Traditionally, in the East it is customary to pray for 40 days for a special petition/request. The prayers could be anthing - akathists, canons, moleben/supplicatory services, readings of the New Testament, psalms, prayers such as our Brother Jakub suggests above etc.
There is the ascetical exercise of the All-Night Akathists and there are akathists aplenty to serve one in this way. Ideally, this would involve standing all night reading akathists with canons for an intention. St Jonah Atamansky, a married priest of Odessa did the All-Night Akathist vigil EVERY night and his prayer would perform great miracles.
In 1924, a blind boy was brought to him after the chief opthalmologist of Moscow told his mother there was nothing further he could do for him as the problem was with his retina.
Fr. Jonah prayed in vigil over the boy at night for nine nights straight and on the morning of the tenth day, the boy woke up and had 20-20 vision. The communists took Fr. Jonah to court to try him as a “charlatan” but the Moscow eye doctor came himself to testify that “this was truly a miracle.” The court then turned its vitriol on the doctor . . .
St Seraphim of Sarov had a special prayer for petitions which involved saying 150 Our Father’s and 150 Hail Mary’s, praying for all our relatives and friends, dead and alive. Then we were to ask for a favour and it would be granted (with the proviso that it was something that we absolutely needed).
It is also appropriate to offer a stipend for a Divine Liturgy for our special intention and for a moleben/supplicatory service following the Liturgy.
Alex
