How to Pray for Our World + Verses on Prayer

Scripture speaks so much and so well of prayer.

"You will pray to me and I will listen." -Jeremiah 29:12

"We can have confidence knowing that if what we ask fits with the will of YHWH, he will give it to us." -1 John 5:14

"Pray for those who persecute you." -Matthew 5:44

"What you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours." -Mark 11:24

"The prayers of the upright please YHWH." -Proverbs 15:8

"Be faithful in prayer." -Romans 12:12

"The Messiah told them this parable to show them they should always pray and not give up." -Luke 18:1

"Do not be anxious about anything, instead pray about everything giving thanks and praise." -Philippians 4:6

"Pray without ceasing." -1 Thessalonians 5:17

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them and forgive their sin, and heal their land." -2 Chronicles 7:14

I could go on, but you can see that there are many calls in Scripture for us to pray. And so much reassurance that he hears us and will answer us. And amazing things happen when we cry out to him!

So what's holding us back? It's time to pray. 

I'm sure you don't need a recap on the times that we are in. It's been an interesting last few months to say the least. During times of natural disaster, personal emergency, health difficulties, life disruption, or any time in general we always are given the amazing option to approach the Creator with our needs. Have we been doing that? Are we boldly going to YHWH's throne to petition him?

In past times of national crisis or natural disaster that has been an overt call to prayer. On the nightly news, from the pulpits, on social media, on billboards, at rallies, in newspapers, you would be encouraged or reminded to pray for our nation. But this time around the attention is on thanking our "first responders." If a prayer was said for every yard sign, commercial, or online post that glorifies first responders, what kind of impact would that have on our lives? Our society? Our economy? Our national value system? The peace in our hearts?

It's time to take back our birthright of being able to boldly approach the Living God. We need to stand up for our communities and intercede for them. It's time to take authority over the works of the enemy and declare that there is room for the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.

 I may not know how to fix the problems in our world, but I have access to the one who does! My skills and abilities might be limited. My fiances might be lacking. I may not have my doctrine worked out perfectly, but I can approach YHWH himself and ask for help in any area there is a need. We have the opportunity to pray to the King of the Universe. We can ask the Creator of all things for help. 

Let's pray for:

-Your family, community, nation, the world in general. 

-That people would not operate in fear but in the courage of the Creator.

-That there would be widespread repentance and that hearts would be opened to the truth.

-For the physical, spiritual, and emotional health of the people in your community.

-Pray that what the enemy intended for evil would be used for good by YHWH. Declare that chaos would be cut off from your life and the lives of those around you.

-For the persecuted believers worldwide.

-That your community would be a place where the commandments are known and honored!

-The Holy Spirit would be poured out on us during this time.

-That there would be revelation and correct understanding of Scripture within the faith community.

-Pray for anyone you are having difficulty or conflict with.

-For congregational leaders and pastors to have wisdom and serve YHWH with excellence. 

-Pray that leaders in governments would sincerely desire to honor and serve YHWH and their decisions would be godly.

-Pray that people would see the beauty of the Messiah.

-That YHWH's name would be known and honored throughout the world.

A few reminders about prayer:

-Short is okay!

There is no time criteria that prayers must meet to be effective. Small prayers anytime are powerful. Help me with this. Let everyone in that situation see your truth. May my family know your love and peace. Heal that person.

-It doesn't have to be formal or fancy.

A lot of people feel like they don't know how to pray. If you're feeling this way I encourage you to just start! It's okay to be 100% honest with the Creator and share your heart with him as you would a friend. Tell him your struggles, your worries, how you've been feeling; ask questions, request blessings, give him praise. 

-Remind yourself.

If you feel like you forget to pray then make it a point to remind yourself. Put a note on your to-do list or calendar. Put a sticky note on a mirror or set a reminder on your phone. Include specific prompts if you wish. When you see this reminder pray one sentence, or more if you feel like it. Get in the habit of praying each time you get in your car or empty the dishwasher. See this post for more ideas.

-Do it right now.

Literally. Tell YHWH something right now or ask him for help in any area. When you have a thought like "I need to pray about that," then do so immediately! Again one sentence is better than nothing. No matter where you are or how much time you have, you can approach the Living God with your needs.

Seven Simple Ways To Pray More

In Isaiah 56:7 YHWH mentions that his house will be known as a house of prayer. He even says that his people will be joyful in this beit tefillah. Most of us have good intentions about prayer, but sadly this often gets placed on the back burner in our busy lives and often comes out only at meal times or in destress. While those are excellent times to pray, we would do well to incorporate more prayer into our lives.

Here are some simple ideas to pray more:

-Set aside a few minutes. Take five minutes to pray in the morning or on your lunch break. Set a reminder on  your phone. Sit in the car or pray in the shower if you need to. You can make this happen!

-Correlate! If Pavlov trained his dog to correlate eating with the sound of a bell we can learn to correlate prayer with a daily task. Pray for the thirty seconds of walking from your car into the office. Pray through mundane tasks like vacuuming or emptying the dishwasher. Correlate getting dressed with "clothing yourself with compassion and kindness," from Colossians 3:12.

-Pray for what you see. When you hear an ambulance or police siren ask YHWH to move on behalf of the person who needs help. Give thanks for the emergency responders and ask YHWH to fill them with wisdom. If you notice a mom with small children at the library, pray for her. Say a quick prayer for a coworker if they are having a bad day.

-At the places you go. When we are on the way to a wedding my husband and I make it a point to ask YHWH to bless the marriage. Pray for your friend before ringing their doorbell. At businesses you frequent ask YHWH to draw the owners and employees to him while you're waiting in line.

-Place reminders. Instead of getting caught up in what you need to get done, refocus yourself by placing sticky notes of prayer requests on the bathroom mirror, refrigerator door, or near your computer.

-Pray with someone else. Make it a point to pray with your family or a friend each Sabbath or before going to bed. When you are with a like-minded friend pray together before parting ways.

-Shut off your music. Shut off the radio on your next commute and pray instead. Leave behind your headphones when you go for a walk and use that time for prayer.

Let 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing." I'd like to remind you that it takes practice to do so. Be gentle with yourself as you learn.

More on prayer:
How to Pray for Our World
Praying Scripture: Luke 8:48