Don't say you'll pray for someone (do this instead)

Have you ever said "I'll pray for you” with the full intention of fulfilling that statement…but the next time you see the person, you suddenly realize you haven’t.

I know I have on many occasions.

Not because I was being manipulative or trying to be hypocritical; it (usually) was a result of my poor memory and all the things that distracted me.

My usual response had been to say a quick prayer at that moment but a few years back, I started following a different approach, and I’ve found it far more effective. I’ve also heard positive feedback from many people I’ve shared it with, too.

I hope you will find it beneficial too.

(Side note: This post is actually a reminder to myself to do this more often.)

Pray for something instead of saying you’ll pray for them

Yup. That’s it. Just pray straight away.

I find we usually don’t feel like doing this in person because we’re often in a rush, but even a sentence or two of prayer can be extremely meaningful to the person we pray for.

And if we are messaging over text or WhatsApp, it’s even easier. We have all the time in the world to pray. And then we can send a prayer rather than saying we’ll pray, and promise we will continue to pray for them.

Plus, in my experience, we usually remember to pray for people during the week more when we pray for them immediately.

Some simple prayer examples

If you’re worried this might be a bit strange to send a prayer (I’ll admit I can feel that sometimes), here are some simple examples that might help. They typically follow the form of acknowledging a part of God’s character described in the Bible, and then making a petition.

• If someone has gone through something sad, you can pray, “May the God of all comfort bring you peace.”
• If someone needs healing, you could pray, “May the God who healed the blind, the deaf, and raised the dead restore you to full health.”
• If someone is stressed, you could pra,y “May the good shepherd lead you into green pastures and bring you peace.”

Feel free to add your own idea in the comments.

Why not give it a go?

It’s a really small shift, but I’ve found it incredibly useful and beneficial.

So, next time you feel like saying “I’ll pray for you”, try “Can I pray for you?” or one of the simple prayer ideas above.

And let me know what you think.