Prayer Requests: Where and How to Share an Intention - Yenra

Find places to send a prayer intention, understand public and private sharing, and put your request into a few clear words.

A prayer intention can name a person, a situation, or a need in a few words. You can pray privately, ask a parish or religious community to remember the intention, or share it with a trusted group. Yenra does not receive or publish new prayer requests on this page; the communities below provide their own submission services.

Two chairs beside a small table and candle in a peaceful chapel
An intention can be brief: a person, a need, and the support you are asking for.

Choose where to send your intention

National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

The shrine accepts online intentions to be remembered in its daily prayers. Its prayer-request form is separate from Mass enrollment offerings.

Send an intention to the Seton Shrine

Society of the Little Flower

The society offers a private prayer-petition form for intentions remembered by the Carmelites in prayer and Mass at the National Shrine of Saint Thérèse.

Use the Little Flower private petition form

These links take you to the community’s own website. Read the form’s privacy information and any email preferences before submitting. Their wording explains how intentions are handled; a private form and a publicly visible prayer wall serve different purposes.

Put the request into a few clear words

  1. Name the intention. Ask for courage, consolation, reconciliation, gratitude, guidance, or another need that matters to you.
  2. Share only the detail needed for prayer. A first name or “a family member” can be enough. Ask before sharing another person’s private circumstances or identifying details in a public group.
  3. Choose the audience. For a private intention, use a form explicitly described as private or speak directly with a parish office. For a public intention, check how names and text will appear.
  4. Follow the receiving community’s instructions. Some collect intentions for a period of prayer; others distinguish prayer requests from arranging a Mass intention. Contact the parish or community directly if you are arranging a particular date or service.

Example wording

“Please pray for a family member facing a difficult decision, and for patience and wisdom for everyone supporting them.”

This is an invented example. You can use your own words, keep the intention general, or offer a prayer of thanks.

Pray while you wait

You can begin with a familiar prayer from the Catholic prayer collection, keep a brief intention in a journal, or ask someone you trust to pray with you. A request is an invitation to prayer; the receiving community’s form describes its practice, rather than promising a particular outcome or personal reply.

For ongoing pastoral conversation, speak with your parish or another community you know. The shared-prayer archive and answered-prayer archive preserve older reader contributions for reading and reflection.