Pope Leo XIV in the “Pray with the Pope” video released on Jan. 7, 2026. | Credit: Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network
Jan 8, 2026 / 14:17 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of January is for the faithful to pray with the word of God.
In a video released Jan. 7 on X, the Holy Father said that he is praying “that we may learn, practice, and love praying with the word of God.”
“The gift of Scripture is God’s love letter to humankind,” he said. “Let’s pray that we all draw from this gift and get to know Our Lord.”
‘Pray with the Pope’ initiative
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the Dicastery for Communication announced Jan. 7 the “Pray with the Pope” project. According to a press release, this is a new initiative in which the pope will share his monthly prayer intentions through both video and audio, “inviting the universal Church and all people of goodwill to unite spiritually, using the same prayer that will now be led by the pope himself.”
“This initiative aims to increase the visibility of the pope’s prayer intentions, using a language suitable for prayer, in new formats, so as to better reach the faithful throughout the world, especially in today’s world of digital communication,” the press release stated.
In the full video shared on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention.
Here is the pope’s full prayer:
Lord Jesus, living Word of the Father,
in you we find the light that guides our steps.
We know that the human heart lives restless, hungry for meaning,
and only your Gospel can give it peace and fullness.
Teach us to listen to you each day in the Scriptures,
to let ourselves be challenged by your voice,
and to discern our decisions
from the closeness to your heart.
May your word be nourishment in weariness,
hope in darkness,
and strength in our communities.
Lord, may your word never be absent from our lips or from our hearts —
the word that makes us sons and daughters, brothers and sisters,
disciples and missionaries of your kingdom.
Make us a Church that prays with the word,
that is built upon it and shares it with joy,
so that in every person the hope of a new world may be born again.
May our faith grow in the encounter with you through your word,
moving us from the heart
to reach out to others,
to serve the most vulnerable,
to forgive, build bridges, and proclaim life.
Amen.
“Pray with the Pope” is accessible on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website and its digital platforms.
