A prayer request page is one of the most meaningful features you can add to your church website. It tells visitors and members: “We care about what you’re going through, and we will pray for you.” It also serves a practical purpose — giving your prayer team a structured way to receive and organize requests instead of relying on Sunday morning verbal requests or scattered text messages.
But a prayer request page done poorly — with no privacy safeguards, no follow-up process, or a broken form that nobody monitors — does more harm than good. This guide covers how to set up a prayer request page that’s functional, secure, and pastorally responsible.
In This Guide
What Your Prayer Request Form Needs
Keep the form simple. People sharing prayer requests are often in vulnerable moments — they don’t want to fill out a 15-field form. Here are the essential fields:
Required Fields
- Name (first name is sufficient — some people want to remain anonymous)
- Prayer request (open text area with no character limit)
Optional Fields
- Email address — For follow-up communication. Make this optional so people can submit anonymously.
- Phone number — For pastoral follow-up if the request suggests someone needs direct support
- Sharing preference — “May we share this with our prayer team?” (Yes/No) or “Keep this between me and the pastoral staff only”
- Would you like someone to contact you? (Yes/No) — Gives people the option to request pastoral outreach
That’s it. Resist the urge to add categories, urgency levels, or other organizational fields. Those serve your internal processes, not the person submitting the request. You can organize requests on the back end.
Tool Options for Building a Prayer Request Form
Google Forms (Free, Any Platform)
The simplest option. Create a Google Form with the fields above, embed it on your prayer request page, and responses go to a Google Sheet that your prayer team can access. Advantages: free, easy to set up, works on any website platform, and responses are organized in a spreadsheet. Disadvantage: the form looks like Google, not like your church website. You can link to it instead of embedding for a cleaner experience.
WordPress Contact Forms
If your church uses WordPress, plugins like WPForms, Gravity Forms, or Contact Form 7 let you build custom forms that match your website’s design. Submissions can be emailed to your prayer team, stored in the WordPress dashboard, or sent to a Google Sheet. WPForms has a free tier that handles basic prayer request forms.
Squarespace Forms
Squarespace includes a built-in form builder on every plan. Create a custom form on your prayer request page with the fields you need. Submissions are emailed to a designated address and stored in your Squarespace panel. The form automatically matches your site’s design. Clean and simple.
Tithe.ly Native Forms
Tithe.ly Sites includes form functionality as part of the platform. Prayer request submissions can route to your pastoral team through the Tithe.ly dashboard, keeping everything in one system. If you’re already on Tithe.ly, this is the most integrated option.
Wix Forms
Wix includes a form builder that can be placed on any page. The form matches your site’s design and submissions go to your Wix dashboard and email notifications. Similar to Squarespace in functionality and ease of use.
Privacy: The Most Important Consideration
Prayer requests contain deeply personal information — health diagnoses, family conflicts, financial struggles, addiction, marital problems. Treating this data carelessly is a serious pastoral failure. Privacy must be built into your prayer request process from the start.
Limit Access
Only your pastoral staff and designated prayer team leaders should have access to prayer requests. Don’t send submissions to a general church email that multiple staff and volunteers can read. Create a dedicated email address (prayer@yourchurch.com) that only authorized people can access.
Get Explicit Permission Before Sharing
Never share a prayer request with the broader congregation, prayer chain, or in a public setting without the person’s explicit permission. Include a sharing preference field on your form. If someone says “Keep this between me and the pastoral staff,” honor that absolutely. Violating this trust can cause real harm.
Add a Privacy Statement
Above or below your prayer request form, include a brief privacy statement:
“Your prayer request is confidential. Only our pastoral team and prayer ministry leaders will see your submission unless you give us permission to share it more broadly. If you’d like to remain anonymous, you may leave the name field blank.”
This simple statement increases form submissions because people feel safe sharing. For broader website privacy considerations, see our church website security guide.
Don’t Display Requests Publicly Without Consent
Some churches display prayer requests on their website for the community to pray over. This can be meaningful — but only if every displayed request has explicit, informed consent from the submitter. Many churches that display requests use only first names and general descriptions (“Please pray for Sarah’s upcoming surgery”) rather than the full, detailed submission.
Processing Prayer Requests: The Back-End
A form without a process is just a suggestion box that nobody checks. Establish a clear workflow:
- Assign an owner. One person is responsible for monitoring incoming requests. This could be a pastor, prayer ministry leader, or church administrator.
- Set response time expectations. Within 24-48 hours, the submitter should receive a response — even if it’s just “We received your request and are praying for you.” Silence after a vulnerable submission feels like rejection.
- Route to the right person. If a request suggests someone needs pastoral care (grief, crisis, suicidal thoughts), it should go directly to a pastor, not just the prayer team. Build a triage process.
- Distribute to the prayer team (with permission). If the submitter consented to sharing, distribute the request to your prayer team via email or a secure group communication tool. Include only what’s necessary — first name and the request.
- Follow up. Two weeks after a request, consider a brief follow-up: “We’ve been praying for you. How are things going?” This level of care distinguishes genuine ministry from a digital form.
Including Crisis Resources
Your prayer request page should include crisis resources for people who may be in immediate danger or distress. Below or alongside your form, add:
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (available 24/7)
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- Your church office phone number for immediate pastoral care
Include a note like: “If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911. For crisis support, call or text 988.” This is responsible ministry. Prayer request forms are not real-time — someone in crisis needs immediate help, not a form that gets checked on Monday morning.
Setting Up Your Prayer Request Page
Here’s a quick setup guide:
- Create a dedicated page called “Prayer Requests” or “Prayer” in your site navigation under “Connect” or “Get Involved”
- Write a brief, warm introduction — 2-3 sentences explaining that your church prays for every request received
- Add your form with the fields described above
- Add your privacy statement immediately below the form
- Add crisis resources at the bottom of the page
- Set up email notifications to your prayer team owner
- Test the form — submit a test request and verify it reaches the right person
- Create a confirmation message — After submission, show: “Thank you. Your prayer request has been received. Our prayer team will be lifting you up in prayer.”
The entire setup takes about 30 minutes on any platform. Include a link to the prayer request page in your homepage and in your weekly email communications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should we allow anonymous prayer requests?
Yes. Make the name field optional or include an “I’d prefer to remain anonymous” checkbox. Some people want prayer but aren’t comfortable sharing their identity — especially for sensitive topics like addiction, mental health, or family conflict. Anonymous requests are harder to follow up on, but they still serve a genuine pastoral purpose.
Should we display prayer requests publicly on the website?
Only with explicit consent from each submitter. A public prayer wall can be a beautiful community feature, but the default should always be private. Add a field to your form: “Would you like your request (first name only) displayed on our prayer wall?” Never publish a request without this explicit permission.
How often should someone check the prayer request inbox?
Daily, at minimum during business days. If your church promotes the prayer request form actively, check it multiple times per day. Set up email notifications so requests arrive in real-time rather than requiring someone to remember to log in and check. Nobody should wait more than 24-48 hours for acknowledgment.
What if someone submits something concerning (like suicidal thoughts)?
This is why crisis resources on the page are essential, and why your triage process matters. If a submission indicates someone may be in danger, the person monitoring requests should immediately contact a pastor. If contact information was provided, reach out directly and promptly. If the submission is anonymous, you can’t do direct outreach — which is why the crisis resources displayed on the page are your safety net.
Can we integrate prayer requests with our church management system?
Some church management systems (like Planning Center, Breeze, or Tithe.ly People) include prayer request features or can receive form submissions. This keeps pastoral care, prayer requests, and member information in one system. If your ChMS supports it, the integration is worth setting up — it helps pastors see a complete picture of a person’s engagement with the church, including their prayer needs.
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