A Prayer Request App for Your Church or Small Group
Every praying community runs into the same problem: requests are shared on Sunday or at small group, and by Wednesday nobody can find them. Here is an honest look at the ways churches and small groups share prayer requests, what to look for in a prayer request app, and how to set one up so people keep praying for each other all week.
Four ways groups share prayer requests
| Method | Works well for | Where it breaks down |
|---|---|---|
| Group chat | A handful of people who already text each other | Requests get buried under other messages; no follow-up or record of answers; everyone in the chat sees everything |
| Shared document or sheet | A leader who keeps a weekly list | Hard to keep private once the link is shared; nobody is notified of updates; one person does all the editing |
| Prayer chain (phone, text or email) | Urgent needs that must reach people fast | The message changes as it is passed on; no shared history; people never hear how the prayer was answered |
| Prayer request app | Groups that want requests, updates and answers in one private place | Everyone needs to install it, so pick one that is free and works on both iPhone and Android |
What to look for in a prayer request app
- Private by default. Each request should be visible only to the people it was shared with, and the person asking should choose who that is.
- Approval to join. A link that anyone can forward is not private. Look for joining that needs a leader's approval.
- Follow-up, not just posting. Requests should carry updates over time and record when they are answered, so the group keeps praying and can celebrate together.
- Leaders can help, not just watch. Being able to highlight the week's most urgent request, post an announcement and share the load with co-leaders keeps a group active.
- Free for every member. If some members have to pay to post or see requests, part of the group drops out.
- iPhone and Android. Every church has both.
How Faithvine handles prayer requests
Faithvine is a free Christian prayer app for iPhone and Android, built around praying together. There are no ads and no paid tier.
- You choose who sees each request: only you, your friends, one group, or several groups at once (and change it later). A request is posted once, and each group keeps its own conversation about it.
- Joining needs approval. People ask to join with a join code, a link or a QR code you can put on the screen at a meeting, and the group's leader or an admin approves each person. A forwarded link or a photographed QR code cannot let a stranger in.
- Requests carry a story. Each one moves through Praying, Trusting, Confused, Beginning to Understand, Answered or Answered Differently, with updates along the way.
- Leaders can pin the request that needs everyone this week, post an announcement at the top of the group, and appoint admins to help approve members.
- People keep praying between meetings. Members see what is new since their last visit, can add a friend's request to their own Prayer Log, and can set a reminder for one prayer, for example the morning of a friend's surgery.
- Available in English, Spanish and Simplified Chinese.
Setting it up for your church or small group
- Create a group for your small group, Bible study, prayer team or church, and give it a name and photo.
- Invite people by sending the link, reading out the join code, or showing the QR code on the screen at your next gathering.
- Approve each request to join. Appoint one or two admins so approvals don't wait on one person.
- Post the first request yourself, and pin the one the whole group should pray for this week.
- Follow up. When a prayer is answered, mark it Answered so the whole group can celebrate.
For a full walkthrough with every screen, see the Faithvine prayer groups tutorial.
When another app may suit you better
If your group mainly wants guided audio prayers or daily devotional content, apps such as Hallow or Pray.com focus on that. If you want a personal prayer list that you pray through on a schedule, PrayerMate is built around lists. Faithvine is for people who want to share requests with the people they trust and follow them until they are answered. Our comparison of Christian prayer apps covers the differences.
Try Faithvine with your group
Free on iPhone and Android. Create a group, invite your people, and keep praying for each other all week. Inspired by John 15.
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free app for church prayer requests?
Yes. Faithvine is a free prayer request app for iPhone and Android with no ads and no paid tier. A church or small group creates a group, members ask to join with a code, link or QR code, and a leader approves each person. Members post prayer requests that only the group can see, pray for each other, and follow each request until it is answered.
How can a small group share prayer requests privately?
Use a space only approved members can see. A group chat works for a few people but buries requests quickly; a shared document is hard to keep private. A prayer request app like Faithvine keeps each request inside the group it was shared with, and joining needs a leader's approval, so a forwarded link cannot let a stranger read the group's prayers.
Can one prayer request go to more than one group?
In Faithvine, yes. When you write a request you choose who sees it: only you, your friends, one group, or several groups at once — and you can change that later. It is posted once, and each group keeps its own private conversation about it, so comments written in your Bible study stay in your Bible study.
How do you keep strangers out of a church prayer group?
Require approval to join. In Faithvine a join code, link or QR code only lets someone ask to join; the group's leader, or an admin they appoint, approves each person. Leaders can also change the code at any time, which retires every old link and QR code, set it to expire, or turn sharing off.
What is the difference between a prayer chain and a prayer request app?
A traditional prayer chain passes a request from person to person by phone, text or email, so it is fast but leaves no shared record and no follow-up. A prayer request app keeps every request in one place, lets everyone see updates, and records when a prayer is answered, so the group can keep praying and celebrate together.