Pray for Someone’s Protection and Spirituality
These are two simple things that we can always pray about at any time.
At times, I don't know what to specifically pray about for other people. I try to pray for multiple people like family and friends every day. But for one reason or another, I may not know what to specifically pray about. It's usually because I haven't seen them in a while and we haven't kept in touch. I may not know what's currently going on in their lives. Of course, the simple solution is to just reach out to them and ask if there's anything I can pray for. But sometimes, I just don't have the capacity to re-connect. However, I still want to pray for them.
I have a simple tip for times when I don't know what to specifically pray for: I can always pray for their protection and their relationship with Jesus.
I'll pray for a person's physical health and protection. I want my family and friends to be safe and healthy. I can always ask the Lord to oversee their protection and health. I'll also pray for a person's relationship with Jesus. If I know that the person isn't a believer in Christ, I'll pray that they will know Him and come to believe in Him. If the person is already a believer in Jesus, I'll pray that they will grow in their relationship with Him. These are two simple things that we can always pray about at any time.
There's a little known Bible verse that contains this very idea of blessing people with regards to both their physical and spiritual protection and health. It's found in the third epistle of John (3 John). Though the book is very short (one of the shortest in the Bible), it contains a beautiful blessing: "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul" (3 John 2 ESV). The author of this ancient letter prays that the recipient (a man named Gaius) would have good physical health. But more so, the author prays that Gaius' soul would be well. The author prays for Gaius' physical protection and for his spiritual health as well.
If you don't know what to pray for specifically, you can't go wrong with praying for a person's health and physical protection and also for their spiritual life—their relationship with Christ. When I'm short on time, I like to say a simple line like this when I pray for somebody: "Lord Jesus, please protect [insert name here] and grow their relationship with you." Although it's a short and simple prayer, I try to pray with intentionality and from the heart, believing that my Father in heaven will hear me.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
