Prayer Guide
Praying for people in their suffering.
Peace
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 (ESV)
Pray for:
Peace in the midst of suffering
Calm in the midst of storms
A sense of God’s presence
Worry to subside
Endurance
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance.
Romans 5:3 (ESV)
Pray for:
Endurance through difficult times
Strength that comes from God
Patience in the waiting
Hope
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13 (ESV)
Pray for:
Hope that this present suffering will pass
Hope to motivate endurance
Hope to lead to joy and worship in the midst of pain and sorrow
Relief
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
Psalm 4:1 (ESV)
Pray for:
Temporary relief during long periods of suffering
Relief from the stress of suffering
Relief from physical pain
Relief from responsibilities that weigh down
Encouragement
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)
Pray for:
Encouragement from the Holy Spirit
Encouragement from the scriptures
Encouragement from small groups & friend
Encouragement from unexpected places
Support
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
Pray for:
People to pitch in where extra help is needed
People to lend a listening ear
People to go above and beyond to show care
Healing
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:14 (ESV)
Pray for:
People to seek out the elders when in need of prayer
Doctors to have wisdom and discernment in finding solutions
God to provide complete healing for the sick
Restoration
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV)
Pray for:
Honest conversations when people have been hurt
People to own their part in conflicts
Broken relationships to be restored
Mourning
And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
Deuteronomy 34:8 (ESV)
Pray for:
Understanding the value of things/people lost
Time to share positive memories
Space to cry and weep
People to enter into the suffering with
Listening
Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.
Proverbs 8:34 (ESV)
Pray for:
Attentiveness to scripture
Ears to hear what God might be speaking
Obedience and faithfulness to God
Repentance
I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know… I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job 42:3b, 5-6 (ESV)
Pray for:
Conviction where sin has occurred
Posture of humility and right view of God
Confession of sin
Repentance from sins
Glorifying God
This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.
John 11:4 (ESV)
Pray for:
Glimpses of God’s glory for those who are suffering
Glory to be given to God when he gives
Glory to be given to God when he takes away
A response to suffering that glorifies God