7 Prayers For Runners

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission from purchased products at no additional cost to you.

Use these prayers for runners to use your time running to connect with God and pray for health, your neighborhood, & more on race day, training days, and more.

Are you a runner who wants to use the time you are running to glorify God?

There are plenty of people who run purely to gain athletic prowess or to lose a few pounds, but the Bible instructs Christians that whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we should do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17).

This means that running is absolutely an activity that can be done to the glory of God.

There are actually more parallels than one might imagine between running a race and living the Christian life. We are commanded to run with perseverance, to press onward toward the goal, and to keep the faith so we might finish the race.

Therefore, runners can apply many of the principles they utilize to improve their running performance to live the Christian life biblically– with strength, perseverance, and determination despite the pain or obstacles encountered along the route.

In addition, even a 26-mile marathon is won one step at a time. So it is also with our ability to trust completely in God and take one step of faith at a time.

And just as runners in a race are to keep their minds focused on crossing the finish line, as Christians we are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who motivates us to not grow weary and to keep running until we are called home.

I encourage you as runners to stay disciplined, keep your mind focused on the goal, believe that you are capable of making it to the end, and remember that Christ is always by your side cheering you on to the finish line.

While the act of running itself can bring great glory to God, it is also one of the best opportunities to have a quiet time with God in which you can specifically pray for your life and those God places on your heart. What a great way to stay in shape physically and spiritually!

Here are a few prayers specifically for runners who want to use running to glorify God in their lives. May they be a useful guide as you think about how to use running in a way that deepens your faith and invites God to be a part of your life as a runner.

May the time you spend running bless your life abundantly.

1. A Short Pre-Run Prayer

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:11

Dear Lord Jesus,

I pray for my run this morning. Thank You for the motivation You have given me to run and exercise this morning. I especially thank You for the way You have knit my body together, providing blood in my vessels and air in my lungs.

It is a blessing that You have enabled me to run with discipline to keep my body healthy, my mind vitalized, and my spirit rejuvenated.

Allow me to enjoy the beauty of the sunshine, birds and wildlife, and the fresh air that You have created. Lord, keep me alert for ways that I can worship and glorify You throughout my run. As I work hard during the run, remind me of how much better I feel afterward and the satisfaction of finishing the run.

May my joy increase and my gratitude for Your blessings in my life overflow because of my run. Please increase my endurance and help me to continue to strive to live a healthy lifestyle. Thank You for always taking such perfect care of me.

I love You, Lord!

Amen.

2. A Prayer To Pray For Friends & Family While Running

‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”’ – Numbers 6:24-26

Dear Father God,

Thank You for allowing me this special time as I run to pray for the needs of my family and friends.

I come to You in thanksgiving and praise for how abundantly You have blessed my life through family members and special friends who continue to love me and support me through the good times and the bad. Please watch over my loved ones and protect them from harm.

I pray that You would keep them in good health and prevent them from experiencing pain or suffering. May their lives overflow with Your love, joy, hope, and peace each day. I also pray that You would enable them to walk according to Your will, following the plans You have for their lives.

May they grow in faith and experience the fullness of Your Presence in amazing new ways as they glorify You with thought and deed.

Bless them with rich, healthy relationships that honor You. Lord, I pray that the children may grow up in love and grace as they learn to be obedient to Your Word. May You fortify my family and friends against attack from the evil one as well as from the ways of this world that are contrary to Your Truth.

Lord, I pray for physical and emotional healing for each of my family members and friends. Give them faith to believe that You are a compassionate God who longs to end their suffering. Bring appropriate medical authorities into their lives that can provide wisdom and guidance to improve their wellness.

I pray that my faith in Christ and love for God would be a testimony to my friends and family, especially those that don’t know You. Please use my words and actions to somehow draw my unbelieving loved ones into Your arms and a relationship with You.

Continue to work in all of our lives, Lord. Amen.

3. A Prayer For Your City & Neighborhood During Your Run

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. – 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Dear Loving Father,

As I run today may You give me a strong desire to see Your love transform my city in powerful ways. I lift up all the government officials and pray that You would cause them to lead with godly wisdom, integrity, justice, and mercy. Lord, would You unify and cause them to turn back to Bible-based values.

Lord, I pray for a mighty spiritual revival in this land. I ask that every neighborhood would be penetrated with Your light and love, causing both young and old, rich and poor, and those of every nationality to be drawn into the loving arms of Jesus Christ.

May Your Spirit penetrate our schools, law enforcement, businesses, and our churches as we see a holy transformation take place before our eyes. May Your compassion and power reign down upon us, blessing this city with peace and prosperity for the sake of Your utmost glory being proclaimed in this place.

Holy Father, I also want to pray for each home that I pass by on my run through this neighborhood. I know that You long to bless each person and reveal Your love to them in new ways. Lord, I pray that You open doors of opportunity for me to bless them with kindness and hospitality as I get to know their hearts and needs.

Please show me how to love my neighbors just as You have extravagantly loved me. Father, I pray for Your special blessing upon the children who are in school. Guide them and protect them as they interact with teachers and friends, and demonstrate Your love to them through role models in their lives.

I also pray for healing for any of my neighbors who are suffering; remind them that Your compassion for them is new every morning and You provide them with joy and hope as they persevere through difficulties.

Lord God, I long to be faithful to Your call to shine the light of Christ into the world, including among my neighbors. Please give me kind words to say and show me good deeds that I can do in the name of loving those who are around me. Give me the boldness to invite them to church fellowship if that is what You are calling me to do.

Thank You so much for placing me in this neighborhood and giving me this time during my run to bring the desires for my community before Your throne. You are faithful, and I trust that You will answer all of these requests in Your perfect timing and according to Your Will.

I trust You, Precious Savior. Amen.

4. A Prayer For A Cross-County Runner

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

Dear Abiding Savior,

As I begin this cross-country race, I thank You for the grace that You have given me to train my body well to compete in this run. I pray that You would guide my feet swiftly and help me to pace myself well so that I have the strength and stamina needed to finish the race without burning out.

As I run through fields of hills and grass, may I sense Your Presence with me encouraging me onward.

As I run, remind me that You are always with me, whether it’s on the fierce uphill climb on rocky terrain or I am enjoying the wind at my back. You are the source of all that I have, including the energy I have even when the race gets tough. I will persevere because You have shown me that character and hope are built up within me when I refuse to give up.

You have shown me that I do not just race to get a prize with my team, but You are also teaching me how to run the race of life well. As one who loves Christ, I am running this race of life to get a crown from the Lord that will last for all eternity.

Therefore, I run with intention to follow the will of God wherever He leads me, not as someone running aimlessly but for the prize which I am called heavenward.

Lord, please protect me today from getting any injuries and also look after the others on my team. Help us encourage one another, as our efforts inspire one another to give it our best.

I also pray that our attitudes and mindsets will honor You as we embrace hard work and teamwork, but not at the cost of putting other runners down.

Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to do my best and cross the finish line. I praise You alone for giving me the grace to finish the race, and to feel a sense of accomplishment at using my God-given gifts to run for the glory of God. I love You, Lord, and I am so grateful to You for this experience.

May I always run forward for the glory of Your name!

Amen.

5. A Race Day Prayer – 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon, or Ultramarathon

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Dear Faithful Father,

I am so excited for this opportunity to run this race and am especially grateful for the ways You are allowing me to live out my goals and dreams. Thank You so much for the ways You have strengthened and motivated me to prepare my mind, body, and soul to run this race well.

Please give me the confidence to believe that You have equipped me for such a time as this.

As the race stretches out in front of me, please strengthen my muscles to stay strong and provide my lungs with enough oxygen to adequately nourish every cell of my body. When it feels like fatigue might overwhelm me, remind me that You are my strength and that I can do all things through Christ who is at work through me.

May I fight through the difficult moments, so that I may finish the race.

Thank You that I am exercising my faith in order to finish this runners’ race, just as You call me to live a consistent life of faith to persevere through life’s trials so I can finish the race well. I praise You that someday I will receive a crown of righteousness from my Lord and Savior as a reward for a life well-lived.

You are teaching me lessons about endurance, perseverance, self-discipline, and the faithfulness of my loving God through my experiences as a runner.

Lord, thank You for running alongside me during this race, allowing me to experience fellowship with my loving Father who always delights in me as His child and advocates for my joy and success in all I do. I surrender the outcome of this race into Your hands, but I yearn to be able to finish the race. Nonetheless, remind me that Your abundant love for me never diminishes regardless of my personal performance.

I give You all the glory for allowing me to run this race, and I thank You for reviving my spirit and encouraging my heart through the running of this race even if I am physically exhausted. You always provide everything I need for the life You are calling me to live, and I worship You for the beauty of the physical body You have given me to serve You through my life. Be honored and glorified as I run this race and as I live my life.

I place my life in Your hands and pray that everything from taking a breath of fresh air to running a race to living out my daily life before You will be an act of worship that brings a smile to Your face.

I love You, Father God.

Amen.

6. A Prayer Of Gratitude For A Healthy Body

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Dear Most High God,

I come to You today in awe of the beautiful ways in which You knit together my body. You have abundantly blessed my life with more gifts than I could fathom, but I am especially thankful that I have a healthy body that allows me to be physically active.

You have allowed my muscles to be strong enough to run, have given me a heart that pumps blood throughout my entire body, and permit my lungs to inhale oxygen that can circulate to all my organs. You are such an amazing God!

Lord, I know that every single day in which You allow me to wake up and rejoice in the day You have made is possible only because of Your overwhelming grace. Life is an incredible gift from You that I do not ever want to take for granted.

I want to humble myself before You as I give You thanks and praise for the incredible blessing that an alert mind, a well-fed stomach, and an active body are in my life.

I know that my life is not my own since I surrendered my whole self to You as the Lord and Savior of my life. This body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and I want to take the best care possible of my body so I may be a good steward of this gift You have given me.

Help me to eat nutritious meals, exercise regularly, and get adequate rest to honor God with the body He has given me.

Thank You that You have given me the passion and ability to go for runs to keep both my mind and body in good shape. I pray that You will continue to help me prioritize running even as my schedule gets busy because it helps me to be a better person in every aspect of my life.

Lord, may I continue to honor You with every aspect of my life from the moment I wake up each morning to when I lay down to sleep at night. You are everything to me!

May I be mindful each day of every blessing, such as a healthy life free from pain, that You bring into my life. You are my Provider, Healer, and Deliverer.

Thank You for the strength to live each day for You.

Amen.

7. A Stretching & Cool Down Prayer To Keep Running The Race With Faith Throughout My Day

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. – Hebrews 12:1-3

Dear Sweet Jesus,

You were so faithful to stay by my side throughout the race and gave me the strength I needed to persevere to cross the finish line. Thank You so much, Jesus! You are so good to me. Now that I have finished my run, will You please soothe my heavy breathing and relax the tension in my muscles?

Lord, I pray for Your healing to my body as I recover from the maximal effort I gave during the run. Please protect my body from injury as I cool down and complete the stretches that will prevent stiffness and cramping in my muscles. Thank You for the surge of energy that I feel after my run, and I pray that You will continue to maintain my energy level throughout the remainder of the day.

I thank You, Jesus, for the ways You are using my running career to teach me the importance of persevering through any situation I face, trusting that You will help me endure difficult obstacles to make it through.

As I transition to running the race of daily life, allow me to keep my eyes fixed on You to complete the path marked out for me by my Father in heaven. Lord, You are my hero of the faith as I meditate on how You endured the cross for the sake of the joy set before You.

By the power of the Spirit at work within me, I too will be able to endure hardship and difficulties because of Your love and grace at work within my life. Jesus, continue to redeem my life and increase the depth of my faith so that I will not grow weary or lose heart.

May the hope of enjoying eternal life in which I get to enjoy and worship You forever continually be in my sight, prompting me to fight the good fight of faith until I am called heavenward.

Jesus, I continue to be in awe of the ways You are working in my life. I bow down and worship You because of the cross, which has made me into a new creation and allowed me to run this race for the sake of Your glory. Thank You for Your love that poured down into my life upon Calvary.

Praise You Jesus, the Lamb who was slain!

Amen.