Does anyone else struggle with this?

[ChristianKitsune]

Praying for others, when you say you will?

I know sometimes I really struggle with this...I fully intend to pray for the person when I say I do...

But I sometimes forget ._.'

I want to become better at praying for others, I feel that as a Christian I should! We should always lift each other up in prayer...

Does anyone have any tips on how to fix this? Am I the only one who struggles with it?
I really want to change NOW.

[xamberoceanx]

I think it's fairly common.
I have struggled with it myself... :/

What I do, is as soon as they ask me to pray, I pray silently to myself, so I don't forget to do it later. That's just the best thing to do, haha.

[Sheenar]

I struggle in this area as well. Which is why I don't often tell people that I'll pray for them --because I often forget to.

But, I'm going to be more disciplined in this area. In the past, writing down the names of people to be prayed for and putting it on the wall by your bed or on your door (somewhere you see first thing in the morning) is helpful to remind you to pray.

I also try to make a habit where, if someone in person asks me to pray for them, I pull them aside right then and there and pray over them.

Right now, I'm just trying to do that more consistently.

[ADXC]

Yeah I have trouble with this too.

I've been meaning to make a prayer list so that I won't forget to pray for them.

[Ante Bellum]

I used to be really good about it but something happened and it knocked me right out of it. I'm trying to get better but so far I haven't been doing so well.

[Furen]

I'm pretty bad at it lots of times.

One thing I find helps is to pray within the first little bit of you finding out.

[AnimeGirl]

You're not the only one, Kitsune-san! I struggle with this myself! I haven't been praying for others, or praying at all, as often as I should. It's something we all need help with sometimes. I agree with what Xam-san said, to silently pray so you don't forget. It is the best thing to do!

[Rusty Claymore]

When someone asks for prayer, I pray right then. I always forget, and prayer is something I generally struggle with. But, God sometimes brings the request to mind later, and I take that as a cue to talk to God about it again.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Yeah, I generally have this problem as well. It's something I definitely need to work on.

[Kunoichi]

CKitsune, I struggle with this a lot. Both for myself and praying for others. If others ask me to pray, I usually say the prayer right there or else I won't remember. Admittedly, I used to do a prayer list..then thought/found I was "praying too much". Shames me to say it..but I bought into it and eventually I stopped praying. I'll be reading this thread too for any advice people have (thanks for putting it on here

[Juliannesan]

Yeah, this is a common weakness.
I always tend to write the request down on piece of paper.
And/or pray right then as others have said.

[Htom Sirveaux]

Yeah, I usually offer up a quick, silent prayer immediately. It feels kinda cheap, and I sometimes wonder if it's a bit insincere, but I'd have forgotten about it later on.
I've never been at all good with prayer anyway. How some people can pray such great, spiritually moving stuff on the spot mystifies me. I can't do improv.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Dude... I find myself not praying AT ALL. Myself or otherwise.

Well... Deep introspection itself is spiritual too. That may be considered prayer.

[Furen]

Yeah, I usually offer up a quick, silent prayer immediately. It feels kinda cheap, and I sometimes wonder if it's a bit insincere, but I'd have forgotten about it later on.
I've never been at all good with prayer anyway. How some people can pray such great, spiritually moving stuff on the spot mystifies me. I can't do improv.

Lots of people are really bad at improv prayer, I find that ACTS thing really helpful, I mean it's pretty nice that way (It helped me SO much)
but that's a different topic for the time being.

[ChristianKitsune]

wow, thanks for your advice everyone... I always think "I'll write this down..." but then I don't have pen and paper with me >_<

[Yuki-Anne]

When someone asks for prayer, I pray right then. I always forget, and prayer is something I generally struggle with. But, God sometimes brings the request to mind later, and I take that as a cue to talk to God about it again.

Yeah, I do this. I tell people, "I'll pray for you," then I take a moment to stop and pray for them silently right then.

[Bobtheduck]

Praying for others, when you say you will?

I know sometimes I really struggle with this...I fully intend to pray for the person when I say I do...

But I sometimes forget ._.'

I want to become better at praying for others, I feel that as a Christian I should! We should always lift each other up in prayer...

Does anyone have any tips on how to fix this? Am I the only one who struggles with it?
I really want to change NOW.

Whenever I promise I'll pray for someone, I immediately pray for them as soon as they leave. That way I won't break my promise by forgetting it.

Seems cheap to mean "one time" when you say you'll pray, but it's better than not praying at all.

[Juliannesan]

wow, thanks for your advice everyone... I always think "I'll write this down..." but then I don't have pen and paper with me >_<

Well if you're online or have a phone on you you could put it in a note on the computer or on the notepad your phone. ^_^

[Warrior4Christ]

I'm getting a bit better at this. Making a list can help. Talk to God when you're driving, when you're bored, having a break, trying to sleep...

[Nekomimi]

Glad I'm not the only one with this problem And lots of good ideas - I do tend to pray for whoever it is right then & there cuz I usually do forget to pray later! That, or I'd pick a time (like repeating numbers on the clock, ex/ 10:10, 2:02, 4:44, etc.) to pray - it keeps that person & their request on my mind, if that makes any sense :-}

[Sammy Boy]

Yes, I struggle with this. So my current strategy is to pray first, then say I will pray for them.

[Furen]

Well if you're online or have a phone on you you could put it in a note on the computer or on the notepad your phone. ^_^

As well it works to have a notepad somewhere with you at all times (I should take my own advice).

[armeck]

i normally forget later, so i say a shot prayer as soon as i say i will pray for them (90+% of my prayers are silent) most of the time when i talk to someone it's on the internet so this is really easy for me to say a short prayer at the moment, i then try to remember to pray longer later but i normally forget.. if someone said this already i'm sorry it was a lot to read XD

[mysngoeshere56]

I struggle with it, too. I think it's because I have a lot on my mind and sometimes dealing with my own troubles makes me forget somebody else's unless I spend a lot of time with him/her personally. It's even harder for me in online communities, because then I don't have a face to put with a request.

I find that keeping some sort of list/record of prayer requests I know of has helped me remember. Sometimes I'll look through a list and be like "oh right! I still have to pray for that!"

[Htom Sirveaux]

"oh right! I still have to pray for that!"

I get struck with that thought sometimes when I'd forgotten to pray for somebody, and then it seems like it's . . . well, not a chore . . . but an obligation. Then I feel guilty and ashamed for seeing it that way because prayer is something we do, not because we must, but because we want to. Perhaps the reason I'm lousy at prayer is because I avoid it. Perhaps I avoid it because I know I'm lousy at it, and that knowledge makes me second-guess the sincerity of my faith, even though I feel sure I'd know if I was sincere or not.