This list gives you Bible verses that encourage you to pray for other people, whether that is a family member in trouble, a friend who has stopped answering your messages, a coworker facing a diagnosis, or a church community you care about from a distance. Each verse is paired with a short reflection and one way to carry it into your day. The verses share a common thread: intercession is part of how God’s people love one another, and prayer for others is never a small or second-rate task.
Verses for Lifting Up Family and Friends
Most of us begin praying for others with the people closest to us. These verses speak to the everyday worries of children, parents, spouses and friends, and they show that bringing another person’s name before God is an act of faith in its own right.
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 prays for the Philippians with thanks and joy, not with a heavy heart. Try writing one person’s name on a sticky note and thanking God for something specific about them before you ask for anything else.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.
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Paul does not describe prayer as a formal event reserved for church. Keep a running list on your phone of people you want to pray for, and let each new worry become a short prayer while you wait in line or drive to work.
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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This verse ties prayer for “all the saints” to alertness and perseverance. When a friend’s situation comes to mind, take a moment to pray for them right then rather than promising to get to it later.
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 asks God to fill the Colossians with wisdom and understanding, a request that suits a teenager’s choices or a parent’s decisions. Pick one practical need for the person you are praying for and name it plainly to God.
Verses for Times of Crisis and Grief
Some seasons call for urgent prayer. When someone is sick, grieving or in danger, these passages remind you that God hears the cries of his people and that you may bring people to him even when you have no words of your own.
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 links prayer with confession and healing between believers. If you know someone who is struggling, consider sending them a message that says you are praying for them, and mean it enough to follow through.
Psalm 34:17-18
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
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The psalmist writes of a God who draws near to the brokenhearted. When you pray for someone in grief, you do not have to fix their pain; you can simply ask God to be near them in it.
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 pray for a suffering friend, this verse reminds you that the Spirit helps in weakness. Let your silence and tears be part of your prayer, and trust that God understands them.
Psalm 130:1-2
1 Out of the depths I have cried to you, the LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions.
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This psalm is a cry from the depths, and it models honest prayer for someone who has nothing polished to say. Pray for a person in distress using their own sorts of words, even if they are short and broken.
Verses for Opposition, Enemies and Hard Relationships
Praying for others is not limited to people we love. Jesus and the apostles also call believers to pray for those who have wronged them or who make life difficult, and these verses show how that prayer can change the one who prays.
Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you…
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Jesus includes prayer for those who persecute us in his teaching on love. Choose one person who has hurt you and pray for their good, even if the prayer feels unnatural at first.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
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From the cross, Jesus prays for the very people responsible for his death. When anger rises toward someone, ask God to forgive them and to work in their life, which is a hard prayer to say and a healing one to mean.
1 Timothy 2:1-2
1 I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men: 2 for kings and all who are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.
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Paul urges prayers for everyone, including rulers and leaders who may not share our views. Spend a few minutes this week praying for a public official or an authority figure you find frustrating.
Proverbs 25:21
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink…
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This proverb calls for kindness toward an enemy in need. Praying for someone who has wronged you is often the first step toward a practical kindness, so let the prayer shape what you do next.
Verses for Praying Through Ordinary Days
Not every prayer for others is urgent. Many of the people you care about need steady, faithful prayer in the middle of normal life, and these verses encourage a rhythm of intercession that fits into work, school and home.
Ephesians 1:16-17
16 Don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him…
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Paul says he does not stop giving thanks and remembering the Ephesians in prayer. Build the habit of thanking God for one person each day, which keeps your heart warm toward them.
Philippians 4:6
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
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Paul connects prayer and petition with thanksgiving when anxiety runs high. When a coworker or relative is weighing on you, bring their needs to God with specific requests and a grateful heart.
Hebrews 13:3
Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.
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This verse asks believers to remember those in prison as if they were there themselves. Remembering others in prayer means keeping their circumstances in view, especially those who are easily forgotten.
Psalm 122:6-7
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper. 7 Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.
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The psalmist prays for the peace of Jerusalem and for the people who live there. Choose a place or community you belong to and pray for its wellbeing with the same concern.
Job 42:10
The LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
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Job prays for his friends, the very people who had argued with him and failed him. Consider whether there is someone who has disappointed you whom God might be inviting you to pray for.
How to Use These Verses
Start small. Choose one or two verses from this list and write them where you will see them each morning, on a card by the kitchen sink or as a note on your phone’s lock screen. Keep a simple prayer list with names and dates, and return to it once a week so that no one falls off your heart entirely.
When you pray, read the verse aloud first, then turn its words into requests for the person in front of you. If the verse speaks of peace, ask for peace in their home; if it speaks of wisdom, ask for wisdom in their decisions. Pray the verse back to God on their behalf, and let your prayers grow more specific as you learn more about their situation.
A Short Prayer for Praying for Others
Lord, you hear the prayers of your people and you care for the ones we bring before you. I bring the names of the people I love and the people who are hard to love. I ask you to meet them where they are, to give them strength in their weakness and hope in their grief. Show me who to pray for each day and help me not to grow tired of asking. Teach me to speak your truth over them and to trust your timing in answering. Give me a heart that prays with thanks as well as with need. Amen.
A Blessing
May the Lord bless you as you carry others to him. May he give you patience when answers are slow and joy when he answers in ways you did not expect. May his peace guard the hearts of the people you love, and may his faithfulness be your comfort every day you pray.
