7 Important Things to Pray for Every Day

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” – John 17:9-11

We don’t think about this as much here in America because for the most part our lives are not being threatened because we are Christians. There are countries in the world where you put your life on the line to identify with Christ. We need to remember our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are in this position and pray for them. I don’t know what it is like to literally risk your life for the cause of Christ because I have never had to, but for those who do pray they would remain faithful and protected even in the face of persecution.

2. Pray that the body of Christ would be one.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” – John 17:20-21

If there is one thing the body of Christ needs it is unity. Again, I can’t speak for other countries but here in America Christians are sorely divided and this is a big problem. Jesus tells us why this is a problem because when the church is divided it can prevent people from believing in who Jesus is. Let’s pray that God would begin to tear down the walls and divides that cripple the message of the gospel and allow those who are true followers of Jesus to be one. If for no other sake, for the sake of the gospel.

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” – Colossians 4:3-4

As believers, we are called to go and share the message of Jesus with the world. While we often think about this on a global scale this applies on an individual basis as well. Let’s pray that as you go into the areas of influence that God has placed you in, that he would create opportunities to share the good news of the gospel.

4. Pray that God’s will would be done.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10

Perhaps the most important thing to pray every day is for God’s will to be done in your life. Imagine if every believer prayed this (and meant it) and sought to accomplish God’s purpose for that day. This would alleviate many of the issues I mentioned earlier because we would be centered in on what God wants us to do. Let’s pray daily that our hearts would be surrendered to whatever plan God has for that day.

5. Pray for those in authority.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-2

We need to prioritize praying for those in authority at all levels. Sometimes we take this for granted, especially if we have issues with the ones in authority. However, that does not give us a pass for praying for them. If we are going to be honest, sometimes this can be difficult because we view authority through political or human eyes and not through biblical or Godly eyes. Let’s not allow any view outside of God’s view stop us from doing what we know God desires us to do.

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“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” – Matthew 9:36-38

We are surrounded by people everywhere that don’t know Jesus. We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 3:6 that some plant and some water but God gives the increase. We need to pray for those that don’t know Jesus that they would hear the message of the gospel and that God would convict them and lead them to repentance. Doing God’s will may be our most important prayer but it is possible this might be our most urgent one. For everyone on the face of this earth, eternity is at stake and that should create a sense of urgency within our hearts leading us to pray.

7. Pray that each day we would walk worthy of the call.

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:1-3

The final thing to pray for every day is that you would walk worthy of the call that God has given you. To walk worthy requires you to walk in obedience, in holiness, and trusting God on a regular basis. Imagine the impact we could have on the world if believers walked in obedience, lived holy, were completely humble, gentle, and patient with each other and those who don’t know Jesus. When we live like this, walking worthy, we can begin to have the impact God desires us to have. Let’s pray for this every day.

I don’t know if my list of things to pray for every day is a little different than yours or if there is something you would add or take away. Most importantly let’s not just focus on things to pray for every day but let’s make sure we are praying every day because that is what God desires for all of us.

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This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.