Having a healthy, loving body of believers in a church can change lives as people learn more about God, serve together, and encourage each other. One essential ingredient for a God-honoring church is trusting God through prayer.
These prayer points for the church from Bible verses can be helpful for personal prayer time, or used at church during a prayer time for ministry needs.
Why do we need to pray for the church?
The church exists to bring believers together to glorify God, and to be a light to those who don’t know Christ yet. These are not small goals! Trying to do this without God’s power is impossible. When accomplishments manage to be made without the mighty power of prayer and without God’s guidance, it can result in trusting in man and not in God.
Prayer is a reminder to trust God to provide what is needed, including strength, resources, and wisdom. Prayer is also a reminder that this is for God’s glory, and not any one person or people. There is tremendous power in prayer.
James 5:16 NASB1995 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
Taking concerns, worries, and goals to the Lord in prayer is one of the best ways to make sure that what is being done, is being done for God.
Wny pray Scriptures for the church?
Of course, prayer for a church or other local churches does not need to be written out, prepared, or only done one way. But praying Scripture for the church, or any other prayer concern, can be a great way to inspire or supplement the prayers of church members’ heart.
Praying Scripture can be done by reading out a Scripture and praying what is inspired by it. Or a Bible verse can be read with the prayer concern already inserted into the verse.
For an example of the first method, start by reading Matthew 6:21 KJV, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Then focusing the prayer on the church, the prayer could be, “Lord, We want our place of worship here to treasure what You treasure. Help us to put our treasure and our heart in what You want and what You value. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
For an example of the second method, the prayer might be, “Dear Lord, May our church’s treasure be where our heart is, and may our heart be in You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Some of these powerful prayer points for the church will follow the first method, and others the second. Either way, starting prayers in Scripture can help focus hearts on God’s purposes and priorities. These prayer points for the church have their basis in the Word of God and seek to be after God’s own heart.
Prayer Points for the Church
These intercessory prayer points for the church focus on having a heart for God, a heart that honors God, and a heart that reflects God’s own heart. Use them word-for-word in praying for church, or use them as inspiration.
Prayer Points for the Church: For a clean heart
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Dear Lord,
We pray this from Psalm 51:10. Please create in our church a clean heart. Renew in our church a right spirit.
Please convict our hearts of sin and help us to repent. May our sin grieve our hearts as it grieves Yours. Turn our hearts away from sin today!
When we slip up, help us to turn to You and not give up. Thank You for forgiving us. Without Your forgiveness by the blood of Jesus, we could not stand.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For a servant heart
“For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14
Dear Lord,
We come to You asking for Your help. We want to use our freedom to serve You and serve others, but we struggle with this.
May we truly live out loving our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to know how to apply this, both wisely and generously, as a church.
Work on our hearts that we would glorify You with our service as a church.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For a heart filled with God’s grace
“The LORD is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.” Psalm 145:8
Dear Lord,
Thank You for being gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness. We want to have a heart like Yours for each other and for those we encounter.
Help us to show Your grace and mercy to others, that we would reflect You and the love of Christ. May our church experience great spiritual growth in this area.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For a heart strengthened by the Lord
“Wait for the LORD. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14
Dear Lord, We pray this prayer based on Psalm 27:14. May we wait for You. Let us be strong and our hearts take courage and strength while we wait for You.
We have been serving You faithfully, Lord, and are eagerly anticipating the results we thought we would see. Sometimes we grow weary when we don’t see what we thought we would see.
Help us to take courage and strength in You when we are waiting for Your answers to our prayers. Help us to trust in Your wisdom and Your timing, and not our own. Thank You, Lord, that You know best and have a perfect plan for our church.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For a forgiving heart
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Messiah forgave you, so you also do.” Colossians 3:13
Dear Lord,
Thank You so much for Your forgiveness! We are humbled by how much forgiveness we need each day. Help us to remember that as we are offended by others, even here at the church.
May we bear with one another and forgive each other, just as You forgave us.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For an unselfish heart
“Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
Dear Lord,
We want to honor You with our gifts that You have given us. Help us to cheerfully serve You with these gifts in this church, whether it be through preaching, teaching, singing, encouraging, or any other of the many gifts You have placed in this congregation.
Please help each one of us to give financially as You have instructed us to. May we use these gifts to honor You and to further the work of the Kingdom of God.
We ask these things in Your precious and holy name, Jesus! Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For a surrendered heart
“When you said, ‘Seek my face,’ my heart said to you, ‘I will seek your face, LORD.’” Psalm 27:8
O Lord, We pray this prayer based on Psalm 27:8. When You say, “Seek my face,” may our hearts say to You, “I will seek Your face, Lord.”
We want our hearts to seek You and what You want, not things that we think we want, or earthly things that will ultimately disappoint us.
Help us to surrender our hearts to You each day. May our church surrender its heart to You, to do Your will and to serve You wholeheartedly.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For an undivided heart
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5
Dear Lord, We want to love You with all our heart, soul, and might. Please work in our hearts, and take out any allegiance that is above You.
We pray that our church would do good works for Your glory and not our own. We pray that we would not strive to please the world, but would look to please You. May we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
Help us to know where our heart is divided and to look to You for the powerful strength and divine wisdom to change.
We love You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For a unified heart
Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Colossians 3:14-15
Dear God,
Thank You for the body of Christ, and thank You for calling us together at this church. Help us to walk in love with one another.
We ask for Your peace to rule our hearts. Help us to be thankful for one another.
Bless our church leadership, and help them to lead our congregation in growing in the knowledge of God.
In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.
Prayer Points for the Church: For a mission-minded heart
“Proclaim the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2
Heavenly Father,
We love You, and the Good News contained in Your Gospel! We pray that we would proclaim God’s love in word and in deed, and fulfill the Great Commission.
We pray that we would always be ready, as a church, to share Your Word with others. We ask for Your spirit of wisdom as we participate in spreading Your Word, both in person and through others. Help us to be generous in providing resources to others who share the Gospel far away from home.
We thank You that we get to be part of making disciples of all nations!
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Printable Prayer Points for the Church
The prayer points for the church listed above are compiled into a .pdf. Easy to include in a prayer journal or tuck inside a Bible, it’s also meant to be a quick and simple way to prepare for a church service, small groups, or a prayer service. Download it on our free church printables page.
May God use these prayer points to bless His church!
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