A Little Prayer For A Friend

One of the marks of a true Christian is that we love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and do good to them (Romans 12:9). Also, Jesus Himself commands that we love one another, and He tells us that it is by the way we love each other that the world will know we are His disciples (John 13:34-35). We put that love into action in so many ways. We do it by giving generously to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need. We help them in any way we can, stay with them through tough times, and pray for them. (Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Romans 12:9) (A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35)

Heavenly Father, give me the grace always to put my love toward others in action but see to it that I get to pray for them both when I see them and when I come before You in my personal time with You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What Is a Little Prayer for a Friend?

A little prayer for a friend is just like any prayer we pray—just shorter. There are many different circumstances in which praying a quick prayer is appropriate. For example, let’s say you and your friend meet in church, and you have a quick catch-up. Yet one or both of you, for some reason, have to leave immediately. You can pray a short prayer for your friend in line with what you just talked about. It is fine if the little prayer isn’t exactly about what you just discussed; the point is to pray for your friend, even if it is just a few words. A little prayer for a friend will also work if you message a friend that you remember them in your prayers. You can put the short prayer you prayed into a message and tell them you just prayed for them.

A little prayer would also work for a friend who is not a Christian. Let’s say you are in the workplace, and he or she is about to go to an important meeting. You can tell him or her that you want to pray a quick prayer for him or her. Usually, they won’t refuse a prayer. While we usually mention the Gospel when we pray for unbelievers, here it is okay if you don’t. Remember that this is just a quick prayer. Your goal is to show love toward your unbelieving friend. There will be more opportunities to pray for him or her later on when you can insert the Gospel or even preach the Gospel itself.

The contents of the little prayer that you will pray for your friend could be anything, depending on the situation. For example, in one of the scenarios we have given above, where you and your friend are having a very quick catch-up in church and must go your separate ways, you can pray a little prayer regarding what you talked about. Another example is when an unbelieving friend is about to go to a meeting. We can pray for his or her meeting to go well. The situation will usually tell you what you could pray for. Given that it is quick, what you pray for in a little prayer is whatever is the most important concern at the moment.

How Can I Pray a Little Prayer for a Friend?

As mentioned above, you will know what to pray for based on the context. If you see a friend leaving for the hospital because his wife is sick, you can pray a quick prayer of healing for his wife and financial provision. If you meet a friend and have a quick conversation about how they are celebrating something such as an answered prayer, you can both pray a little prayer of thanksgiving before parting ways.

There are two things that you can think of when the situation only allows you to pray a short prayer for a friend: the context, to know what to pray for, and the main point, to keep the prayer concise.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for my friend [name] ‘s life and what you are doing in his life this season. I pray that You will continue to guide him and give him the grace he needs at every step of his life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Father in heaven, I pray for my friend [name] that You would give him the grace and the wisdom he needs as he makes a presentation at his meeting. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Heavenly Father, I pray for my friend [name] ‘s wife to recover soon. I pray that there shall be no severe illnesses in her. I also pray for provision upon them. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Even if it is just a quick prayer for a friend, don’t forget to do it out of love. For believers, everything we do should be done out of love for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Corinthians 16:14). Even when we pray for our friends who are not Christians, we still pray out of love because Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors. (Let all your things be done with charity. 1 Corinthians 16:14)