How To Pray For My Friend

God commanded us to pray for other people. It is written in 1 Timothy 2:1 that we are to make prayers, intercessions, and supplications to all people, including our friends. Therefore, if you have Christian friends in the church, you pray for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ because you love them. If we are born of God and know God, we will love God and love others, for God is love. That is also how the world will know that we are Christ’s disciples—by the way we love others. The Bible teaches us that loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ should be shown in action. One of the ways we do that, apart from being generous to them and being there with them in tough times, is by praying for them. When we pray for the well-being of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we pray for them as if their concerns are also our concerns. Just as the Bible teaches us, we bear one another’s burdens.

As their Christian friends, we always want to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ because we always seek their well-being whether physically, mentally, emotionally, and most especially spiritually. When it comes to our friends who are not Christians, we still pray for them. However, the way we pray for them is slightly different than how we pray for our Christian friends. We still pray for their concerns, needs, and well-being. However, the primary goal of our prayers is to direct people toward the Gospel. What they need is not a temporary solution to their problems but the ultimate solution to all issues, especially sin, which is Jesus. If we pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ out of our love for them and seek their well-being, we pray for our non-Christian friends to point them to Christ. Both methods are grounded in love but have different end goals.

Job 42:10

And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

1 Timothy 2:1

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

Romans 12:9

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

John 13:35

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Galatians 6:2

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

1 John 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

James 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Matthew 5:13-16

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

How do you say a prayer for a friend?

You can simply approach your friend and pray for him. That is also why we as Christians should have renewed minds. If our minds are renewed according to God’s Word, then the things that we will think to pray for our friends are in line with God’s Word and His will. But how do we get to have a renewed mind? As mentioned, you have to constantly read God’s Word and meditate on it day and night. It is also the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Every day, our minds are being renewed or molded by something. It could be something either worldly or godly. If we want the way our minds think to be godly, then we are to always get into God’s Word and pray for the Holy Spirit to renew our minds. For sure, we know of some Christians with whom we feel blessed when they pray for us. Their prayers are always packed with truths, and it ministers to us. That is all because God’s Word renews their minds, and they are praying with a renewed mind. A person transformed by the Holy Spirit will have a renewed mind – in which they will be able to discern the will of God and the things which are good, acceptable, and perfect to Him – 

and they will pray such things to others.

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Here is an example of a random prayer that you can pray for a Christian friend:

Father in heaven, You are the God of wisdom, Who gives it generously to those who ask of You. I pray that [name of the person] will always desire wisdom more than money and other temporary things, for You said in Your Word that wisdom is better than gold. May my friend always delight in the fear of You, for it is the beginning of wisdom. May they always walk in wisdom and uprightness and turn their feet away from evil. Keep them away from sin; may every word that they say and the meditation of their heart be acceptable in Your sight. Thank You because You are at work in my friend. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Another thing that you can do is ask your Christian friend in the church directly if there is anything that you can pray for him or her. Indeed, there are always things that others would like us to pray for them. It does not matter if the prayer requests are always the same every time you ask them. As a church community, we are to always pray with them. As you get to know the thing(s) that they wanted you to pray for them, pray for those things and the concerns that your friend has mentioned to you. For example, if he or she has a family member who is sick, here is a prayer that you can pray for your Christian friend:

God of mercy, You are the God that gives us comfort and mercy in times of affliction. I pray for Your comfort upon [name of the person] as he/she goes through this tough season in his/her life. Remind him/her that Your mercies are new every morning and that Your love is steadfast. I pray for healing for [family member who is sick] and full recovery upon him/her. I also pray for provision upon the family for their medical expenses. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Praying for a Christian friend does not have to be only in the context of someone going through tough times or having a need. If a Christian friend is rejoicing because there is an answered prayer or something has happened that’s worth celebrating, you can pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God with your friend. Here is an example:

God of grace, everything we have comes from You alone by Your grace. Thank You for the job promotion You have granted upon [name of friend]. We have seen his/her resilience and perseverance at work, and we thank You because You have caused his/her hard work to bear fruit. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

If your friend is not a Christian, you can still pray for his or her concerns. However, at the end of the prayer, you have to make sure that you end by pointing them to Christ. For example, if they are going through financial difficulties, you can pray for God’s grace and provision upon them. However, don’t pray for that only—pray in the end to emphasize that the greatest provision God has given is Christ. We merely point out their greatest need, whatever their problems or concerns are. Here is an example of how you can pray:

Heavenly Father, You are the God Who provides. I pray for Your grace upon [name of friend], that You would be gracious toward him/her and provide for his/her needs. More than the physical provisions, I pray that he/she will get to know the greatest provision that You gave us, which is Your Son Whom You sacrificed so our sins would be paid on the cross. In Christ, we can now find eternal life and forgiveness from our sins. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Looking at the example above, we prayed for the person’s need but, in the end, directed them to their ultimate need, which is Christ. When we pray for the concerns of our non-Christian friends, we pray for God’s grace upon them. Those in sin are recipients of God’s wrath. Whatever they receive is all because of God’s common grace (Matthew 5:45). That is why we must point them to their greatest need, Christ, in Whom they can find redemption. There are also times when their concerns are something you cannot pray to God. For example, if you know a friend who wants to become a singer to be famous and have lots of money, clearly that is something that you cannot pray to God. In those cases, what you can do is address the issue in your prayer and still direct it to the Gospel. Here is what it looks like:

Father in heaven, I thank You because You have given us the One Whom we needed the most and the only One who can satisfy us, which is Your Son, Jesus Christ. I thank You because Christ is our living water in Whom we shall never thirst. We may have lots of money, fame, and high social status, but in the end, it never satisfies. Only Christ can. Thank You, because our identity is not found in our riches or fame, but in Christ alone; in Him, we are Your children and in You, we are loved, affirmed, and secured. My friend can find life’s purpose only in Christ by Whom we are redeemed and brought from darkness to light. May [name of the person] know Your Son Jesus and what He did on the cross that radically changes people’s lives. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Ephesians 2:1-9

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Whether praying for a friend in church or one outside the church, as Christians we are to always pray for anyone and remember them in prayer whenever we have our devotion. One way we become a blessing to others is by always praying with them. The motivation of why we do this is love.