is clearly laid out in Scriptures.

We can pray for Christ’s return (Revelation 22:20).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Just as we rarely have trouble knowing what to say to someone we are in close relationship with, we don't often struggle with what to pray for when we live in close communion with God. God commands us to pray (Psalm 50:15; Jeremiah 33:3; Hebrews 4:16; 1 Timothy 2:1) and promises to hear and answer us (John 16:23-24; 1 Peter 3:12; James 1:5-6; 5:16; Psalm 34:15). If we don't know what to pray for, we can simply look around: A lost and broken world needs our prayers. Of course, in our prayers, we should praise and thank God for the many blessings he has given us. Jesus is recorded as praying at least twenty-five times in the New Testament (e.g., John 17; Luke 5:16). If the Son of God prayed this much, this tells us how necessary it is for us as God’s adopted children to pray to our Heavenly Father "without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

UNDERSTAND

Jesus’ model prayer, popularly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer,” offers some guidelines on how we should pray.

Prayer strengthens our relationship with the Lord.

Our prayers can include praise, thanksgiving, supplication, and intercessions.

REFLECT

What are some regular features of your prayers?

How does Jesus’ model prayer influence your own prayers?

How might praying through Scripture impact your prayer life?

ENGAGE

What are some benefits to corporate prayer?

How can spiritual disciplines, like fasting, impact prayer life?

How can prayer influence our reaction to world events?