I’ve never had a close relationship with any of my uncles. I always saw them at family gatherings and chatted with them, but never sought out a deeper relationship. As I’ve grown up I’ve developed more meaningful connections, but it still feels awkward at times. I now see the importance of praying for your uncles.
Now that I have three kids, I have the privilege of watching them grow up with their own uncles. I’m so grateful that they love on them so well. Although neither of their uncles have a relationship with God, they make our kids feel like the most important people in the world.
Since the uncles in my kids lives are not believers, we pray fervently that they will desire to have a change of heart. We focus on being witnesses of God’s love and power when we are in their presence, but we also cling to Scripture.
Some of our favorites are:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2, NIV).
We hope that their uncles will see that a life with Christ is infinitely better than living for the things of this world.
“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19, NIV).
We pray that God will soften their hearts and that they can fully and unashamedly give their whole hearts to Christ.
I have given you 6 prayers for an uncle, but feel free to customize them to your specific situation. Please leave any prayer requests in the comments as you are praying so we can pray with you!
Short Prayer For An Uncle
Lord, thank you for the gift of my uncle. (Name) is such a light to the world. He is not just an uncle, but a true friend. Thank you for the gift of family! May he continue to glorify You in all that he does. May You be at the forefront of (Name)’s mind and the driving force for all of his actions. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For Keeping A Good Connection With An Uncle
Lord, thank you for the gift of my uncle, (name). I’m very lucky to have a great bond with my uncle. I only wish I would have appreciated it sooner. (Name) always made my childhood so much fun. We laughed and played together and he always showed me unconditional love. We used to see each other a lot, but now that I’m older we don’t see each other as often.
Although we are far apart, help me to keep that good connection with my uncle. I am so busy with my job and family that I often times forget about my uncle. I know he has important and stressful things going on in his life so I need to keep him at the forefront of my mind more often. I know it means a lot to me when he reaches out to me so I need to return the favor and work harder to maintain our connection.
Please help our relationship to grow on a spiritual level. I know (name) has fallen away from the faith he grew up with. He doesn’t pray or go to church anymore. Allow me to be a light to my uncle so that he can turn back to you. When we aren’t close to you, O God, we are restless. I know my uncle is restless.
When my uncle and I speak please help my words to be Your words. Help me to be Your face, hands, and feet. Help me to preach the Gospel and when necessary use words to do so. I hope he can see my passion and purpose for life that derives from an authentic and pure connection with You.
I love my uncle. love you. I hope (name) and I can maintain a better connection so he can love you too. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For Good Health For An Uncle
Good and gracious God, please keep my uncle in good health. I know he has been battling a variety of health concerns and I pray that you clear them up. You are a miracle worker so I know that if it is Your will you will heal (name) of his afflictions.
Please heal (name) of not only his physical wounds, but of his emotional and spiritual wounds as well. May name remember the words from Scripture, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3, NIV). May my uncle turn to you, the ultimate healer, for every kind of healing that he needs. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For An Uncle To Put God First
Dear God, Your Son says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12: 30-31, NIV).
If these are your greatest commandments then they are my biggest prayers for my uncle. I hope (name) loves you above all else. If (name) is struggling to put you first right now I pray that you take away the distractions. Give him the desire to pray daily and fervently.
I also pray (name) loves others as himself. Your Son served the poor selflessly and that is something we should be doing here on earth. It is our mission as Christians to be Your face, hands, and feet to those we encounter daily. I hope this mission is at the forefront of (his/her) mind.
If (name) is struggling in either of these areas please place someone in his path to help him grow. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For An Uncle During Hard Times
Lord, my uncle is going through a difficult time right now. Things are piling up on him and I know he is struggling even though he doesn’t want to show it. He is such an amazing person. He is a true light in so much darkness in this world. Please don’t let the darkness get to him too.
Help him to persevere in all his endeavors. When my uncle is struggling help him remember to “cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22, NIV).
We can fill ourselves with worldly things, but nothing will ever sustain us as You do. No matter how difficult things are right now for (name) please help him to have hope in You. Help (name) to deal with their stress in healthy ways and if they need help, give him the courage and strength to ask for help. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For An Uncle Going Through A Divorce
Lord, my aunt, and uncle are going through a divorce. I can’t even believe it’s real since divorce isn’t really a part of our family. I know he doesn’t want it, but after therapy, my aunt won’t budge.
I feel so sad and uncomfortable with the whole situation. Mostly because he is married into our family and will no longer be invited to family gatherings. It’s just so strange that he’s been apart of my life for so long and won’t really be there much anymore.
Help my uncle to rely on you and lean into your love during this devastating time. Help me to maintain a good connection with him despite the divorce. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For My Uncle To Grow In Virtue
God, there are many virtues you want us to model as Christians. The Scriptures tell us that compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are just a few of the characteristics we should embody as Christians (Colossians 3:12, NIV).
I fervently pray that my uncle strives to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. When he sees those less fortunate than him may he remember to treat them with the love of Christ. May all the words that come from his lips be spoken with kindness, gentleness, and love.
May (name) try not to boast about his accomplishments. May (name) strives to recognize Your power and know that he can do nothing without You. May (name) have a heart of humility. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Concluding Thoughts
Uncles are such wonderful parts of our lives. I’ve been so lucky to have 5 uncles who pray fervently for me and my family as the years have gone by. I can only hope you have been gifted with the same God-fearing love from your uncles.
However, if like my children you have uncles in you or your children’s lives who are far from God, you must pray fervently that their hearts may be changed. Always be a witness to the love of Christ when you are in their presence. Always preach the Gospel, and when necessary use words.