A Prayer of Encouragement and Strength for a Friend

You want to pray for your friend, but the words stall somewhere between your heart and your mouth. You know they are tired, or frightened, or worn thin, and “I hope things get better” feels too small for what you are carrying for them.

Here is a prayer you can pray today, built from the words of Scripture. It asks God to be what your friend needs Him to be: strength, shield, shepherd, and the one who holds their times.

You can pray it as written, or slow down and make it your own. The point is not the wording. The point is that you are bringing your friend before the God who already knows them better than you do.

What can I pray when I do not know what to ask for?

Start with what David prayed. He did not pretend to be strong. He told God plainly that God was his strength, and that his heart had trusted and been helped.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. — Psalm 28:7 (KJV)

You can pray that same verse over your friend, asking God to become for them what David found Him to be. Then the next two verses widen the prayer out from one person to many:

The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever. — Psalm 28:8-9 (KJV)

Notice what David asks for. Not just rescue, but feeding and lifting. God is not only the one who pulls people out of trouble; He is the shepherd who keeps them afterward. When you pray for your friend, you can ask for both: help now, and care that lasts.

So a simple prayer might sound like this:

Lord, You are my friend’s strength and shield. Their heart is tired. Would You help them today the way You helped David? Feed them, lift them, and hold them up. Let them know they are not carrying this alone. Amen.

What if my friend feels like God has gone quiet?

Many people in Scripture prayed from exactly that place. In Psalm 31, David describes grief that has drained him and friends who have stepped back. Then he says this:

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand. — Psalm 31:14-15 (KJV)

That is a good sentence to pray for a friend who feels forgotten. It does not deny the pain. It puts the timing of their life into God’s hands, which is where it already is.

Psalm 38 ends in the same key:

Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation. — Psalm 38:21-22 (KJV)

You can pray those words almost word for word. Lord, be not far from my friend. Make haste to help them. It is short, honest, and entirely biblical.

If your friend is in real danger, or talking about harming themselves, do not carry that alone. In the United States and Canada call or text 988. In the United Kingdom and Ireland call Samaritans on 116 123. In Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Anywhere else, visit findahelpline.com or call your local emergency number. Then reach out to a pastor or a trusted believer who can be physically present with them.

How do I pray for strength that lasts beyond today?

Psalm 71 gives a picture of a person who keeps hoping, not because circumstances changed, but because God does not change.

But I will always hope and will praise You more and more. — Psalm 71:14 (BSB)

That is worth praying slowly. The hope David describes is not the strength your friend can manufacture by trying harder. It is a hope that keeps going because God keeps being God.

Psalm 59 says something similar in the morning light:

But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. — Psalm 59:16 (KJV)

You might pray: Lord, give my friend hope that does not run out, and be their refuge today. Let them wake tomorrow still held by You.

Can I pray for my friend the way Paul prayed?

Yes, and it is one of the most useful patterns in the New Testament. Paul did not only pray for relief from hard circumstances. He prayed for love, discernment, and fruit.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. — Philippians 1:9-11 (ASV)

That is a prayer you can borrow almost word for word. Ask God to make your friend’s love deeper and wiser. Ask Him to keep them sincere, and to fill them with good fruit that points back to Christ.

It may feel strange to pray for discernment when your friend is hurting. But pain often clouds judgment, and what they need is not only comfort but clarity. Paul’s prayer covers both.

How do I keep praying when nothing seems to change?

Keep praying the same things, and let Scripture carry the words when yours run out. You are not trying to convince God to care. You are placing your friend, again and again, into hands that are already kind.

You can pray alone, and you can also tell your friend you are praying for them. Often that sentence alone is a gift. If they are part of a local church, let others there pray too. God has given His people to each other, and a burden shared among believers is a burden carried by more than one set of hands.

One more thing worth remembering: you are not your friend’s savior. Christ is. Your part is to pray, to love, and to point them to Him. That is enough for one day.

A question to sit with: What is one specific thing I can ask God for on my friend’s behalf today, instead of only asking for the situation to improve?

A prayer you can pray in your own voice: Lord, You know my friend better than I do. You know what they need before I ask. Be their strength and their shield today. Hold their times in Your hand. Give them love that grows, discernment that is clear, and hope that does not run out. And help me to keep bringing them to You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If your friend is in crisis, please reach out for help right away. In the United States and Canada call or text 988. In the United Kingdom and Ireland call Samaritans on 116 123. In Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Anywhere else, visit findahelpline.com or call your local emergency number.

Common questions

Can I pray these words for a friend even if I do not feel strong in my own faith right now?

Yes. Praying Scripture does not depend on how strong you feel. David prayed from grief, fear, and exhaustion, and God received those prayers. Your friend is helped by God’s faithfulness, not by the strength of your feelings.

How long should I keep praying for the same friend?

As long as you are able. Paul’s pattern in Philippians 1 is steady, repeated prayer, not a single request. You can keep bringing the same person to God, and trust Him with the timing.

What should I do if my friend is in serious danger?

Do not carry it alone. In the United States and Canada call or text 988. In the United Kingdom and Ireland call Samaritans on 116 123. In Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Anywhere else, visit findahelpline.com or call your local emergency number, and tell a pastor or trusted believer who can be with them in person.

Should I tell my friend I am praying for them?

Often it helps, and it can be a quiet comfort to know someone is bringing them before God. You can keep it simple and specific without promising an outcome. If they are part of a local church, encourage them to let others there pray as well.