This list gives you Bible verses that encourage you to pray for other people, whether that is a friend in a hard season, a family member far away, or a church member you cannot stop thinking about. It is written for anyone who wants Scripture to shape their intercession rather than just a vague sense that they ought to pray more. Each of these passages shows that prayer for others is welcomed by God, that it matters, and that it can be done with confidence and without performance.
Verses for Bringing Someone to God in Prayer
Sometimes the hardest part of praying for someone is simply starting. These verses speak to the moment you sit down, think of a name, and want to bring that person before the Lord with honesty and trust.
1 Timothy 2:1
I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men…
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Paul begins this instruction by urging that prayers be made for everyone, not only for those already close to us. Try writing down three names this week and praying for each one by name before you pray for anything else.
James 5:16
Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
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James ties intercession to the believer’s life and sees it as powerful work done in faith. When you pray for someone, keep your prayer specific and sincere rather than polished, and let your words be simple and true.
Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered.
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When you do not know what to say about someone’s situation, this verse tells you the Spirit helps in our weakness. You can pray even when your words run out, trusting that God hears what you cannot fully express.
Ephesians 6:18
With all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints…
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Paul calls for prayer in the Spirit, with all kinds of prayer and requests, and includes all the saints. Make a habit of pausing at a set time each day to pray for other believers, so that intercession becomes part of your ordinary rhythm.
Verses for Praying Through Another Person’s Hard Season
When someone you love is facing illness, grief, conflict, or fear, you may feel helpless. These verses remind you that God is near to the suffering and that your prayers can rest on his steady care.
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
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This verse describes the Lord’s nearness to those who are brokenhearted. When you pray for someone who is hurting, you can ask God to draw close to them in that particular ache and to make his presence felt in the quiet hours.
Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
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David invites the reader to cast a burden on the Lord, and in prayer for others you can hand over the weight they carry. Name the specific burden out loud and then leave it with God rather than rehearsing it again and again.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
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God’s promise to be with his people is a steady word for someone who feels afraid. You might write this promise on a card and pray it over your friend, asking God to remind them of his presence when fear rises.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
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Paul describes God as the source of comfort who comforts us so that we can comfort others. As you pray for someone in trouble, ask God to comfort them in a way that later equips them to comfort someone else.
Verses for Praying With Confidence and Faithfulness
Praying for others can leave you wondering whether anything changes. These passages encourage you to keep praying with trust, patience, and gratitude, knowing that God is faithful over time.
Philippians 1:3-4
3 I thank my God whenever I remember you, 4 always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy…
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Paul thanks God each time he remembers the Philippians and prays for them with joy. Try beginning your prayers for others with thanks for who they are and what God has already done in their life.
Colossians 1:9
For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…
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Paul prays that the Colossians would be filled with knowledge of God’s will and spiritual wisdom. You can borrow this pattern and pray that the people you love would grow in understanding and wisdom for the decisions they face.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
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This verse invites us to approach the throne of grace with confidence and receive mercy and help in time of need. When you bring another person’s need to God, you come as a welcomed child, not a stranger at the door.
1 John 5:14-15
14 This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. 15 And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
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John writes that we have confidence before God when we ask according to his will. In your prayers for others, ask God to do what is good and right for them, trusting his wisdom above your own timeline.
Luke 22:31-32
31 The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, 32 but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
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Jesus tells Peter that he has prayed for him so that his faith would not fail. This shows that Christ himself intercedes for his people, and you can rest in the knowledge that your prayers join his ongoing care.
How to Use These Verses
Consider keeping a small notebook or a note on your phone with the names of people you are praying for and the verse that goes with each one. Writing the verse beside the name helps you return to it on days when prayer feels dry, and over time you can see how God has answered.
Try reading one verse aloud at the start of your prayer time, then pray for one or two people using the words of that verse as a guide. You might also pray through a short list each morning, or pick one verse each week and pray it over several people in turn.
A Short Prayer for Praying for Others
Lord, I bring the names of the people on my heart before you today. Some of them are walking through grief, some are facing decisions, and some are simply tired and in need of encouragement. You know each one completely, and you love them more than I ever could. Give them your peace, draw near to them in their hard places, and give me the patience to keep praying when I cannot see the answer yet. Teach me to pray with honesty and faith, trusting you with what I cannot change. Amen.
A Blessing
May the Lord who hears every prayer keep the people you love in his care. May his grace meet them where they are, his peace guard their hearts, and his faithfulness carry them through what lies ahead. And may you feel his nearness as you pray for them, knowing you are never praying alone.
