How To Handle Prayer Requests

If you are part of your church’s prayer ministry, you probably handle the prayer requests that believers in your church community have. It is also worth noting that a person does not have to be in the prayer ministry to receive prayer requests. A Christian, even if they’re not part of the prayer ministry, or perhaps the church is too small to have a formal prayer ministry, can still receive prayer requests. When that happens, it is good to know how to handle those prayer requests and ensure that all of them are prayed for. That is also a matter of wisdom. You are handling prayer requests that people have entrusted to you, knowing that you must cover them in prayers. It is essential to handle those prayer requests wisely. Fortunately, God gives wisdom generously to those who ask it of Him in faith.

Proverbs 10:23

It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

James 1:5

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

How do you respond to a prayer request?

Before we start discussing how we should respond to prayer requests made by our fellow believers, be aware that the advice here is just tips, meaning that they are not absolute. These tips are not one size fits all or universal. Depending on your context, some of these tips may work for you, while some may work for others. You can consider the tips that we are about to present and modify some to apply in your own context.

When we receive a prayer request, it is essential to respond. The way you respond depends on how you receive those prayer requests. If you are part of a prayer ministry, you probably receive prayer requests from people in several ways. One is through envelopes, where people write their prayer requests and drop them in a box. You cannot write a letter to each person who has written their prayer requests and dropped them in the box. Does that mean you should not bother responding to them? Of course not. You can coordinate with the pastor or church staff in charge of your church services. You can have them announce that the congregation may write their prayer requests and place them in the designated box. With that, you can also say that you encourage them to drop in their prayer requests because, as a church community, you would love to pray with them and for them. That is already an advance response, in a way. You assure the congregation that if they write and drop their prayer requests in the designated box, you will begin praying for them.

Of course, the way you respond changes how you receive prayer requests. If you are receiving prayer requests via phone, like through text or call, you can respond to those requests by simply saying thank you because, in a way, they are being vulnerable with you and entrusting you with their concerns. You should also assure them that you will be praying for the requests you have received.

The same applies if you receive prayer requests through social media. While you can use chatbots these days to send automated responses to those who send you their prayer requests, it is still best to take time to go through those prayer requests that you have received and personally respond to each one, even if the chatbot has already replied to them. That would show that an actual human looked at the prayer requests they had sent.

If you have observed two things about how you respond to prayer requests, one is that you should thank them for sharing their requests. Secondly, you must assure them that you will be praying for them. As mentioned, sharing their prayer requests means that they are entrusting them to you. You should thank them and make sure that you pray for those prayer requests. The second response should assure them that you will indeed be praying for those prayer requests. It would mean a lot to them, because it shows that no matter what hardships they are going through, they are not going through it alone. They have the church community praying with them and for them, helping them bear their burdens. That is why we pray for one another as disciples of Christ. We ought to love one another, and praying for each other is one of the ways we put that into action.

Ephesians 6:18

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Galatians 6:2

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

1 Timothy 2:1

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

How do you organize prayer requests?

Much of the “handling” work is not about responding to those prayer requests, but rather organizing those prayer requests. That is more important, particularly if you receive many prayer requests because the church congregation is enormous, which is a good problem to have. You want to achieve several things when organizing them: the first is to never miss out on any of the prayer requests you have been given, and the second is to organize the prayer requests into their respective categories. You should organize the prayer requests you receive so that you never miss out on praying for them. 

How you categorize the prayer requests you receive is up to you. One good thing you can do is categorize them depending on the “area of life” or “what is being prayed upon”. For example, if you organize the prayer requests based on “area of life,” you have a category for “Finances,” where prayer requests for provision would go. You can also have a category for “Discipleship,” where all the prayer requests about growth in Bible study group attendees and family salvation can go. Some other categories are “Work” and “Relationships” (all types of relationships). You can organize the prayer requests based on which area of life it belongs to. When it comes to “who is being prayed for”, that is where you can separate prayers further, whether the prayer request is for the government, the church, a family, an individual, or whomever the prayer request is being prayed for. A key thing to remember here is to think of general groups to whom prayers are usually addressed, like the government, church, family, and individual.

Of course, these are just a few examples of organizing and categorizing the prayer requests you have received. You have the freedom to categorize them how you want. You can even categorize them based on individual families or people if it is feasible. The main goal here is to organize all of the prayer requests you have received so that it is easy for you and others to see the prayer requests you are about to pray. With organized prayer requests, you can even divide them up and send each category to a specific person or group to pray for that set of prayer requests.

1 Thessalonians 5:25

Brethren, pray for us.

Heavenly Father, all wisdom and understanding come from You alone. I pray that You will give me the wisdom, understanding, discernment, and knowledge that I need so that I may be able to handle the prayer requests well. I pray that I shall be faithful in this and always remember that as I do this, I am serving You. Stir up love and compassion in my heart so that I will not see praying for the requests of others as a routine, but as a way to carry their burdens by praying to God for them and with them. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

It may be a tedious task to handle all the prayer requests you receive from people. However, we have to remind ourselves that the very motivation of why we do it is love. We love because God first loved us. With compassionate hearts, we feel what it may be like to walk in the shoes of those who have prayer requests; with that, we take their burdens and bear them by praying for their prayer requests to God.