Prayer lists
Prayer cards, how to use them to pray for people
· 3 min read
How to use prayer cards to pray for people, what to write on each card, how often to pray through them, and what to do when a prayer is answered.
Prayer cards are a simple way to pray for people: one card for each person or need, with a short prayer and a Bible verse, prayed through a few at a time. Instead of one long list, you have a stack of cards, and each day you pray the ones that are due.
What is a prayer card?
A prayer card is a card you write yourself with one person or need on it, a short prayer, and often a Bible verse. You keep a stack and pray through a few each day, so every person comes up regularly. These are different from holy cards or funeral prayer cards, which are printed with a picture and a set prayer. Paul E. Miller describes this method in his book A Praying Life.
What do you write on a prayer card?
A prayer card holds just enough to pray from. Most have four parts:
- A name or a need at the top, like “Michael” or “Our church.”
- A short prayer in your own words, like “Heal Michael after his surgery, and give him rest.”
- A Bible verse to pray, like “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3, ESV).
- A date, so you remember when you started praying for it.
A prayer card stays small on purpose. One person and one need per card keeps each prayer specific, so you notice when God answers.
A prayer card: the prayer, who it’s for, and a verse.
How many prayer cards should you have, and how often do you pray through each one?
The number of prayer cards you keep depends on how many people and needs you pray for. The stack can be any size, because you don’t pray through all of them every day. A few cards a day, prayed slowly, is enough.
How often each prayer card comes up depends on the need:
- Daily: close family, and anyone facing something this week.
- Weekly: friends, your church, and work.
- Monthly: missionaries, countries, and people you see less often.
How do you rotate prayer cards so no one gets forgotten?
Rotating prayer cards means each card has a place in the week. One way on paper is to sort cards behind a tab for each day of the week, keep the daily cards in front, and move each card to the back after praying it. When you reach the end of the stack, you’ve prayed for everyone.
A rotation keeps a large stack from becoming a burden. You pray for a few people well each day instead of rushing through everyone.
What do you do with a card when a prayer is answered, or still open?
A prayer card for an answered prayer gets the date and a sentence about how God answered. Thank Him, then move the card to a separate stack you can read back later. That stack becomes a record of God’s faithfulness. See how to keep a record of answered prayers.
A prayer card for a prayer that’s still open stays in the rotation. Some prayers stay open for years. Jesus told His disciples “to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1, ESV).
Paper cards or an app?
Paper prayer cards and an app both work, and the right choice depends on how you pray. Paper cards fit people who like to slow down with something in their hands, and they need no phone. An app fits people who always have their phone, want the rotation handled for them, or want their cards to come up on the right day without sorting.
In The Pray App, each request is a prayer card. On Home, tap New prayer card, write the prayer, pick a Category, and add who you’re Praying for. Under Details, tap Repeat to choose Daily, Weekly, or Monthly, and add a Bible verse if you’d like. Tap Add prayer.
Repeat decides when each prayer card comes up.
Each day, Today on Home shows the cards that are due. When God answers, tap Answered and write how. The card moves to Stones of Remembrance in Journey, and cards you’re still praying for stay under Still Seeking.
To start with a whole list instead of one card at a time, see how to make a prayer list or copy this prayer list template. The Pray App turns each line into its own card.
The Pray App is free on the App Store. See how to create a prayer card.
Questions people ask
What is a prayer card?
A prayer card is a small card, often an index card, with one person or need on it, a short prayer, and sometimes a Bible verse. You pray through a few cards at a time instead of a whole list.
Are prayer cards the same as holy cards?
No. Holy cards and funeral prayer cards are printed cards with a picture and a set prayer. The prayer cards in this method are cards you write yourself, one for each person or need you pray for.
How many prayer cards should I have?
As many as you have people and needs to pray for. Pray through a few each day, so each day takes a few minutes and every card still comes up.
What do I do when a prayer is answered?
Write the date and how God answered on the card, thank Him, and keep it somewhere you can look back on. Cards for prayers that are still open stay in the rotation.
Related guides
- How to keep track of prayer requests without forgettingHow to keep track of prayer requests from friends, church, and family, so you remember to pray, follow up, and see how God answers over time.
- Prayer list examples for family, friends, church, and morePrayer list examples you can copy for family, friends, church, work, health, and the world, plus a weekly list and how to pray through it.
- Prayer list for church, what to pray for your congregationA prayer list for church you can use on your own or in a prayer meeting, covering pastors, members, missions, and the city, with Scripture for each.
- Prayer list for family, what to pray for each personA prayer list for family with what to pray for parents, siblings, children, and extended family, plus Scripture to pray and a way to keep it going each week.