Watchtower Study, Week of December 29, 2025 to January 4, 2026, Let Us Not Forget to Pray for Others, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, December 29, 2025-January 4, 2026, Let Us Not Forget to Pray for Others, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Response

Celeste: Additional Points

“Pray for one another [...]. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful” (JAMES 5:16).

1. How do we know that our prayers are important to Jehovah?

Prayer is an extraordinary gift. Consider this: Jehovah has delegated certain tasks to the angels and has entrusted his Son with great responsibilities (Ps. 91:11; Matt. 28:18). However, Jehovah is “the one who hears prayers”; that is a task he has reserved for himself alone (Ps. 65:2). He wants to hear our prayers personally.

2. What good example did the apostle Paul leave us?

We can tell Jehovah all our worries, but we must also pray for others. That is what the apostle Paul did. For example, he told all the Christians in the congregation in Ephesus: “I keep mentioning you in my prayers” (Eph. 1:16). But he also prayed for some in particular. He wrote to Timothy: “I am thankful to God [...] and always remember you in my prayers day and night” (2 Tim. 1:3). Paul had many of his own concerns to pray about; even so, he made time to pray for other people. (2 Cor. 11:23; 12:7, 8).

3. Why might we sometimes forget to pray for others?

3. We may sometimes forget to pray for others. Why? A sister named Sabrina explains: “Life in this system is nonstop. We can become so focused on our problems that we only pray for what we need.” If we realize this is happening to us, this article will be incredibly helpful. First, we'll explore why it's important to pray for others. Second, we'll look at some suggestions on how to do so.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

4, 5. In what sense do the prayers we make for others have “a powerful effect”? (James 5:16).

4 Praying for others “has a powerful effect” (read James 5:16). But can we really influence what happens to others by praying for them? Yes, we can. Jesus, knowing that the apostle Peter would soon deny knowing him, told him: “I have prayed for you so that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32). Paul was also aware of the power of prayer. That is why, when he was unjustly placed under house arrest in Rome, he wrote to Philemon: “I hope to be restored to you through your prayers” (Philemon 22). And so it was: in a short time he was released and able to resume his preaching ministry.

5 Of course, that doesn't mean we can force Jehovah to act through our prayers. However, he does take our concerns into account and sometimes decides to do what we ask. Knowing this motivates us to pray to him earnestly when something troubles us and then trust that he will do what is best (Psalm 37:5; see 2 Corinthians 1:11 and the study notes).

6. What effect does praying for others have on our feelings? (1 Peter 3:8).

6 Praying for others helps us cultivate “tender compassion” (read 1 Peter 3:8). A compassionate person notices the suffering of others and wants to do something to help them (Mark 1:40, 41). An old man named Michael says: “When I pray for the needs of others, I become more aware of their struggles, and that makes me love them even more. Even if they don't know it, I feel closer to them.” Richard, who is also elderly, explains another benefit: “When we pray for someone, we feel more inclined to help them.” And he adds: “By giving practical help to the person we are praying for, it is as if we are contributing to answering our own prayer.”.

7. Why does praying for others help us see our problems from the right perspective? (Philippians 2:3, 4; see also the pictures.)

7 Praying for others helps us see our problems from the right perspective (read Philippians 2:3, 4). Since we live in a world controlled by the Devil, we all face difficulties (1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:12). Having the habit of praying for others reminds us that “the whole brotherhood throughout the world is going through the same sufferings” (1 Pet. 5:9).  A pioneer named Katherine says: “Praying for others reminds me that I’m not the only one going through problems. It keeps me from focusing too much on myself.”

ILLUSTRATION

Images of brothers and sisters praying for one another despite their own struggles: 1. A young girl sits on her bed praying; above, circled, is a family in a boat fleeing their home during a flood. 2. The family in the previous image is praying; above, circled, is a brother in prison. 3. The brother in the previous image is praying in his cell; above, circled, is an older sister in the hospital. 4. The older sister in the previous image is praying; above, circled, is the young girl from the first image sitting in class while the other children celebrate a birthday.

Praying for others helps us see our problems from the right perspective. (See paragraph 7.)

WHO NEEDS OUR PRAYERS?

8. Who can we pray for?

8. Who can we pray for? For different groups. For example, we can pray for those with health problems, for young people facing bullying and pressure at school, or for those who are getting older. Many brothers face opposition, sometimes from their own families and sometimes from governments (Matt. 10:18, 36; Acts 12:5). Some have had to leave their homes because of political instability, and others suffer because of natural disasters. We may not know these brothers and sisters personally. But when we pray for them, we show that we are obeying Jesus' command to love one another. (Juan 13:34).

9. Why should we pray for brothers who have responsibilities within Jehovah’s organization and for their wives?

9 We can also pray for the brothers who have responsibilities within Jehovah’s organization: the Governing Body and their helpers, the Branch Committees, the branch department managers, the circuit overseers, the congregation elders, and the ministerial servants. Many of them have to deal with their own worries while also wearing themselves out for us. (2 Cor. 12:15). For example, Mark, a circuit overseer, explains: “One of the hardest things for me is being away from my parents. They are elderly and ill. I know that my sister and her husband lovingly care for them, but it pains me that I cannot do more for them.” Even if we are not aware of all the concerns these brothers and sisters have, it is good that we pray for them. (1 Thess. 5:12, 13). We can also pray for their wives, who loyally support them so they can continue working hard for the brothers.

10, 11. Does Jehovah like prayers that include many brothers?

10 As we have seen, we often pray for large groups of brothers and sisters. Without thinking of anyone in particular, we might ask Jehovah to help those who are in prison or to comfort those who have lost a loved one. An elderly man named Donald says, “There are so many brothers and sisters going through difficulties that sometimes we say an ‘umbrella’ prayer so that we don’t leave anyone out and everyone is covered.”

11 Do Jehovah like those prayers? Of course! After all, we don't know the specific needs of each and every one of His servants. So it's good that we make general requests that encompass many brothers and sisters. (John 17:20; Eph. 6:18). These prayers demonstrate that we have “love for the entire brotherhood” (1 Ped. 2:17).

WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN WE PRAY FOR SPECIFIC BROTHERS AND SISTERS?

12. Why does being observant help us to make more specific sentences?

12 Let us be observant. In addition to offering general prayers, it is good for us to pray for specific brothers and sisters. Is there someone in the congregation struggling with a chronic illness? Is there a young person discouraged by peer pressure? Is there a single parent raising a child “according to Jehovah’s discipline and counsel”? (Eph. 6:4) If we are observant, we will have more empathy, and that will motivate us to pray for our brothers and sisters (Rom. 12:15).

13. Can we pray for brothers and sisters we don't know?

13 Let's mention them by name. That's something we can do even in the case of siblings we don't know personally. Let us consider, for example, the brothers and sisters who are imprisoned in Crimea, Eritrea, Russia, and Singapore. Their names can be found at jw.org. A circuit overseer named Brian explains: “When I write down the name of a brother who is incarcerated and then say it out loud, I find it easier to remember him and mention him in my prayers.”

14, 15. What will help us to make more specific sentences?

14 Let us make specific requests. Michael, mentioned in paragraph 6, gives us this good suggestion: “When I read on jw.org about the experiences of brothers who are in prison, I try to imagine how I would feel in their situation. I know I would be worried about my wife and would want to know that she is well cared for. That helps me to make specific requests when I pray for married brothers who are in prison.” (Heb. 13:3, footnote)

15 When we think about the daily lives of our brothers and sisters in prison, we come up with more details to include in our prayers. For example, we can ask Jehovah to make prison guards kind to them or to allow those in positions of authority to worship God. (1 Tim. 2:1, 2). We can also pray that the good example of these faithful brothers will encourage the congregation in the area and motivate non-Witnesses to listen to our message (1 Peter 2:12). Of course, all these suggestions (being observant, mentioning brothers by name, and making specific requests) can be applied when praying for any brother or sister, not just those in prison. In this way, we will demonstrate that “our love abounds” (1 Thessalonians 3:12).

LET'S BE BALANCED

16. What should we keep in mind when we pray? (Matthew 6:8).

16 As we have seen, our prayers have great power, for they can influence what happens to others. However, we must be balanced. When we pray, we are not telling Jehovah something he doesn't already know. Nor should we give him advice on how to handle a particular situation. He knows what his servants need even before they or we realize it. (Read Matthew 6:8.) So why pray for others? In this article we have seen several reasons. But there is another one: That is what people who care about others do. We pray for them because we love them. And Jehovah is very happy to see us imitating his love.

17, 18. Explain with an example why we know that our prayers do not go unnoticed by Jehovah.

17 Even if our prayers do not seem to influence what happens to others, they do show that we love our brothers, and Jehovah does not miss that. Let's imagine a father with a son and a daughter. The son is sick in bed, and the daughter keeps telling her father, "Please help my little brother. He's very sick." Her father has the situation under control; he loves his son and is taking very good care of him, but he's still happy to see that she loves her brother so much that she's asking him to do something for him.

18 Similarly, Jehovah wants us to take an interest in others and pray for them. In this way, we will show that we care not only for ourselves but also for our brothers and sisters, and Jehovah will take note of this. (2 Thes. 1:3; Heb. 6:10). Furthermore, as we saw, sometimes our prayers can even change the course of a situation. Let us never forget, then, to include our brothers and sisters in our prayers!

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

In what sense do our prayers have “a powerful effect”?

Praying for others “has a powerful effect,” because, although it doesn’t mean that our prayers can force Jehovah to act, he takes into account our concerns and sometimes decides to do what we ask. Knowing this motivates us to pray to him earnestly when something troubles us and then to trust that he will do what is best.

Why should we pray for groups of brothers and sisters?

We often pray for large groups of brothers and sisters without thinking of anyone in particular. We might ask Jehovah to help those in prison or to comfort those who have lost a loved one. After all, we don't know the specific needs of each and every one of his servants. So it is good for us to make general requests that encompass many of them.

What can we do when we pray for specific brothers and sisters?

In addition to general prayers, it is good to pray for specific brothers and sisters and ask ourselves questions like these: Is there anyone in the congregation struggling with a chronic illness? Is there a young person discouraged by peer pressure? Is there a single parent raising a child “according to Jehovah’s discipline and counsel”? If we are observant, we will have greater empathy, and this will motivate us to pray for our brothers and sisters.