Transforming Truth:

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” –Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

Although I know it’s not a healthy habit, I often find myself rolling over in bed to check my phone for new text messages first thing in the morning. More often than not, the early birds who message me while my alerts are turned off are close friends sharing prayer requests.

I’ll be honest: my first move is usually to respond with the folded-hands emoji and an agreement to partner with her in prayer. Sound familiar? We say, “I’ll be praying for you” without a second thought. Not because we aren’t sincerely concerned, but because technology has given us easy outwardly supportive emojis that send virtual “hugs” and let us move on with our day without feeling like we’ve neglected someone else’s needs.

Yet how often do we forget those specific requests in our prayers later that day? Do we remember to follow up with the person who asked for prayer, letting them know they are on our minds? Do we inquire beyond that supportive emoji? Why are we quick to agree to pray for someone without following through?

I’ve been there, friend. I often struggle to offer words of encouragement or support when someone shares a heavy burden or an urgent prayer request with me via text. “I’ll pray for you” has become my go-to response, often because I don’t know what else to say that is helpful in the moment.

Then guilt creeps in when I realize I not only failed to pray for that friend later in the day, but I may have let myself off the hook by thinking that my prayer would just be one of many. I’m sure she has lots of friends and/or family members praying for her, I try to assure myself. God knows anyway, right?

Yes, God knows what our friends are fervently praying for. However, Scripture tells us not only to pray to personally commune with the Father, but also to pray constantly for our community of believers. We find this instruction throughout the New Testament. We also read that Jesus—God Himself—prayed to the Father for His disciples and future believers (John 17:6-23) and intercedes for us now in the presence of the Father (Romans 8:34).

So if God already knows what we need, and Jesus is already interceding for us, why are we instructed to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) for one another?

• Praying for fellow believers helps us take our eyes off ourselves and onto the needs of others: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” Paul says in Galatians 6:2 (ESV). Agreeing in prayer for your believing friends builds up the body of Christ, and we are all called to do so.

• Prayer is also an essential tool in spiritual warfare, even though it’s not a specific piece of our spiritual armor (described in Ephesians 6:13-17). Prayer is a necessary communication with our battle “Commander.” Prayer connects us to God and His power, which is the only way we will defeat spiritual enemies.

• Praying “with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18) “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) keeps us on alert and focused on God’s will—not our own. Prayer should not be a once-and-done daily duty. We can stay in constant communication with the Father through prayer, which helps us maintain fellowship with Him. If we’re not relegating our conversation with God to “prayer time” on our to-do list, we will be in the habit of reaching out to Him right away, as soon as we see that message.

Not sure how to pray for your friend’s specific needs? Scripture gives us lots of guidance on how to pray, including from Jesus Himself! (See Matt. 6:9-13) The most important instruction is that we pray “according to His will” (1 John 5:14-15), not our will or the specific outcome we think is best. His will may not align with what we specifically ask Him for, but we can trust that He will work all things for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28) and surrender the outcome into His hands.

James 5:16 reminds us that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (NKJV). If you’re struggling to keep prayer at the top of mind, I’ll leave you with a few tools that have helped me move past the quick emoji response to prayer requests I receive—not just on my phone, but anywhere, anytime:

1. Use a simple phone app to stay connected with that prayer request! One of my favorite apps, Prayer Notebook, allows you to set up groups that you want to pray for on a recurring schedule (such as praying for missionaries your church supports every Monday). You can also connect the prayer request to that person’s contact info on your phone, so after you have prayed for them, you can send a quick text of encouragement. The reminder feature is key if you want to keep that person in your prayers over time.
2. If that’s too techy for you, take a screenshot of the prayer request and put it in a running note on your phone titled “Prayer Requests.” Or just keep it in your camera roll and scroll through it regularly to continue praying for those requests. You can delete it later if the prayer is no longer applicable, but do keep a record of the praise reports, too!
3. If you don’t receive the prayer request on your phone, you can also keep a running note and use voice-to-text to recount the prayer request after your conversation. Since this information is just for you, it doesn’t have to be perfect—just enough to remind you of the person and the need for prayer.
4. Last but definitely not least, pray for your friend right then and there, whether you are standing in the church hallway together, are on the phone with them, or are reading their text when you reach for your phone in the morning. “Let’s pray right now”—it’s that simple.

 

Questions for Reflection:

• When someone shares a heavy burden with you, what is your immediate internal reaction? When you respond with “I’ll be praying for you,” is it a genuine commitment or a way to ease the discomfort of the moment?
• How has the convenience of texting changed the way you respond when you receive prayer requests by phone? Does it make you more likely to offer support, but less likely to follow through? Or is it a helpful visual reminder you can refer to later?
• When you feel the nudge to pray for a friend’s specific request, do you view it as a to-do item or as an effective opportunity to “partner” with them as you both bring this request to God?

 

Nighttime Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that I can communicate with you directly through prayer. Jesus not only provided us with a model for prayer, but He also gave us an example of how we can pray for others according to Your will. Forgive me for the times I’ve offered a quick response to my friends’ prayer requests without making them a priority. Help me move past saying “I’ll pray for you” and instead take immediate action. Teach me to be an alert and faithful intercessor who truly bears the burdens of my brothers and sisters in Christ. May Your Holy Spirit remind me that prayer is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare and our direct line to Your strength. Help me to stay in constant communication with You today, surrendering every request and every outcome into Your perfect will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.  

Join the Conversation:

Do you struggle to respond to friends sharing prayer needs online or via text? What can you do to move past the prayer emoji to let them know you genuinely want to lift them up in prayer, even if you’re not sure what else to say? Share your reflections in the comments below.

*This devotional was published on Crossmap.com as part of the Daybreak Devotions series.