Church leadership sends out two types of prayer text messages: prayer requests and prayer statements. Prayer requests are calls for church members to start praying about a particular person, subject, or event. Prayer statements are written prayers that congregants re-pray themselves.

Prayer Requests

Here’s what to do if you want to send out a prayer request. 

Get People Interested

Prayer requests don’t have to be long-winded. In fact, the faster you can get to the point, the better. 

The trick here is to draw people in with a catchy opening line. Prayer request headlines should be timely and thought-provoking to get people interested. 

Expand On The Headline

Next, expand on the problem and how church members should angle their prayers to resolve it. Provide Biblical or doctrinal context as additional guidance.

Providing this information will engage members of the community. Congregants need to understand what the issue is and why it matters.

In some cases, you won’t need to go into great detail because how people should direct their prayers will be obvious. For instance, if a child is sick, just mention that the family has requested prayers for swift healing. 

In cases that are political or philosophical in nature, you will need to provide more context. This way, you can help church members understand the Biblical and doctrinal reasons for the church’s stance. 

End With A Positive Note And Thanks

Lastly, you’ll want to end your prayer request text messages on a positive note. While a negative situation might have prompted you to send out the original SMS, the message of the Cross is one of hope. Therefore, SMS messages should be Christ-like in their character, sharing the good news with people, despite the fallen world in which we live. Avoid messages that suggest that there is no hope as these conflict with the core Christian message. 

Lastly, conclude the message by saying thank you.

Here are some examples of prayer request messages: 

Please pray for {child’s name} who will be undergoing {medical procedure} at {date and time}. Pray for healing and for the well-being of the family in this challenging time. 

We’re asking for prayers regarding {social event} so that we can mend divisions and bring the community back together. 

Changes in the law will make bringing the kingdom of heaven to Earth will be more difficult. Please pray that our lawmakers will have wisdom in their decision-making. 

Prayer Statements

Lastly, you may want to write prayer statements that church members simply repeat to themselves. When writing a devotional consider:

• Who you are writing it for and whether it is suitable for all church members
• Whether it is appropriate to the circumstances of church members’ lives
• Whether it is rooted in the Bible or church doctrine
• Whether it meets church members where they are
• If it helps with spiritual growth healing

Examples of prayer statement text messages include:

Dear Lord, I pray for all the victims of {event} and that your hand will be on their families during these challenging times. 

Dear God, I ask for your forgiveness for all the times that I have not met your standards. 

Dear Lord, please give us the strength to build your Kingdom as we wait for Jesus to return in glory.