Praying for Someone Consistently

[VA1993]

Have you ever experienced a very intense desire to pray for someone you know? Like to the point where they are on your heart every moment of the day and you don’t know why? A priest that I came to know a few years ago has been on my heart/mind almost consistently over the past couple years. I have made the commitment to pray for him daily, but sometimes when I sit down to say the Rosary for him, I have the fleeting thought that I could be offering up my prayers for someone/something else - there is so much in this world we need to pray for after all! I guess my question is - have you ever experienced this intense feeling that you should pray for someone and if so, have you ever felt like maybe you should “spread” your prayers out so to speak and not keep saying them for the same intention over and over? I feel like God is asking me to pray for Him for specifically and then the Devil is trying to distract me from that.

 

[egretps]

This has happened to me before. I am an imperfect ‘prayer’ anyway. But, my grandmother taught me from an early age to pray for people who ‘come to mind’ or if I dream of them.

I will pray for someone sometimes with a pre-determined ‘end’ point that I pick. Such as for a week or for x number of rosaries or novenas. This is so that I have an internal ‘commitment’ to pray for that person not so much because that is all the prayer they need. Sometimes I’ve prayed for people without knowing when I would stop. Also, knowing the ‘why’ such as your priest friends struggles, I hardly ever know the ‘why’. I have prayed this way for near strangers as well as family and close friends. I also have a running prayer list here for forum members, their requests, and written down for intentions of people I know in my social circle.

Keep doing what you are doing, I doubt you can do it wrong.

 

[MaryT777]

Yes I’ve had a very intense desire to pray for my sister in law whose husband left her unexpectedly a month ago after 35 years of marriage. She did not see this coming, things had been going well for the previous 15 years and this she was hit with before the Holidays. I spend a great time of prayer on her.

I don’t feel as though that’s problematic for my prayer life for I also pray for others. I just feel she’s in my heart so I go with it.

 

[white_jasmine]

Yes! I have experienced this also. I was in the middle of the week praying the Rosary for my own petition, when I learned that someone needed prayers. I prayed for him and I also sent prayer requests to different Roman Catholic churches in the world. And I feel so contented that his petition was granted.

 

[po18guy]

We rarely know in this life what good, if any, our prayers do. In the next life, we will be utterly amazed at the effect of our prayers. And, precisely what we prayed for might not have occurred at all, but God’s will was done. What could be better?

 

[VA1993]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I was starting to think I was weird for having him on my mind so consistently throughout the day, but I’ve been praying the Rosary for him every night and when I do, it brings me much peace. God’s will be done and how ever He wants to use my prayers for this priest is up to Him. But I’ll keep praying for as long as He places this priest on my heart. We can never go wrong in our prayers after all

 

[DD1433]

Yes I’ve had someone on my mind NONSTOP for 6 months now. I’ve prayed for them, then stopped, then started up again. All the while I’m thinking ok God how long are you going to keep this person on my mind for? Lol, but I know exactly what you’re talking about.

 

[adamhovey1988]

There are quite literally some people I pray for every single day, multiple times a day.

 

[Thom18]

My family members, definitely. My friends. A group of famous people on the internet who I grew up watching.

It probably wouldn’t hurt for me to stash a green scapular for my relatives somewhere. I suppose the St. Jude prayer is supposed to be very powerful as well. All things I should add to my daily devotions.