10 Prayers for Relationships (to Strengthen and Restore)

Prayer for Friendships

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for giving me such a vibrant community of friends to do life with. I praise you for the people you have blessed me with, the ones who have come alongside me to love, encourage, support, and uplift me through all the twists and turns of life. I'm so grateful that I do not have to go through life alone, but that you have shown me examples of your love through my dear friends.

I pray that you would be present in my friendships, that you would be drawing us together in deeper community with one another toward greater unity with you. I pray that you would help heal any places of brokenness or discord in my friendships, and that you would restore any friendships that have fallen apart. 

Like your Word says in Colossians 3:12-13, may I clothe myself in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May I be patient with my friends, and may I forgive freely like you have forgiven me. May I shine your light in my friendships, giving glory to you through all that I do, say, and think.

Thank you for my friends, Jesus. Thank you for the ways they build me up and remind me of your goodness and faithfulness.

In your name I pray,

Amen.

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Prayer to Be A Peace Maker

Dear Lord, help me to be a peacemaker.  Grant me the wisdom from above so I may be pure and peace-loving, considerate and submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Help me to be in touch with the pain of others and to realize the need for action, providing me with the courage to step forward and be a peacemaker in times of conflict and unrest. May your Spirit fill my heart with patience, especially when peacemaking takes longer and becomes messier than I anticipate, and let your love guide my actions and words.

Thank You Jesus! Amen. 

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Prayer for Family

Father God,

Thank you for my family. It can be messy, it can be wonderful, it can be challenging, and it can be life-giving to be part of my family, and today, I surrender these precious relationships to you. I pray that you will be at work in my family, moving among us and creating deeper bonds between us in a way that gives you glory, honor, and praise. I thank you for the family members who have come to know and love you, and praise you for the ways they encourage and uplift me in my own faith.

In the places of brokenness in my family, I pray you will bring healing and restoration. In the places of anger, I pray you will bring your peace. In the places of hurt, I pray you will bring comfort. Thank you for the moments of joy, the sweet celebrations, the deep love, and the connections between us. Thank you for the memories we share, and for all the ways you have shown your deep love and endless faithfulness to us.

We pray you will continue to protect, guide, strengthen, and encourage our family, Jesus. We give you the glory today and ask that your plans would be done in each of us.

Amen.

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Prayer for Communication

Dear God, we come before you seeking your guidance and blessing in our communication. Teach us to speak with kindness and respect, always mindful of the power our words have to uplift or to harm. Fill our hearts with your love so that our conversations may reflect your grace and truth. Help us to listen with open hearts and minds, understanding the perspectives of others and responding with empathy and compassion. In Your Son's Name, Amen.

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A Prayer of Encouragement for All Relationships

Jesus,

I come to you today in gratitude for the people in my life. Friends, coworkers, relatives, neighbors, mentors... they all enrich my life in ways I am incredibly thankful for. I pray that in my communities and circles of friends, we would be people who bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2) and love at all times (Proverbs 17:17). I pray that we would encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11) while serving one another (1 Peter 4:10).

May I daily come to you in prayer, Lord, giving you thanks for all the relationships in my life and asking that you be present and at work in each of them. Strengthen the bonds I have with my loved ones. Open my eyes to new friendships I can be making, and new people I can connect with. Help me to forgive freely, let go of grudges, love humbly, and serve others with a willing spirit. 

You alone are worthy of all praise -- may all of my relationships give glory back to you, Lord!

Amen.

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Prayer for Struggling Relationship

Father,

Praise You for Jesus’ example on this earth. We know that You are purposeful in the plan that You have or our lives, and for the people that you place in it. We are not always going to get along with everyone. Not always going to execute our behavior in Christ-like fashion. Help alleviate the shame of our imperfection, and help us to extend that grace to others.

Bless our hearts to soften towards others, yet protect us from deceptive motives. When there is a relationship that you wish us to walk away from, be it friendly or romantic, help us to hear a clear word from You. Bless our friendships to be godly and God-centered. Bless our marriages to be lifelong and blessed. When we struggle maritally, provide godly counsel and reconciliation, so that if at all possible we may honor our lifelong commitment to You and each other. Show us, by illuminating Your Word and blessing us with Your presence, how to be more like Jesus, how to love as He spoke, and You command.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen. ~ Meg Bucher

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Prayer of Intercession

God, I acknowledge You as _______’s provider. Thank You for providing all ______ needs to live in peace and harmony with me and others.

Your Word is alive and a gift of healing to ______. I invite You to fill _____’s life with It. Let It be a salve to _____’s wounds. Use it to set ______ free from the snare of the enemy.

You are the Good Shepherd. Please rescue _______ from paths of destruction.

You are the Wonderful Counselor. Break down the walls in _____’s heart and mind with Your battering ram of revelation. Give ____ spiritual wisdom and insight to know You. Flood ______’s heart with Your light.

Where _____ has endured shame, pour double portions of honor and grace into _____’s life.

Your Holy Spirit intercedes for _____ 24/7. Use me to do the same and raise up an army of intercessors on _______’s behalf. Let heaven and earth work in tandem to deliver ____ from evil.

Make _____ ready to hear me and others speak Your truth in love. Help ____ to experience Your love and Your presence.

With faith in Jesus, I pray. Amen ~ Jennifer O. White

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Prayer for Unity

Lord, I declare that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is fighting for me and ______ so that we live together operating as one.

Let the challenges of life push us forward into total dependence on You to remain together.

I trust that taking up our cross and laying down our lives for each other will lead to an amazing life of love together. We are one. Teach us to think as one, not selfishly or independently. With Your moment-by-moment leadership, we will finish the race together. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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Prayer to Move Past Resentment and Bitterness

Father,

The ways of the world and our sinful nature do not surprise You. In a way that only You can, move our hearts towards compassion and peace when our anger flares. Clear our hearts of bitterness and resentment. We don’t want to be unforgiving people, God. Christ died on the cross to forgive our unmentionable sins. You, alone, know the long version of our story. Convict us to tell it often. Make us a channel of Your Love. Prune us of the habits and relationships that lead us astray. Reveal encouragement and hope to us in Your Word. 

In Christ, we are a new creation. Thank You for changing us, as painful as growth can be, and drawing us closer to You with every note of bitterness and resentment we shed. Protect us from harboring these unhealthy emotions, and guard our hearts as we stumble in Jesus’ footsteps. We love You, LORD. We trust You with our lives and pray Your purpose for them over our plans. May all who witness our lives know Your unspeakable love by the way we live. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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