Praying for others.

[Joshua_P]

What seems to be an appropriate practice for the promise or intention to pray for others?

Throughout the day I find myself wanting to and planning on praying for particular people but when I finally get the opportunity to actually pray I usually come up short in remembering all of whom I want to pray for. (This may include people who I have heard on the radio or seen on TV.) Maybe I have a worse memory than most people and admittedly I can come up “speechless” so to speak when on the spot. And just saying a prayer generally “for all those I intended on praying for” just doesn’t seem to cut it for me.

Perhaps I could make a habit of writing down names and intentions though it sort of seems a bit impractical and I guess ideally I would be praying often enough during the day to avoid having to lump it all together and risk forgetting something or someone. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[jazzbaby1]

Yes, writing the names down would help. If you are unsure of what to say then why not add them to your Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy, if you say them? Say a decade for each person. God bless and thank you for a timely reminder for me.

 

[Trishie]

God remembers who you intend to pray for, so even if you forget, God will acknowledge the earlier intention.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Make a quick mental prayer when you first think you’ll want to pray for the person. That’s what I always do. If I say I’ll pray for someone, or desire to pray for someone, I do it immediately, mentally, often quite quickly, just to make sure it happens. It can be in my own words. Sometimes I’ll present the request in a Hail Mary. But I do it immediately, quickly and mentally to make sure it happens. Then if I think of the intention again later in the day, I again pray about it quickly and mentally.

 

[aspirant]

Throughout the day I find myself wanting to and planning on praying for particular people but when I finally get the opportunity to actually pray I usually come up short in remembering all of whom I want to pray for.

Some ideas might include:
Pray immediately, even if it’s just a quick “Please, God, bless so-and-so!” Pray more often throughout the day.
Remind yourself of the folks on your list more times during the day, building your memory. (Joe, Mary, David, Sarah…)
Writing down prayer requests and intentions. You might keep a small notebook in your pocket, for example. (I tend to write on my arm.)
Simply telling God that you’re sorry you don’t remember, but you know he does.
Or a combination!

And just saying a prayer generally “for all those I intended on praying for” just doesn’t seem to cut it for me.

Try harder to remember one or two, then, and the “for all the others I intended to pray for” may not seem so problematic.

 

[Sanctifiable]

I have the same problem so I try and say a little prayer on the spot.

 

[Statius]

If I see, meet or hear of someone who seems in need of prayer, I try to say a quick and usually silent prayer on the spot. I also keep a little written list of people who stay in my intentions for a month or so, or as long as seems appropriate, and remember then every day at morning and evening prayer.

 

[Cathryn]

Part of my prayer is to pray for “all I have promised to pray for” in case I have forgotten to individually pray for them. This is what my pastor has taught.

 

[ready]

Pray for people right on the spot…then when it is time for your prayer hour (or half hour) pray for anyone you remember and say one general prayer for all the people about whom you’ve fogotten.