It’s easy enough to agree to pray for those in need. Someone, somewhere, has a relative, friend, or mere acquaintance they want to pray for, and it’s natural to request that others pray for them, too. “Of course I’ll pray for them,” we say, and might remember to actually do it. But then we stop praying for them. Or we forget we made that promise. Or it’s just a quick prayer right after claiming you’ll do it, just to alleviate the guilt for when you do forget.

I liked the idea of the intention book. Instead of there being a prayer chain (no one can keep up with so many phone calls and texts), parishioners jot down their prayers in one massive tome instead. And, unlike the prayer chain, it’s there forever. Because even if someone is healed, or gets through a difficult situation, or whatever the case may be, they still have things going on. They still need God’s graces.

So I started my own intention book. I can’t remember everyone I want to pray for. I feel bad when I forget someone. But by recording their names in that book, they remain in my prayers forever. Occasionally, I’ll add another name to the book. And I’ll flip through the existing names, to keep them close to me. I don’t record their needs. I don’t know their needs. But God does, and He doesn’t need my lame attempts at remembering what they are. Simply sending their names up to Him are enough.

The best part? It reduces the chance of forgetting someone. Even if I’m tired, or don’t have time that day to sit down and pray as I’d like to, I can simply reference the book. Some people might see this as cheating. I’m not mentioning anyone by name in those times. But at one point, I took the time to record them in that book at all. And they’re not just my friends—some are people I barely know. Some are people I’m not friends with anymore. But that doesn’t make them any less important. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve our prayers, or don’t deserve God’s healing.

The parish intention book is great. But having my own personal book makes my prayers my own. During Mass, when we offer our silent prayers, I may mention some people by name. I may always mention the same few people by name. But also, in that time of quiet, I offer up everyone in that little book of mine. Because there’s not enough time in the world to pray for them by name, and every one of them deserves it.