100 Effective Prayers For Church To Uphold The Body Of Christ

Below are 100 prayers for church you can pray for your church. Pray through each section as often as you like, daily if you can. God will hear these petitions for His glory and the good of His people!

The church is the body of Christ here on earth (1 Corinthians 12:27). It is made up of believers who gather together to worship God, grow in faith, and carry out the work of ministry that Jesus began. As the body of Christ, the church seeks to continue His work of reaching the lost, making disciples, feeding the hungry, caring for the poor and marginalized, and being a light to the world.

Prayer is vital to upholding and strengthening the church. Through prayer, we invite God to guide our church, meet our needs, resolve conflict, grant wisdom to leadership, empower our outreaches, and bless each member. As the apostle Paul wrote, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Our prayers make a difference for our church and community.

Prayers for Spiritual Health & Growth

1. Lord, revive Your church! Send fresh wind and fire from heaven to empower us.
2. Help our church hunger for Your Word, like newborn babies long for milk.
3. Unite our congregation in fearing and obeying You above all else.
4. Enable us to grow in grace and holiness, reflecting Christ to all people.
5. Lord, sanctify our church body – set us apart to carry out Your divine purposes in this world.
6. Protect our church from false teaching, division, and complacency in our faith.
7. Instill in our church family sincere love for one another, following Christ’s example.
8. Guide us to use our spiritual gifts in serving one another and reaching the lost.
9. Fill our worship with joyful awe and wonder in Your glorious presence.
10. Train mature leaders in our church who shepherd with wisdom and grace.

Prayers for Unity & Relationships

11. Bind our church together in unified purpose to make disciples in our community and world.
12. Soften hearts to receive loving correction from one another, so we reflect You clearly.
13. Make us generous with those in need within our church family and neighborhoods.
14. Keep far from us gossip, criticism, envy, pride, and bitterness towards other believers.
15. Help husbands and wives model Christ’s care for the church through their love for one another.
16. Enable any estranged people in our church to forgive and reconcile fully.
17. Lord, replace a spirit of judgment with humble compassion for all people, regardless of their sin or station in life.
18. Where there is race-based alienation within our church, please bring repentance, forgiveness, and healing.
19. Bring true fellowship among all congregations in our city, so the world knows we belong to You.
20. Draw lonely individuals in our church family into meaningful community.

Prayers for Local & Global Outreach

21. Burden our hearts for the lost in our area; use us to tell them about Jesus!
22. Give boldness and wisdom as we share Your Good News throughout our neighborhoods.
23. Provide resources and open doors as we seek to plant daughter churches locally.
24. Unite our congregation in generous support of local mercy ministries aiding vulnerable groups.
25. Strengthen missionaries from our church; meet their needs abroad and comfort their families at home.
26. Pour out Your favor on ministries we support serving the hungry, homeless, addicted and abused in our region.
27. Bring fruitfulness when we send short-term teams to needy communities worldwide.
28. Ignite in us greater vision for reaching unreached people groups with Your saving gospel.
29. Use outreach events to draw many from our area into joyful relationship with Christ.
30. Transform hard hearts in the violent gangs and cartels in our region with Your overcoming love.

Prayers for Youth & Children

31. Instill all our children with passion to know and obey You above all else in life.
32. Guard and guide children from broken homes within our church. Be their perfect Father.
33. Call wayward sons and daughters back to You; free them from addiction and unbelief.
34. Help young married couples build Christ-centered homes. Strengthen those struggling.
35. Empower all parents to raise children who love You first, not the world’s priorities.
36. Protect babies in the womb. End abortion in our city; lead mothers to choose life.
37. Draw unchurched youth in our neighborhoods to find new life in Christ.
38. Provide wholesome friendships, fun conferences, and Bible-teaching youth groups for the next generation.
39. Unite age groups within our church rather than isolating generations from one another.
40. Raise up strong spiritual leaders from among our teenagers and college students.

Prayers for National & Public Life

41. Raise up righteous leaders in our nation who govern with wisdom and integrity.
42. Grant our political leaders hearts to defend religious liberty and biblical morality in our laws.
43. Expose corruption; restore ethics and virtue to government on statewide and national levels.
44. Bring repentance and racial reconciliation across groups polarized in politics and worldviews in America today.
45. Lord, replace outrage and violent protest with peaceful, constructive civic engagement among citizens in our nation.
46. Guide judges to stand up for what is constitutional and morally right in decisions impacting churches and families.
47. Protect our armed forces from danger; guard first responders daily as they serve and protect.
48. Turn people in power away from socialist views threatening biblical faith and free enterprise in our nation.
49. Bring another Great Awakening across our land! Revive churches to redeem culture as salt and light.
50. Where we have drifted from Christian roots in America, correct our course to follow You closely again.

Prayers for Leadership & Vision

51. Give our pastor(s) wisdom in vision casting, delegating tasks, and managing church operations in a complex age.
52. Protect our pastor’s marriage and family; guard their time in Your Word and prayer.
53. Provide friendships to encourage our pastors; keep them far from isolation and burnout.
54. Guide our pastor(s) in setting God-honoring priorities when so many needs clamor for attention.
55. Give wisdom and grace to church staff navigating relational challenges or communication problems on teams.
56. Reveal any hidden sin or deception among leaders in our church; lead to confession and full restoration.
57. Provide discernment for leaders as we evaluate opportunities to responsibly grow, change, or restructure.
58. Supply our leadership team with clear, God-inspired ideas for mission and ministry initiatives in the years ahead.
59. Equip every ministry leader with perseverance and strength to fulfill their duties joyfully.
60. Bring new, called leaders to fill gaps where we lack sufficient oversight right now at our church.

Prayers for Provision & Stewardship

61. Supply all our church family’s financial needs; may we be generous givers as You direct.
62. Bless church members facing job loss or instability; meet their needs and keep them hopeful.
63. Enable special offerings and fundraising campaigns to fully fund their intended kingdom goals.
64. Strengthen our church staff’s compensation and work-life balance for best longevity and morale.
65. Guide our leadership toward any changes needed – cutbacks or budget increases – to fund our calling well.
66. Provide sufficient volunteers and resources for church ministries to thrive without burning out servants.
67. In all areas lacking at our church right now, bring people or funds to meet those gaps to reach full Kingdom potential.
68. Fuel each ministry team’s vision with prayer, people and provision to achieve their stewardship goals.
69. Use setbacks in giving to purify faith and reaffirm our first allegiance to You, not comfort or routines.
70. Unite multi-generations at our church in common mission; provide creativity across groups collaborating well.

Prayers for Equipping Disciples

71. Kindle hunger in our church to grow as disciples and disciple-makers through one-to-one mentoring or small groups.
72. In preaching and teaching, build up believers toward maturity equipped for works of service in and outside the church.
73. Draw church members into meaningful service opportunities matching their spiritual gifts and passions.
74. Provide relevant, engaging Bible study resources and training events tailored for every demographic within our church.
75. Ignite passion among parents for discipling their own children at home personally. Train and encourage families toward this end.
76. Where church programs have become ends in themselves, refocus us on making equipped disciples sent to do Your will in the world.
77. Expand avenues for volunteer ministry so more individuals use their gifts and grow through service at church.
78. To avoid monotony in classes, catalyze fresh ideas and interactive methods to spark wonder and transformation as we study Your Word together.
79. Raise up leaders well-versed in apologetics able to help struggling believers and answer skeptics’ questions intelligently.
80. Overcome apathy or complacency among church members in their faith or service; rekindle their love for You.

Prayers for Outreach Events & Special Services

81. Draw many to faith in Christ through upcoming concerts, conferences, and retreats hosted at our church this year.
82. Provide strong gospel preaching inspiring repentance and awakening among guests during our revival services next month.
83. Bring key leaders and resources together under Your favor as we plan intentionally evangelistic outreaches in months ahead.
84. Reach many not-yet-believers through Vacation Bible School next summer.
85. Empower small group leaders to welcome new members overwhelmed by large gatherings at first. Follow up with all who visit well.
86. Produce bountiful harvest through Seed Sunday; provide gospel laborers to disciple those seeking You now.
87. Speak to hurting hearts ready to surrender their lives fully during our healing and restoration service. Set captives free!
88. Cause all special celebrations and ceremonies at our church to glorify You completely in their preparation and presentation.
89. Embolden newcomers to engage quickly in Bible study and service; assimilate them into church community warmly.
90. Overcome apathy keeping people from prioritizing worship gathering attendance weekly; draw them close to You in faith first.

Prayers for Building Projects & Expansion Planning

91. Give direction on growth efforts through launching new campuses, planting churches or shifts in broadcast media.
92. Provide clear vision, capable leaders, willing volunteers and provision at every step as we expand ministries and add more services or locations.
93. Care for all details if construction, zoning, permits or renovation is needed at our current church facilities to sustain healthy growth.
94. Produce unity and selfless teamwork among staff advancing changes as our church grows numerically and toward maturity in Christ.
95. Bring highly qualified architects, project managers and contractors to design and build facilities enabling us to carry out all the outreach and discipleship ministries You’ve called us to steward.
96. Supply all funding through a few major donors, special offerings or reasonable church debt to complete growth initiatives aligned with Your timing and purposes.
97. In seeming delays or roadblocks to expansion plans, renew our strength to persevere in prayer and flexibility until Your way opens before us.
98. Where building or projects have distracted our focus, realign church leadership priorities clearly on making equipped disciples carrying Your love to our neighborhoods and the world.
99. Guide advance teams with insight and cultural understanding as we aim to plant empowered congregations in under-reached communities locally and overseas.
100. Ignite lasting passion in our church family for laying down comfort, convenience and control so that many more may come to know You here in our city and among all nations!

Conclusion As the body of Christ on earth, the church is God’s vehicle for reaching the lost. And prayer fuels the church’s faithfulness and fruitfulness in continuing Christ’s ministry. Through intercession, believers partner with God to transform hearts, grow disciples, meet needs, spread the gospel and redeem cultures. May these example prayers invigorate your personal prayer life and ignite fervent intercession for your church. Keep praying persistently. Heaven responds when God’s people seek Him wholeheartedly in prayer for the advance of His purposes on earth!

1. Why is it important to pray for my church?

Praying for your church is crucial because it invites God to guide, provide for, and work in your congregation. The prayer of God’s people sustained the early church. Prayer calls down spiritual empowerment enabling ministry to thrive. Through prayer, you participate in what God desires to do in and through your fellowship.

2. How often should I pray for my church?

You cannot pray too much for your church! Set aside time at least weekly to lift up leaders, ministries, members, vision, community outreach and anything else in your fellowship. Let the sample prayers here inspire daily intercession. The more you pray intentionally for your church body, the more you will notice God answering!

3. What can I pray about regarding my church?

Everything! Pray over the concerns mentioned in the list of 100 prayers here. Ask God to provide finances, resources, workers for ministries, unity, spiritual growth, healed relationships, discernment for leaders, divine connections through outreach events, changed hearts among youth & families, and so much more. Let the Holy Spirit prompt your praying.

4. Why pray for church leaders and pastors specifically?

Church leaders carry heavy burdens and face spiritual battles the wider body may not fully realize. They need wisdom and discerning vision for serving effectively. Uphold them through prayer so they finish ministry strong and well.

5. Should I confess my own sins as I pray for my church?

Yes, include personal confession and repentance of sin God reveals in your life. Your humility and wholehearted obedience empowers your intercession for church sanctification and renewal. Model holiness as you help cry out for Christ’s beauty in His Bride, the church.

In closing, keep seeking God’s heart for His people. Then pray boldly and persistently until His Kingdom comes fully on earth as it is in heaven! God blesses churches grounded in prayer. Make it your daily ministry to intercede for your congregation!