A prayer for a friend to uplift, support, and strengthen your bond while fostering spiritual growth.
Having friends is one of the things that make our lives easier, happier, and more bearable.
We can care for and return the goodwill to our friends in many ways, but the best way is to pray for them.
Saying a short prayer for a friend and bringing them closer to God are ways we acknowledge that God is at work in our lives, our friends’ lives, and the bond we share.
What is a Prayer for a Friend?
A prayer for a friend is a prayer we tell God, lifting our friends to Him.
Many people ask why we should still pray for a friend when we know God already loves and cares for them.
We are our friends’ supporters, and saying a prayer for a friend is one way we show this support.
A prayer for a friend is how we intercede for them to God.
It is a love language.
When we build friendships, we develop a kinship with our friends.
That is why it becomes natural for us to say a prayer for a friend as we do for all our other loved ones.
Why say a prayer for a friend?
God commanded us to pray for our friends.
In James 5:16-18, God tells us to pray for one another.
Praying for a friend is also one way we share our friend’s burdens.
It is how we make them feel that we are present for them.
When we lift our friends to God and ask Him to envelop our friends in His loving embrace and grace, that gesture can only be borne out of love and care.
When our friend does not have a relationship with Jesus, a prayer for a friend is how we communicate with God to make His presence felt in our friends’ lives.
It is a way for us to ask the Holy Spirit to open their spiritual eyes to the salvation Jesus offers them.
Just as our friends need our presence, it is equally important to intercede for them through prayer.
Bible verses that inspire a prayer for a friend
Job 42:10
And the LORD restores the fortune of Job when he had prayed for his friends.
And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil.
Proverbs 18:24
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that somebody lay down his life for his friends.
Philippians 1:3-5
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
Romans 15:30
I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf.
Luke 11:6-10
For a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him, and he will answer within,
‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed.
I cannot get up and give you anything’?
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence, he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.
7 Powerful Prayers for a Friend
Prayer for a friend who experienced the loss of a loved one
Almighty Father, as my friend mourns the death of a loved one, I bring their sorrows to You today.
As they go through this challenging and sorrowful time, I ask that You embrace them with Your love and comfort.
May they find solace in Your loving presence and abundant grace and mercy.
Take them in Your arms, and give them hope and strength.
Make it possible for them to face each day with grace to keep going.
I pray that You would provide them joy and peace through joyful recollections of their memories with their loved ones.
Provide for their needs in this period of grief.
May they take comfort in knowing that You love them and have a bigger purpose for everything You allow and author.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Prayer for a friend who is suffering from a sickness
Dear Lord, my friend who is sick is in my thoughts and prayers today.
During this challenging moment, I beg You to have mercy on them.
I pray for their speedy recovery and strength as they face the treatments and recovery ahead.
Surround them with experts and friends who will attend to their care.
May they be filled with optimism and serenity and be granted the strength to greet each day knowing You love them.
Grant them the grace, determination, and resources they need to be healthy again.
I pray that the love and support from those closest to them be combined with Your reassuring presence amidst the pain and struggle of their illness.
I put my faith in Your ability to heal them.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Prayer for a friend in times of trials
Heavenly Father, my friend needs Your serenity and comfort in these trying times.
Inspire them with confidence in Your love and give them the fortitude to face adversity in a godly way.
Lead them on a road of endurance and Christlikeness, and may they discover comfort and relief in Your loving arms.
Grant them the wisdom and discernment to follow and obey you despite their struggles.
Give them a miracle that will reinforce their faith and loyalty to You.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Prayer for a friend to reconcile with
Lord, my relationship with my friend is weighing heavily on my heart.
Our relationship is broken. I humbly acknowledge the mistakes that I have committed.
I ask for forgiveness when I have been overly judgmental, domineering, snarky, bitter, angry, prideful, or selfish.
Remove these from within me, Oh God.
Lord, I am humbled by Your mercy.
I ask that You lead me to the godly way to apologize and exhibit humility.
Please keep my heart from becoming resentful.
You took extraordinary measures to reconcile me to Yourself when Jesus died on the cross.
I humbly ask that You do the same for my friend and me.
Open our hearts to allow forgiveness, reconciliation, and love to prevail.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Prayer for a friend’s strength and wisdom
Dear God, I think about my friends today and desire to lift them to You.
I pray that You will give them the grace they need today and give them the strength to persevere despite seemingly insurmountable odds and struggles.
In You alone, may they find the strength to confront their fears and serenity to calm their anxious hearts.
Please be their stronghold, their haven, and their wellspring of strength.
I ask that You make Your love and support known to them in tangible and personal ways.
May they experience Your presence in a profound and real way.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Prayer for a friend and their career
Almighty God, I pray for my friend’s success in their career path.
Help them achieve their goals while keeping their eyes focused on You.
Allow opportunities to go their way and afford them the wisdom to take them in a way that is pleasing to You.
Cleanse their life of every trace of discouragement and worldliness.
Grant them Your favor in the career difficulties and dilemmas they will face.
I pray that their hearts will be anchored in You and that they will work excellently, having You as their master.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Prayer for a friend who is struggling in their faith journey
O God, I humbly beseech You to look kindly upon my friend who has strayed from the path of Your truth and salvation.
My friend is confused and lost, Lord.
Make Your presence known to them in a way that quiets their doubts and fears.
Protect them from deceit and grant them the discernment to see the difference between Your word and the enemy’s lies.
Embolden them to courageously obey Your truth and command even when things do not make sense, walking by faith and trust, not by sight and emotion.
Let them experience Your unfailing love and mercy for them.
Help them remember that You alone are the source of all that is good.
Surround them with godly mentors, friends, and a community who will be instruments in refreshing their faith.
Bring them back to You, Oh Lord.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Final Thoughts
A prayer for a friend can be a source of strength, comfort, and purpose.
It gives us peace knowing we entrusted our friend’s life to God, and it also gives our friends peace having God in their lives.
Lifting our friendships to God is an acknowledgment that He orchestrates and keeps our connections.
When we say a prayer for a friend, it is a way for us to let them know that we are thinking of them and that they are important to us.
Because we care and love them, we want them always to be closer to God.
We intend for them to be enveloped in God’s care and grace.
Through a prayer for a friend, we speak to God about them and ask Him to watch over them, knowing that we have our limitations, like being unable to be with them all the time.
As Christians, we always trust that through our prayers, God will answer us and grant our hearts’ desires according to His will.
Say a prayer for a friend today, and may your friendships be kept in the loving hands of the God of peace and love!
