Prioritizing prayer intentions?

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JPSimon

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I’m sure that you are like me and keep many souls in your prayers.

My question is, sometimes, when the opportunity to ask another for prayers, or simply to spend a limited time praying in dedication for someone, how should I prioritize who to pray for?

I have some definite needs within my family, especially for conversions and for the restoration among family members of lost faith. But I also have friends and coworkers who have more difficult life circumstances or health concerns.

My tendency is to pray for the people most immediately in my mind, hoping that God will help me focus the person most in need. Then at night I will pray for all the people in my life who I feel are in need.

Do you think it is best to give family, spouses, and near relatives priority when devoting time for prayer? Or should I continue to go by instinct and pray for divine inspiration?

Love in Christ,
JPSimon
 
I would say both. Give priority to family, but also mention special needs, and be open to others whom God might bring to mind. You don’t have to dwell on everyone for the same amount of time.

My dad has a system where he prays for certain categories of people on certain days – something like church leaders on Sunday, world leaders on Monday, extended family on Tuesday, etc. He also prays spontaneously for whomever comes to mind. This seems to me a pretty good system.
 
JPSimon said:
I’m sure that you are like me and keep many souls in your prayers.

My question is, sometimes, when the opportunity to ask another for prayers, or simply to spend a limited time praying in dedication for someone, how should I prioritize who to pray for?

I have some definite needs within my family, especially for conversions and for the restoration among family members of lost faith. But I also have friends and coworkers who have more difficult life circumstances or health concerns.

My tendency is to pray for the people most immediately in my mind, hoping that God will help me focus the person most in need. Then at night I will pray for all the people in my life who I feel are in need.

Do you think it is best to give family, spouses, and near relatives priority when devoting time for prayer? Or should I continue to go by instinct and pray for divine inspiration?

Love in Christ,
JPSimon
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Keep one of those pocket sized notebooks…drugstore variety.
Simple add the intentions as you receive them. Maybe the first page could be your continual prayers: Family and long term intentions.
The subsequent pages could be devoted to urgent intentions.
You can do a quick run though in the morning, and say that you will dedicate your little prayers and sacrifices for the intentions of: ----- ------ ------ ------ etc.
It helps me to write them down.
Another way is to buy one of those small 4x6 photo albums from the dollar store.
Put small bits of paper, post its, notes, etc. with individual names and circumstances. That way you can manage them as to age, and urgency. My mother used to do this…she’d add her own handwritten favorite applicable Scripture passages. It was a great comfort fro me to find these little prayers in her own hand after she passed.
Peace.
 
Pax Christi!

Heart-tugging decides for me: family gets highest priority, followed by close friends, the Poor Souls in Purgatory, alcoholics and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.

Special additions come and go: folks I barely know but are in “critical condition”.

Some stories I have to just pass by. Sorry.

Time tells me which causes matter the most. Practice has got me where I am in my prayer life.

One thing I had to learn to always do: pray for myself. If I maintain myself, I can better help others. Often my prayers end, “…and please have mercy on me. Help us to love each other; help us all to be Saints.”

God bless.
 
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