Prayers for Special Intentions
At different times in our lives we have special intentions that are close to our heart. Sometimes, we are not able to put these intentions into words. At such times, it is consoling to read in scripture: ‘The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness, so when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit Himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words’ (Romans 8:26). However, it is often helpful to be able to express these needs. We are often asked to pray for many of these intentions and we offer the following prayers to try to articulate some of them.
a parents prayer
Dear Lord,
I thank you for the gift of my children. I thank You for the gift of faith that you have given me. I ask You to keep me faithful and to give me the grace to pass this on to them, so that they grow up loving You and knowing that they are loved by You.
Keep them safe. I worry so much about them sometimes, because the world in which we live today has so many dangers. I cannot possibly watch over them constantly, and so I ask you to do this. Give them good friends who will help them mature and develop into caring adults.
I thank You for their health and I ask You to give them continued good health. I know that they are precious in Your sight. I know that You love them even more than I do and so I entrust them to Your care. I consecrate myself and all my family to Your divine mercy.
Amen.
Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them.
Luke 18:16
prayer for those unable to sleep
Lord,
Please help me to sleep tonight. I find it so hard when I cannot sleep. The more I think about it, the more restless and anxious I get. It defeats the purpose, I know, but I can’t seem to help it. I should go to bed because I need the sleep, but part of me dreads the long hours of darkness. Let Your Holy Spirit fill me with Your peace, so that I can relax and get the sleep I need. And, if I cannot sleep, give me the deep serenity in my heart of knowing that I am loved by You and that You want me to rest in Your love.
Amen.
Unload all your worries on to Him, since He is looking after you.
1 Peter 5:7
PRAYER FOR HEALING AT BEDTIME
Heavenly Father,
I thank You that You always take care of me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. There are so many areas where I need healing
(Pause for a moment to think of the areas that come to mind; particularly recall incidents that have occurred during the day)
Holy Spirit, let Your grace repair those areas now. Heal the wounds I am not aware of, especially things that are an obstacle to love of God and my neighbour. Heavenly Father, I repent of any ways that I have offended You, consciously or unconsciously. As I settle down to sleep, I surrender it all to You. I ask for the gift of a good night’s sleep. I trust that Your healing action will continue through the night because, as the psalmist says …
‘You pour gifts on Your beloved while they slumber.’ (Psalm 126)
I entrust myself and my family to Your mercy. I ask all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
prayer for a parent with a sick child
Dear Lord,
I thank You for the precious gift of my child. I ask You to heal her. You know how much it upsets me to see her suffer. I feel so helpless, unable to take her pain away and I can do so little to help her. I beg You to bring relief to her. You are our loving Father and I believe that You therefore understand exactly how I feel.
Please help me to be what I should be in this situation and give me the grace to trust in You always. I believe that in Your will is our peace, but please help me to live this out, as I find it so hard when she is suffering. I entrust her to Your care. I ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR A PERSON SUFFERING FROM ILLNESS
Dear Lord,
I ask You to heal me. I feel so wretched and it seems to be constant. When I am submerged by sickness, it takes over and I can think of nothing else. I ask You to lay Your healing hands on me and bring me some relief. I believe in Your power to heal, which You showed so much when You were on earth. I believe that You want only what is best for me, and so I ask You to give me the graces I need. If it is not Your will that I be healed at this time, send Your Holy Spirit to comfort and strengthen me and use my suffering to somehow help others. I ask You especially to bless those who are looking after me. I trust in You and Your great love for me, and so I leave myself in Your hands.
Amen.
FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LONELY, ABANDONED OR REJECTED
Dear Lord,
Sometimes I feel so lonely and seem to get engulfed by these feelings. The more I think about it, the more I get bogged down by it all. Let me experience Your deep love for me, so that I may be strengthened in my inner self. Let me find my security in You, so that, even when I am alone, I may not feel this dreadful loneliness.
I know that if this sense of being loved by You takes a deep root in my heart, my self-worth will return and I will find it easier to have the confidence to face situations in life that I often avoid now and which leave me feeling lonely. I ask you to heal me of this. I trust in You – let me not be disappointed.
You are precious in my eyes and I love you.
Isaiah 43:4
PRAYER FOR PEOPLE WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
Lord,
I beg You to help me with Your grace. I feel so desperate and am so burdened at this time that I can see no way out of the rut I am in. My whole life seems to be crumbling around me and I feel that I cannot go on. I know deep down that You have created all life and that it is sacred, but it feels like life is no longer worth living. I know, too, that You have created me and love me and that You came that we may have life and have it to the full.
Please help me to experience that, as I seem to be struggling to exist at the moment. I beg You to allow Your love for me to penetrate the darkness that I am living in, because I know that it has the power to change me. Let Your Holy Spirit fill me with hope for the future and give me the security that I crave. I entrust myself to Your divine mercy.
Amen.
As soon as Peter felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ Jesus put His hand out at once and held him.
Matthew 14:30–31
PRAYER FOR THOSE SITTING EXAMS
Lord,
I ask You to help me at this stressful time. I feel that so much depends on these exams. I feel that in addition to carrying my own burdens, I am carrying the expectations of so many others – family, friends, society. Help me to keep calm at this time, so that I can think straight and apply myself to the best of my ability. Let Your Spirit help and inspire me, so that I can remember all that I have studied and put together my answers in the best way. Guide me in all my ways, so that I will find fulfilment in You.
Amen.
Let Your good spirit guide me. Psalm 142/143:10
PRAYER IN BEREAVEMENT
Heavenly Father,
I come to You for consolation in my loss. I don’t know how to pray, nor do I really feel like praying.
I am only conscious of the deep pain in my heart, which is caused by my great loss.
I wish I could get beyond this pain, but each day brings reminders of ___________ whom I love and who has now died.
I know that Your mercy is boundless and so I entrust ___________ to You now.
My faith gives me the consolation of knowing that ___________ is still close to me.
In You and by our prayers, we can still express our love for each other and help each other.
But the reality in my day to day life, is that I am lonely and miss ___________.
Please fill me with Your grace and consolation, and heal my pain-filled heart.
Give comfort to all the other people who are also grieving at this time. I ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen
PRAYER FOR THOSE SUFFERING WITH DEPRESSION
Lord,
You know the darkness that envelops me. This cloud descends on me and, when it does, I seem to lose all perspective. It seems like it will never lift. I know I have pulled out of it before, but when it starts again, it clouds everything. Help me to trust in You in this difficult time. I know that after the rain, the sun shines again and that above the clouds, the sun is always shining. But please impress this conviction in my heart, so that Your gift of hope will carry me through. I believe that You can heal me and so I entrust myself to You. Give me the graces I need to ‘hang in there’ until Your healing Love, which I know is constantly working on me, finally penetrates and gives me the relief that I need.
Amen.
Out of His infinite glory, may He give you the power through His Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong.
Ephesians 3:16
PRAYER FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS
Lord,
I thank You for the gift of new life and especially for the child in my womb. I ask You to bless him or her so that the child will grow up in the way that You would wish. I also ask that my child will be healthy in every way and will grow to love You in his or her life. I ask that You give me good health, especially during my pregnancy, and that You will see that all goes well for both of us during childbirth.
Amen.
For it was You who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank You for the wonder of my being.
Psalm 138/139:13–14
PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO LONG TO HAVE A CHILD
Lord,
You know the deepest longings of our hearts and how much we would love to have a child. We know every child is a gift from You. You know that we would cherish that child so much and that we long to have the joy of giving life in this deep sense. If it is your will, Lord, we ask You to bless our marriage by giving us the gift of a child. If this is not to be, give us the grace to accept what is Your will with love. Show us other ways to express the fruitfulness of our married love, and be Yourself the fullness of our love.
Amen.
O God, hear my cry! Listen to my prayer.
Psalm 60/61:1
PRAYER FOR THOSE SUFFERING WITH ADDICTIONS
Lord,
You know the anguish that engulfs me. You have seen the spiral of horror in my life, the way my addiction consumes me and has taken over completely. You know I hate what I am doing to my family and friends, as they look on helplessly. It causes me such deep pain, and yet I seem to be totally unable to just kick the habit and start afresh. Please, please help me. I seem to live for the ‘high’, but it is all so empty and meaningless and sometimes I just despair. Give me hope and the courage to change. Give my family the graces they need to cope. You have said that You came that we would have life to the full. Let me be open to this through the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Amen.
For God, everything is possible. Matthew 19:26
PRAYER FOR THOSE IN FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY
Lord,
You know how difficult it is to make ends meet. Everything seems to be so expensive and it is a constant struggle to keep going. Help me to have hope and provide for us so that I will be less consumed by this gnawing fear that is always with me. Help me to trust You to do this for us.
Amen.
We are in difficulties on all sides, but never cornered; we see no answer to our problems, but never despair.
2 Corinthians 4:8
PRAYER FOR A LOVING MARRIAGE PARTNER
Heavenly Father,
The deepest desire of my heart is to meet someone with whom I can share love. I would really love to get married, to meet someone who could be a true soulmate, someone I could love and cherish, as I wish to be loved myself. It seems so hard today. People are afraid of commitment and, in truth, there is some fear in my own heart. So I ask You, Lord, to grant this desire of my heart and let Your grace and love grow in me. I ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
If you find your delight in the Lord, He will grant you your heart’s desire.
Psalm 36/37:4
PRAYER FOR THOSE WITH MARITAL DIFFICULTIES
Heavenly Father,
I thank You for my marriage partner, for the gift of our married life together. At this point in time, as You know, we are struggling. It can be so painful at times – to be living so closely with someone and yet unable to communicate in a constructive way. I ask You to come into the situation. You are the third person in our marriage and we need Your grace to continue on. Let Your Spirit of love and reconciliation renew and deepen our love for each other and help us to grow in trust. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
A Prayer of Special Intention
Almighty and loving Father,
I thank you for giving St. Gerard to us
as a most appealing model and powerful friend.
By his example,
he showed us how to love and trust You.
You have showered many blessings
on those who call upon him.
For Your greater glory and my welfare,
please grant me the favours
which I ask in his name.
(Mention your needs here…)
And you, my powerful patron,
intercede for me before the throne of God.
Draw near to that throne
and do not leave it until you have been heard.
O good saint,
to you I address my feverent prayers;
graciously accept them
and let me experience in some way
the effects of your powerful intercession.
Amen.
To St Bridget
Bridget, you were a woman of peace.
You brought harmony where there was conflict.
You brought light to the darkness.
You brought hope to the downcast.
May the mantle of your peace cover those who are troubled and anxious.
And may peace be firmly rooted in our hearts and in our world.
Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.
Bridget, you were a voice for the wounded and the weary.
Strengthen what is weak within us.
Calm us into a quietness that heals and listens.
May we grow each day into greater wholeness in mind, body and spirit. Amen.
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