36 Biblical things every Christian ought to Pray for

If I asked a hundred believers the question, “Are you satisfied with your prayer life?” I think that there would only be a few who would confidently say they are. That’s because most of us struggle to pray. We struggle to find the time. We struggle to stay focused and alert in prayer. When we do, our prayer time is often short and superficial, or we find ourselves praying for the same few things over and over. Is there a way to change this? How can we develop a deeper prayer life?

What if we looked to the Bible for guidance on what to pray for? What if we prayed Scripture? This week I decided to dig a bit deeper into the Bible and I searched for statements about prayer, examples of prayers, and things that God says to pursue as believers.

Here’s the result: 36 biblical things every Christian ought to pray for.  

Pray for…

• God’s name to be honored and glorified (Mt.6:9).
• God’s kingdom to advance (Mt.6:10).
• Knowledge of God’s will (Col.1:9), and obedience to it (Mt.6:10).
• Growing knowledge of God (Col.1:10) that comes from his Word (Acts 17:11).
• Dependence on God to supply your every need (Mt.6:11, Phil.4:19).
• Joy that is rooted in Jesus (Phil.4:4, 1 Thess.5:16).
• An undivided heart that fears God (Psalm 86:11, Proverbs 9:1).
• A hatred of sin and evil (Rom.16:19, Ps.97:10, Rom.12:21) and a longing for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).
• Forgiveness from God when you sin (1 John 1:9).
• Closer Fellowship with God (1 John 1:6).
• A heart that forgives others (Eph.4:32, Col.3:13).
• An attitude of gratitude for God’s salvation (1 Peter 1:3-5) and his many provisions (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Psalm 9:1-2).
• The ability to demonstrate mercy and grace (Hosea 6:6, Matt.5:7).
• Your Enemies and those who persecute you (Matt.5:44).
• A heart of humility and repentance (James 4:6-10).
• Discernment in knowing right and wrong (Phil.1:9-10, 1 John 4:1).
• Deliverance from temptation (Mt.6:13, 1 Cor.10:13, Matt.26:41).
• Freedom from the lies of Satan (John 8:32, 44) and victory in the spiritual battles and warfare (Eph.6:12).
• God’s healing touch and/or grace to endure suffering, whatever would bring more glory to Jesus (Acts 4:30, James 5:14-16, 2 Cor. 12:7-10).
• Boldness in sharing the gospel (Eph.6:18-19, Rom.1:16, Acts 4:29).
• God to remove the spiritual blindness of unbelievers (John 12:40, 2 Cor.4:3-4) and bring them to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) and salvation (Rom.10:1).
• God to raise up more workers for the harvest field (Mt.9:38).
• Missionaries (Rom.15:30-31) that God would sustain them and use them to advance the spread of the gospel.
• Church leaders, to diligently preach and abide by the truth (Heb.13:7, Eph.6:19, 2 Thess.3:1).
• Governing authorities and leaders to make wise and just decisions that will benefit believers (1 Tim.2:1-4, Prov.21:1).
• A deeper faith and trust in God (Mark 9:24, Lk.22:32).
• Wisdom to understand the times and know how to live faithfully for the Lord (1 Chronicles 12:32, James 1:5).
• Unity and growth in the church (Jn.17:20-21, Acts 2:47).
• A yielding to God’s sanctifying work to make you more like Christ (Rom.8:29, 2 Cor.3:18, 1 Thess.4:3).
• Diligence in teaching your children the Word of God and to love and serve the God of the Word (Deut.6:4-7).
• A deeper understanding of the love of Christ (Eph.3:14).
• A more authentic love for others that shows in word and deed (John 13:34-35, 1 Cor.13:4-8).
• Perseverance and faithfulness in serving God with your time, talents, and money (1 Cor.15:58, Matthew 25:21,23).
• The fullness of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13) to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23).
• A hunger and thirst for God’s Word (Mt.4:4).
• An ability to endure suffering and hardships with patient trust and joy (Col.1:11, James 1:2-4).