6 Ways to Pray for Others When You’re Limited on Time

Feeling short on time but have a list of people to pray for? Here are six ways to pray for others when you think there’s no time.

Prayer refreshes us, replenishes us, and enables us to walk with God.

Too much to do and too little time to do it? A phrase we hear all too often seems to set us up for defeat before the day has begun. To be honest, the things that absolutely have to get done usually do. We make sure our children are fed, we meet daily deadlines, we get to the dentist on time—the important things.

What makes it on your must-do list? Does your list include spiritual things? Does your day include quality prayer? If you’re like most of us, spending time with God in prayer is one of the things that too often gets left behind—much like the unmade beds or that phone call you’ve been meaning to make.

Spiritual training, spending time with God in prayer, needs to be a daily activity if you want to grow with God and encourage others to grow. Prayer refreshes us, replenishes us, and enables us to walk with God. We need to intentionally do as Paul instructed, “Pray without ceasing.” Praying without ceasing as the foundation of the Christian lifestyle reflects a daily linking of our minds and hearts to God. Our interactions with God throughout the day soon become a part of who we are.

Listed below are a few ideas to get you started on your daily prayer journey. Make important things happen.

6 Ways to Pray for Others When You’re Limited on Time

1. Prayer Calendar

Purchase a new wall calendar. Place it where you begin your day. For each day of the month, pencil in one person for whom you’ll pray. Give that special person a call to find out his or her needs and concerns. It’s a great way to keep in touch, and it encourages others to start their day off with prayer.

2. Prayer Journal

Here’s an old idea with a new twist. Place a small notebook and pen in your car. If you’re like me, you spend a good part of your day in your car, and much of it seems to be waiting. Rather than feed your impatience, pull out your journal. Spend time with God. Write the names and concerns of loved ones, and then talk to God about them.

3. Laundry Prayer

Make folding clothes less mundane, and creatively spend time with God. While folding whites, give thanks for others. While folding darks, mention specific concerns for each family member. When folding the children’s clothes, thank God for the children in your life, and name them one by one.

4. Gentle Reminders

Place the names of staff leaders, teachers, or pupils in special places to find throughout the day to help you remember to say a special prayer for them. Places include your wallet, phone, mirrors, refrigerator door, car dash, or computer screen. Choose a few to start with and change weekly.

5. Special Delivery

Purchase 3X5 cards. Write names and addresses of people on separate cards, and place a postcard stamp on each card. Place them in your purse or car. When you find a few minutes, pull out a card and pray specifically for that person. Write a note to the person about how he or she has been in your prayers. Then drop the card in the nearest mailbox.

6. Rise and Shine

We can have many reminders throughout the day, but the fact of the matter is we must make time for God. Set your alarm clock 15 minutes early. Give your day to God by spending the first minutes of each day in prayer. And remember, you don’t always have to have a prayer list. Spend time listening. Cherish the quiet times.

Andrea Moore is a children’s minister in Waco, Texas.

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