How Often do I Pray for Someone?
Has someone ever asked you to pray for them? If you’re an intercessor, you may have even stopped and prayed with them right on the spot. Then, before you left them, they once again said, “Pray for me.”
If the prayer request involved an appointment, surgery, or meeting time, the person requesting prayer may have even made sure that you knew exactly when they would be there so you could pray right then. Is this wrong? Not at all. But, do remember that God is not bound by time and space. Therefore, anytime that you pray is good.
If you’re starting to feel worn out by the number of times someone says, “Pray for me”, you would not be alone. Sometimes, our own fears prompt us to keep saying to others, “Pray for me”. While there is a time to ask someone to ‘carry you in prayer’, there is also a time to simply say, “Thank you for praying for me. I know God heard your prayer.”
So, do you need to pray over and over? The Bible tells us to persevere in prayer. So, there are times to bring a request to God multiple times if you truly feel you have not yet received an answer. There are also times to pray and then trust that the Lord heard your prayer. Those are the times we must wait upon the Lord to answer. His timing is perfect.
If you really want to help, how often do you pray for the same person and the same situation? Pray as often as the Lord brings them to mind. Pray for them anytime and every time the Lord brings them to mind. But, be aware that there are also times that you may intercede for someone and you feel the Holy Spirit acknowledge that your prayer has been heard. God has answered and you don’t need to pray over and over.
God has times he calls us to persevere in prayer and to pray for someone for hours, days, or even years. So, we pray. But, God also has times that he has told me, ‘enough’. Your prayer has been answered. This may happen before I see the answer in the earthly realm. It is enough to know it’s been answered in the heavenly realm and I may stop. If this has happened to you, then you know it’s really a blessing when a short time later you see the answer happen.
I would advise that if you feel God is no longer directing you to pray for someone or for a specific situation, you may not want to call and say, “I’m not praying for you anymore.” Rather, when asked to pray again, speak truth, “I know God will answer the prayers of your heart.” Then, wait to see what God is about to do.
By Jacqui – One of God’s Intercessors