Our prayers impact the spiritual realm surrounding us. It’s easy to lose sight of this reality. Meanwhile, the Bible is filled with accounts of spiritual forces moving in response to the prayers of God’s people. Today, we’ll look at 10 intercessory prayer points to guide our prayers.
Intercessory Prayer Points
Before we delve into these prayer points, let’s look at an example of the power of prayer in God’s Word.
The book of Acts describes the spread of the early church throughout the world. At this time, King Herod persecuted the followers of Christ. After murdering James, Herod was pleased by the Jewish support and imprisoned Peter with plans to execute him as well.
The followers of Christ persistently prayed for Peter. As a result of their prayers, an angel appeared and set Peter free. This miraculous story is a memorable illustration of the power of prayer. When we pray according to God’s will, spiritual forces move in response.
Peter’s angel visitation reminds me to stay faithful in prayer. I’ve been waiting for God to answer several prayers for decades. I’ve been asking him to bring loved ones into saving faith in Christ and pleading with him to heal the broken hearts of some people who are dear to me.
God has answered some of my prayers according to my hopes, but I’m still waiting to see his answers to many of these requests.
You most likely have some unanswered prayers, too. Today, I encourage you to be persistent. Don’t give up. God hears your prayers.
10 Intercessory Prayer Points
Here are 10 intercessory prayer points to guide you as you pray for others.
1. Pray for your loved ones to find their joy and strength in the Lord.
This prayer is from Nehemiah 8:10: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
A Prayer for Joy and Strength:
“Father, thank you for being our source of joy, hope, and strength. I pray that my loved ones will learn to experience the joy you feel when they draw near to you. Show them how to lean into this joy and find strength from you. Reveal yourself to them as their ever-present source of help, support, and strength.”
2. Pray for the strength to stand against temptation.
When I pray for my loved ones to stand against temptation, I claim the promise in this powerful Scripture: “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
A Prayer to Stand Against Temptation:
“Lord God, thank you for the promise that you will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. I pray that my loved ones will turn to you when they feel tempted. Show them that there is no condemnation in Christ and lead them to avoid temptation and follow you in obedience.”
3. Ask God to reveal himself to your loved ones as they draw near to him.
God promises that when we draw near to him, he draws near to us (James 4:8). We can pray that our loved ones will experience his comforting presence. When we encounter the Living God, we are changed from the inside out.
A Prayer for Drawing Near to God:
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise that when we draw near to you, you draw near to us. I pray my loved ones will experience this reality in their lives. Please reveal yourself to them. Be their ongoing source of support and the friend who never leaves them. I ask that they experience your love and comfort in tangible ways as you build their faith.”
4. Pray for the light of Christ to shine through your loved ones.
Matthew 5:14 reads, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Pray for others to be drawn into the love of Christ through the light shining through your loved ones.
A Prayer for God’s Light to Shine Brightly:
“Lord God, thank you for pouring your love and light through us. We want to carry your light into this dark world. Please fill us with your light and love, enabling us to be vessels of healing and transformation in this world. Draw the broken into your love through the light we carry.”
5. Pray for your loved ones to find their identities in Christ.
Ask God to help your loved ones find their worth in God’s love for them. Pray for freedom from the desires to conform to the world, prove themselves to others, or live from achievement-based identities.
A Prayer for Identity:
“Dear God, thank you for demonstrating your love to us through the ultimate act of love: allowing your precious Child to die in our place. I cannot imagine allowing my child to die for someone else. As I focus on this, I am overwhelmed by your love for me. I pray that my loved ones will grasp this love and be transformed by it as well. Help them understand the one part of their identities that can never change: They will always be deeply loved by you.”
6. Ask God to help your loved ones remain focused on Jesus.
Before he went to the cross, Jesus pressed on for the joy set before him.
Hebrews 12:1-2 reads, “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (NASB).
When we keep our eyes on Jesus, his love fills us with hope. We can endure uncertainty and even suffering because he gives us strength.
A Prayer for Focus:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for setting the example of what it looks like to press forward for the joy set before us. Help my loved one remain focused on you when life is difficult. It’s easy to become distracted and look at the storms surrounding us. Instead of looking at the storms, help us look to you.”
7. Pray that your loved ones will find their hope in Jesus’ presence.
Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus reminded his followers that he would be with them always (Matthew 28:20).
Rather than putting our hope in changed circumstances, we can heave hope in difficult times because Jesus is with us. Nothing reaches us without passing through his protective arms first. He is our good Shepherd, and he will guide and carry us through even the darkest times.
A Prayer for Hope in Jesus:
“Dear Lord, thank you for your promise to be with us always. Please help my loved ones put their hope in you, not in improved circumstances. Help them experience you as their Shepherd, Comforter, and Counselor. Reveal yourself to them.”
8. Pray for endurance.
We all need endurance to complete the work God calls us to do. We can pray that our loved ones will not grow weary in doing good but will continue the work God has placed in front of them.
A Prayer for Endurance:
“Lord God, we turn to you for strength today. Thank you for imparting your grace in our lives every day. Please empower us by your Spirit so that we can endure and complete the work you have set before us. Help us not to grow weary in doing good. Reveal your perfect power in our weakest moments.”
9. Pray for the patience to wait on God’s perfect timing.
Waiting for God to move in difficult situations can be painful. We can pray for our loved ones to have strength and patience as they wait on God.
A Prayer for Waiting:
“God, thank you that you are never late. At times, it feels like you’ve forgotten us or are late, but you are always right on time. Thank you that no matter where we go, you are already there. Please help my loved ones wait on your perfect timing in difficult situations. Help them trust that you are working in ways they cannot see. Help them trust you more.”
10. Ask God to comfort your loved ones.
God is the source of all comfort. He comforts us in our troubles so that we might learn to comfort others. He wants to comfort your loved ones with his love.
A Prayer for Comfort:
“God, thank you for being a good Father. Please help my loved ones experience your comfort and remember that you walk with them through every difficult situation. Remind them to put their hope in your presence with them and enable them to experience the peace they find in your presence.”
About the author:
Stacey Pardoe is passionate about equipping others to live purpose-filled, empowered lives. She lives in western Pennsylvania, where she is a writer, coach, mother, mentor, and teacher. A lover of forests and open skies, she enjoys hiking, camping, jogging, and chasing adventure with her young children and her husband Darrell.
Above all else, the love of Christ has forever captured her heart, and she is devoted to helping others encounter his relentless love. She writes every Wednesday at staceypardoe.com. She has coauthored three family devotional books with her children here.
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“With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers biblical guidance as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of prayer that works for each reader.” (Amazon description)
“When we hear that a friend is struggling, it can be easy to say, ‘I’m praying for you’, but harder to know what to actually pray. Through forty carefully chosen Scripture passages, Nancy Guthrie opens up the wealth of scripture to teach us how to pray for those who are hurting. . . . Nancy shows us how God’s purposes are revealed even in our darkest days and encourages us to pray for his will to be done in difficult situations.” (Amazon description)
Have you considered strengthening your prayer life with a prayer journal?
These journals have been designed to encourage us to track God’s powerful acts and answers to our prayers. For more about the benefits of recording requests and answers, read the following article here.
With a cover design inspired by the Alberta Rocky mountains, this journal is the perfect size (6×9) to carry with your Bible. It includes 7 sections to organize your prayers as well as a bonus resource section with lists of key references of Bible verses on prayer. Be guided by scripture as you meditate on verses from the Bible and pray to God. Watch how He answers and record His works for the next generation!
With the same great resources and organization as the previous prayer journal, this 6×9 journal pairs well with Cultivate & Nurture: A Guided Journal for Christian Growth. It also includes 7 sections to organize your prayers as well as a bonus resource section with lists of key references of Bible verses on prayer. Use this journal to systematically improve how you pray and notice God’s work in your life.
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