How to Pray for Someone You Don't Know

 By: Lauren Thomas 

I know you’ve been there. You’re sitting in a Bible study or prayer service, or you’re on the “prayer chain” text group, and a prayer request is shared. But you don’t know how to pray for that person because you don’t know them!

 

Let me offer you a model to help you pray more specific prayers for someone you don’t know or don’t know how to pray for!

Paul wrote many letters, some of which we have in our Bibles today. One such letter is called Colossians. If you read this book, you’ll notice the love and warmth in Paul’s prayers for the Colossian church. And guess what? Paul had never even met these people! 

 

Paul did not plant this church. It’s thought he never even visited this church. He only knew a guy who taught the Gospel there, Epaphras. Epaphras probably told Paul about some of the members of this congregation and what they faced. But Paul had never been introduced to them, let alone built relationships with them. 

 

Yet, within his letter to them, he prays for them. And in doing so, he gives us a great model for praying for people when we don’t know them personally.

 

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Colossians 1:9-12 ESV

 

Here’s the model:

• Pray that the individual be filled with the knowledge of God’s will (v. 9)
• Pray that the individual be given spiritual wisdom and understanding (v. 9)
• Pray that God would empower the individual to live a life pleasing to the Lord (v. 10)
• Pray that the individual would bear fruit in good works (v. 10)
• Pray that the individual would increase in the knowledge of God (v. 10)
• Pray that the individual be strengthened, and be given endurance, patience and joy (v. 11) 
• Thank God for the individual and for what God wants to do in their life (v. 12)

 

So next time you need to pray for someone you don’t know, open your Bible to Colossians 1 and “take a page” from Paul.

 

Reflection:

What do you normally do when asked to pray for someone you don’t know?

How might you use this model to pray for a neighbor, a stranger, or a member of your church?