My prayer list is sooooo looooong!

[emily47017]

i’ve been trying to simplify my enormous prayer list by writing them all on slips of paper and putting them in a small “god box”. then when i pray i say something like “everything in the god box plus…” anything that hasn’t made it in there yet.

i so often hear christians saying “i’ll pray for you”, that i think you all must have prayer lists at least as long as mine. what do you do? do you pray for some some nights and others other nights? do you pray them all at once no matter how long it takes? do you have to write them down to remember them all? is it enough just to pray for everyone in the whole world?

 

[water]

I normally pray right away before I typed “I pray for you”.

 

[InLight247]

My prayers include regular and spontaneous. If someone comes to my mind, I pray for that person right away. If I drive on high way and see some accident, I pray for whoever is involved right away. If I heard some tragedy in news, I pray for it right away. That is my spontaneous prayer.

I also have my regular prayers. I pray for my family, my priests, some friends and relatives daily. I pray for Pope, our Church, our country often, not every single day but should be. I pray for my church friends, my parish, my CCD students, and CAF prayer requests whenever I think about it. If someone asks for my prayer, I usually pray for the person right away and whenever I remember afterwards unless I made a commitment to pray everyday.

To pray for everyone in the world or every intention in the box is very general. God likes us to pray specifically. And I believe to be specific is more effective.

If I were committed to a long prayer list, I probably will categorize it, for example, put all health related in one group, finance related in another and say my rosary for each category. I will tell the Lord in the beginning that this Rosary is for so and so and so to receive healing, or this Rosary is for so and so and so to find employment or solve financial problem, etc…
That is just my preference.

But on the top of petition and intercession prayer, keep in mind the prayer of thanksgiving and praises, the prayer of repentance and act of contrition. I am trying my best not to approach the throne of Divine Mercy only asking for favor either for self or for others. Keep in mind our Lord wants the most is our love. So, no matter how long the prayer list is, love Him first, spend some quiet time with Him, adore Him, thank Him, praise Him, glorify Him, bless Him. Tell Him you love Him.

 

[HailMary]

having a long prayer list is burdensome.

imagine all those prayers you have…put them in a basket and physically imagine handing them to Our Lady to put under the Cross for you. It will remove this burden.

 

[Lady_Cygnus]

i’ve been trying to simplify my enormous prayer list by writing them all on slips of paper and putting them in a small “god box”. then when i pray i say something like “everything in the god box plus…” anything that hasn’t made it in there yet.

i so often hear christians saying “i’ll pray for you”, that i think you all must have prayer lists at least as long as mine. what do you do? do you pray for some some nights and others other nights? do you pray them all at once no matter how long it takes? do you have to write them down to remember them all? is it enough just to pray for everyone in the whole world?

For a long time I was in the habit of saying “I’ll pray for you” and never actually doing it

Then I decided to pray for everyone I told I would pray for, and those I didn’t, and my prayers took soooo long. I would then forget who I had or hadn’t prayed for. I ended up doing a lot of “and for whomever I’ve forgotten tonight…Lord please doubly bless them ”

NOW, when I say that I actually do pray, but usually only one night unless I feel it merits a few more days. Typically I set a time limit (until situation is resolved, a novena, for a week, once, etc) I’ve also gotten into the habit of saying an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be immediately - so I don’t forget later.

 

[mommyof4]

having a long prayer list is burdensome.

imagine all those prayers you have…put them in a basket and physically imagine handing them to Our Lady to put under the Cross for you. It will remove this burden.

Excellent idea.

I usually say “for all the people I am bound to pray for, and those who have asked for my prayers” or something like that.

 

[Brain]

I simply make the intention and say "for all my intentions, especially … , but above all conform my will to yours

 

[LindaS]

I learned this from a priest who was at our parish:

“For all who have asked for prayer and all who need prayer.”

That’s how I pray for all those for whom I have promised to pray.

Peace,
Linda

 

[mommyof4]

I learned this from a priest who was at our parish:

“For all who have asked for prayer and all who need prayer.”

That’s how I pray for all those for whom I have promised to pray.

Peace,
Linda

That’s a good one, too.

 

[puzzleannie]

I don’t have a written list, the prayer intentions for my Oblate group are on the emails in that folder, CAF prayer intentions are here (imagine if we tried to write all of them out) and so forth. When someone asks me directly for prayers I immediately say OF HM and GB, and in my morning offering include them in the intention “for all those who have asked me for prayers” which includes everybody, internet and live. Lists are fallible, so is my memory, God is infallible so he can keep track, got to keep all those angels busy, anyhow.

 

[Convert_in_99]

I LOVE the “God Box” idea. Did you think that up…or did you get it from someone. How creative!

I say a short vocal prayer for that person (s) immediately in my head. A “Hail Mary” “Our Father” “Eternal Rest…” Etc.

THEN, I write down their name/intention as best as I can remember, and include them in a rosary, chaplet, longer prayer later in the week when I have time. If I think about them in between I pray for them quickly then and there.

Prayer is SO much more simple than we make it out to be. Jesus Himself gave us the Our Father because He knew we made it more complicated than it should be. Follow His example…He knows what we need before we even ask. That asking does NOT have to be formal…just a simple turn of the heart/mind/soul to God. That’s all it takes.

 

[tkdnick]

I have a small journal that I write prayer intentions in. When I first write it down I will say a small prayer for that specific intention. Then each night I say a prayer for “all of the intentions in my book of prayers.”

 

[emily47017]

Lists are fallible, so is my memory, God is infallible so he can keep track, got to keep all those angels busy, anyhow.

 

[emily47017]

I LOVE the “God Box” idea. Did you think that up…or did you get it from someone. How creative!

i only wish i were that clever! anne lamott mentioned “god’s inbox” in her book traveling mercies, and that was when i started keeping one myself. another friend who’s a former moonie and now in the category of “spiritual but not religious” uses the same concept, but shortens it to “god box”.

 

[Mordocai]

You simplify by placing all your petitions in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Heart that is so dear to Jesus.
And when you place all your desires, hopes, even fears and worries in Her Heart, every time it beats, your prayers reverberate in Heaven as if Her own and the echo is beautiful to God who can not resist Mary.
All in God’s good timing. Be patient as He is patient.