How To Write A Prayer: A How-To Guide

In this article, we will look at how to write a prayer, whether for personal use or in a corporate setting.

Prayer is a critical aspect of the Christian life. Praying is so much more than just speaking words. It is part of how a believer communes with God. Learning to pray happens over time, but there are also practical things you can do to help bolster your prayer life.

Writing prayers down can be an excellent way to grow closer to God and develop your relationship with Him. Praying is communion with the Holy Spirit, and writing down what you pray is one way to grow in communication with the Lord.

I’ve used journals off and on for years that have countless prayers in them. And it really helped me be able to express things to God in a different way.

But I know If you are new to this, it can feel challenging to write down your prayers. Still, it is a good practice to try and use in your walk with God, as it can help you develop greater intimacy with the Lord, walk more closely with Him, develop a stronger prayer life, and apply the ways of the Lord in your own life.

With that said, let’s learn how to write prayers.

How To Write A Prayer or Prayers

Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.

– Max Lucado

Writing prayers is a personal process between you and the Holy Spirit. Prayers can be prophetic, and writing them down to pray in public can be important, but it is also good to write down prayers of petition and prayer requests, as this makes it easier to thank God when He fulfills them.

If you want to learn to write down your prayers and do not know where to start, the good news is that there are several practical tips that you can apply to your prayer life and many Biblical examples that you can use to learn this skill.

Here are some good ways to write prayers, including writing prayers to God, prayer requestions, prayers of petition, and prayers for praying in public.

How To Write A Prayer To God

Writing a personal prayer to God is the easiest prayer to write down. This is usually done in a journal, dairy, or notebook.

Prayers to God are your prayers that happen secretly with the Lord. These are personal prayers between you two. Writing them down can bring a sense of fulfillment and help you remember what you have prayed to check back on when God moves in your life.

Prayer always has fruit, even if it takes a long time to see it. Writing down your prayers can be a great way to remember them and be able to reflect on what God has done.

When writing a prayer to God, remember the Scriptures in Matthew 6:5-15. This is the prayer that Jesus prayed when the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray.

And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 
Give us this day our daily bread.
12 
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:5-15 NKJV

A simple way to start is by begin writing your prayer the same way Jesus began His prayer:

• Worship the Father. Open your prayer with worship, as this keeps God in His rightful place in your heart and maintains humility.

• Next, write about submitting to the will of God for your life, and ask God to have His way in you and through you, as Jesus prayed. Write down how you feel about God and how He is good to you, and thank Him for all He has done.
  
• Check your heart for unforgiveness and forgive anyone that you need to.

• From here, write as you feel to pray. As the Holy Spirit moves in you, write down what you feel in your heart to pray, and let your prayers flow from an intimate place of worship and adoration.

Remember that in Romans 8:26, Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit helps and guides us to pray when we do not know what or how to pray and makes intercession on our behalf.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. – Romans 8:26 NKJV

Lean on Holy Spirit, and He will teach you what to pray. Write down what you feel, and return to it the next time you pray.

How To Write Petition Prayer

There are many types of prayers we can pray. A petition prayer is just one of them.

Writing petition prayer can be praying for anything or any area in your life or the lives of others where a breakthrough from God is needed.

There are numerous passages in the Bible where believers are encouraged to encourage one another and pray for one another, and several places where prayers of petitions are brought before God to ask Him for a breakthrough in situations and circumstances.

Pray the prayers that you find in the Bible, and write them down. A good example of that is the prayer of Jabez.

Pray as many Scriptures as the Holy Spirit leads you to, and be confident in praying the Word of God.

Prayers of the petition can look like praying for loved ones, friends, and family and for a move of God in a specific situation.

Writing down these prayers is important, as you can keep a reminder of what you have petitioned God for, enabling you to better thank Him and glorify him when He brings the breakthrough you asked for.

A good way to write petition prayers is to keep a small list of what you petition God for. Be it for your family and loved ones or situations to do with work or other aspects of life.

Keep a small list, or multiple small lists, of what you have asked the Lord for to help yourself remember what you are contending for from the Lord. I tend to mark the date and even the location where I am at.

If you already journal, then I would encourage you to dedicate some pages in a journal to writing down the prayers of petition you ask of the Lord.

Write down these prayers like you prayed them, as if you are writing them to the Lord. This will help you maintain the same heart posture as when you prayed the prayer.

Remember, written prayers do not have to be eloquent, poetic, or fancy. They just need to be from YOU. Share your heart. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or other things that would hinder or stop you from writing prayers. Just talk to God through written letters.

Another great thing is that writing down prayers this way will also help you to pray them again and continue standing in prayer for what you need.

It can take time to write down prayers of petition. Keeping a few pages ready in a journal or even in a note on your phone or computer and writing down the main points of your prayers is a great way to keep track of them and to keep praying them when you remember them.

How To Write Prayers to Pray In Public

Writing prayers to pray in public is more challenging than any others, as public prayers are usually spontaneous and led by the Holy Spirit according to what He is doing in the room. I am a big advocate for that but there are times when writing a prayer ahead is needed.

This could be for a speech, an event, or another public speaking opportunity.

But this doesn’t mean a written prayer for the public can’t be inspired and breathed on from he Holy Spirit.

When writing prayers for public prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what to pray, and write down what you feel. Always try to accompany these prayers with Scripture that anchors them in the Word and gives others context to what you are praying.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians that we must pray with our understanding when praying in public, that others may add their amen to what you pray and come into agreement.

Where two or more believers are gathered, Jesus hears them with them. Agreement and unity in prayer are important.

Write down the prayers that you feel to pray in public and release them according to the Word of the Holy Spirit. These prayers can be powerful and very uplifting.

As for the structure of the prayer, I encourage you again to let the Holy Spirit lead you as your write. I’m a type A personality, and I LOVE structure, but when it comes to prayer, what is important is that it comes from your heart and that the Lord moves on it.

How to Write A Prayer Request

Writing a prayer request can feel challenging, especially when you request that other believers pray for something that is very personal to you.

Asking for prayer can feel hard, but the reality is that believers are meant to pray for one another and lift one another up in prayer.

Suppose you have the opportunity to write a prayer request for other believers to pray for you. In that case, there are some ways to go about it while maintaining privacy and being detailed enough for others to pray specific prayers. There are also ways to write prayer requests when unsure what to ask for prayer.

To write a prayer request about something specific, keep in mind that the people who are praying for you love you with the love of the Lord, and it is good to ask for prayer.

Write about the prayer request with a mention of what you need. Tell the people praying what your prayer request is, and let them know why you need it. You don’t have to go into super deep details, but give enough details so they can pray for well. Here is an example:

Not The Best Prayer Request

I have been battling sickness, and I need prayer for healing.

A Better Prayer Request

I have been battling with stomach problems for years that cause a lot of pain, and I have a lot of food sensitivities which makes it really hard. Please pray that God would heal my digestive issues and that I would be able to return to a normal healthy diet.

As you can see, the second prayer request gives enough details that will help guide them on how to pray without giving a lot of details.

There is the flipside that you may want to give a ton of details. I would encourage you to share enough detail that helps them pray but not so much that it becomes a long-winded request.

Here are some tips for praying:

• Ask that you would receive direction from the Lord and clarity to move forward in what He wants for you.
  
• Ask that the will of the Lord be done in your life.
  
• Ask for strength, mercy, and guidance from the Holy Spirit. We know that the Spirit of the Lord is the Comforter, so ask for comfort from Him in difficult times.

If you do not know what to ask in your prayer request, ask that you would grow more in the Lord. Ask for more of Him, for peace and rest in Him, and that you would know the Lord more and more each day. This is always the best prayer to request.

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Writing your prayers is a good skill, as this can help bolster your prayer life, teach you how to pray well, keep you focused while repaying, and allows you to better remember your times with the Lord and what to thank Him for when He moves in your life.

Prayer is powerful. It is part of intimacy and personal relationship with God, and it is part of the corporate Christian life as well. Write down your prayers in a journal, and keep them with you to release and share when God leads, and you may find yourself deeper in prayer than you ever thought possible.