100 Things to Pray For (When You Don't Know Where to Start)

One of the most honest prayers I have ever prayed was this: "God, I don't know what to say." I had opened my journal, sat down with every intention of praying, and come up completely empty.

What I did next changed my prayer life. I made a list. Not a polished, organized list. Just every person and situation I could think of that I wanted to bring before God. The list filled two pages.

Here is an expanded version of that kind of list. One hundred things to pray for, organized by category, to give you a starting point when you feel like your prayer life has gone quiet.

20 Things to Pray for Your Family

1. Salvation for any family member who does not yet know Jesus
2. Protection over your spouse physically, mentally, and spiritually
3. Wisdom for yourself as a parent
4. Your children's faith to take root and grow
5. Your marriage to be stronger one year from now than it is today
6. Healing for any family member who is sick
7. Financial provision for your household
8. Unity in your home, especially through conflict
9. Your parents or in-laws, for health and peace
10. Any sibling relationship that is strained
11. Protection for your children at school and online
12. Your children's future spouses, even if those people are not born yet
13. The next generation of your family to walk in faith
14. Restoration of any broken family relationship
15. Wisdom for any major family decision currently in front of you
16. Joy in your home, not just peace
17. Gratitude for what your family has, not just what it needs
18. Your household to be a place of welcome and grace to others
19. Any family member who is struggling with addiction or mental health
20. Your family's legacy of faith over the next three generations

"For I know the plans I have for you

, declares the Lord

20 Things to Pray for Your Health and Emotions

21. Physical healing from any illness, chronic or acute
22. Mental health for yourself or someone you love
23. Peace in seasons of anxiety
24. Strength during seasons of exhaustion
25. Freedom from any addiction or compulsion
26. Emotional healing from past trauma
27. Hope in seasons of depression
28. Energy and clarity on difficult days
29. Wisdom about healthcare decisions
30. Rest for anyone running on empty
31. Courage for medical appointments or diagnoses that feel frightening
32. Peace about your body and the way God made it
33. Freedom from comparison and the pressure to perform
34. Grief support for anyone who has experienced loss
35. The ability to receive help when you need it
36. Recovery after surgery, injury, or illness
37. Sleep that actually restores you
38. Freedom from fear about the future
39. Emotional sobriety in seasons of conflict
40. Your body as a temple that honors God

20 Things to Pray for Your Work and Finances

41. Wisdom in your career decisions
42. Provision for specific financial needs
43. Protection from dishonesty in your workplace
44. Relationships at work that are healthy and encouraging
45. Clarity about whether your current job is where God wants you
46. Courage to speak your faith in your workplace
47. Generosity even when resources feel tight
48. Debt reduction and financial freedom
49. Favor with your employer or clients
50. Creativity and excellence in your work
51. Protection from workplace conflict or unfair treatment
52. Wisdom about business decisions or investments
53. A spirit of contentment with what you have
54. Opportunities to serve others through your skills
55. Integrity in all your financial dealings
56. Provision for anyone who has lost their job
57. Wisdom about giving, tithing, and financial stewardship
58. Protection from materialism and the love of money
59. Your work to feel meaningful and connected to a larger purpose
60. Gratitude for income that often goes unacknowledged

20 Things to Pray for Your Church and Community

61. Your pastor and church leadership
62. Revival in your church and in the broader church
63. Unity among Christians who disagree
64. Boldness for believers who are afraid to speak their faith
65. Your neighborhood to know the name of Jesus
66. Your local school and the children and teachers in it
67. First responders and people in public service
68. The homeless and marginalized in your city
69. Local businesses and the livelihoods they sustain
70. New believers who are just beginning their faith journey
71. People in your community who are isolated and alone
72. Your church's mission and outreach efforts
73. Young people to find genuine faith, not just religion
74. Protection over missionaries serving in difficult places
75. Your city's leaders and local government
76. The next generation of pastors and leaders
77. Racial reconciliation and healing in your community
78. Protection for persecuted Christians around the world
79. Opportunities to show kindness and generosity to your neighbors
80. Your community to experience a season of real spiritual awakening

"I urge

, then

20 Things to Pray for the World and the Nation

81. Your national leaders, regardless of your political views
82. Peace in regions of the world at war
83. Christians living under persecution and oppression
84. The spread of the gospel to people who have never heard it
85. Justice for people who are being oppressed or exploited
86. Wisdom for world leaders facing impossible decisions
87. An end to violence and the healing of communities affected by it
88. Clean water, food, and basic needs for people in poverty
89. Your nation's spiritual health and moral clarity
90. Protection for your nation's families and children
91. Healing in communities torn apart by division
92. The faith to trust God when the news cycle is overwhelming
93. Missionaries and aid workers in dangerous places
94. The global church to operate in unity and power
95. Children affected by war, displacement, or poverty
96. Nations and leaders who seem far from God
97. A spirit of truth in public discourse and media
98. The protection of religious liberty around the world
99. Revival that crosses borders, generations, and backgrounds
100. The return of Jesus and the completion of everything God has promised

You do not have to pray for all one hundred of these at once. Take five. Bring them to God this morning with specificity and faith. Then come back tomorrow.

You can post your own prayer requests and pray for others in the FaithSpark community prayer board, free at Mind Garden Press. Or explore everything FaithSpark offers at mindgardenpress.com/faithspark-app/.