Dictionary: Prayer

A distinction needs to be made between the various occurrences of the words “pray” and “prayer” in most translations of the Bible and the modern connotation of the same words. In the OT, the main Hebrew words translated as “to pray” and “prayer” (palal and tepillah) refer to the act of bringing a petition or request before God. They do not normally, if ever, refer to the other elements that we today think of as being included in the act of praying, such as praise or thanksgiving. The same is the case in the NT, where the main Greek words translated “to pray” and “prayer” (proseuchomai and proseuchē) also specifically denote making a petition or request to God. But other words and constructions in both Testaments are also translated “to pray” and “prayer,” and this article will deal with the larger concept, including praise, thanksgiving, petition, and confession, as opposed to the narrower meaning of the particular Hebrew and Greek terms (see also Praise; Thanksgiving; Worship).

Old Testament

In the OT there is no language or understanding comparable to modern ways of talking about prayer as conversational or dialogical. Prayer does not involve mutuality. Prayer is something that humans offer to God, and the situation is never reversed; God does not pray to humans. Understanding this preserves the proper distinction between the sovereign God and the praying subject. Therefore, prayers in the OT are reverential. Some OT prayers have extended introductions, such as that found in Neh. 1:5, that seem to pile up names for God. These should be seen as instances not of stiltedness or ostentation, but rather as setting up a kind of “buffer zone” in recognition of the distance between the Creator and the creature. In the NT, compare the same phenomenon in Eph. 1:17.

Many of the prayers in the OT are explicitly set in a covenantal context. God owes nothing to his creatures, but God has sworn to be faithful to those with whom he has entered into covenant. Thus, many OT prayers specifically appeal to the covenant as a motivation for both those praying and God’s answering (1 Kings 8:23–25; Neh. 1:5–11; 9:32; Pss. 25:10–11; 44:17–26; 74:20; 89:39–49). In postexilic books such as Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel, an important feature in the recorded prayers is the use of prior Scripture, praying God’s words (many times covenantal) back to him (in the NT, see Acts 4:24–30). Also, the closeness engendered by the covenant relationship between God and his people was unique in the ancient Near Eastern context. So Moses can marvel, “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” (Deut. 4:7).

Prayer must be made from a heart that is right toward God. There is no guarantee that God will hear every prayer (Ps. 66:18; Prov. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; 59:2). For the most part, the “rightness” that God requires in prayer is “a broken and contrite heart” (Ps. 51:17; cf. Isa. 66:2).

Although several passages talk about prayer in the context of sacrifice (e.g., Gen. 13:4), there is surprisingly little emphasis on prayer in the legal texts about sacrifice in the Pentateuch, no prescriptions for the kinds of prayer or the words that are to be said in connection with the sacrifices. Interestingly, however, in later, perhaps postexilic contexts, where there is no temple and therefore no sacrifice, we find texts such as Ps. 141:2, where the petitioner asks God to accept prayer as if it were an offering of incense and the evening sacrifice (cf. Prov. 15:8; in the NT, see Rev. 5:8).

A presupposition of prayer in the OT is that God hears prayer and may indeed answer and effect the change being requested. Prayer is not primarily about changing the psychological state or the heart of the one praying, but rather about God changing the circumstances of the one praying.

There is a striking honesty, some would even say brashness, evident in many OT prayers. Jeremiah laments that God has deceived both the people (Jer. 4:10) and Jeremiah himself (20:7) and complains about God’s justice (12:1–4). Job stands, as it were, in God’s face and demands that the Almighty answer his questions (Job 31:35–37). The psalmist accuses God of having broken his covenant promises (Ps. 89:39). While it is true that God does, to some extent, rebuke Jeremiah and Job (Jer. 12:5; Job 38–42), he does not ignore them or cast them aside. This would seem, ultimately, to encourage such honesty and boldness on the part of those who pray.

Literarily, accounts of prayers in narratives serve to provide characterizations of the ones praying. The recorded prayers of people such as Abraham, Moses, Hannah, Ezra, and Nehemiah demonstrate their true piety and humility before God. By contrast, the prayer of Jonah recorded in Jon. 2, in its narrative context, betrays a certain hypocrisy on the part of the reluctant prophet.

New Testament

The depiction of prayer in the NT is largely consistent with that of the OT, but there are important developments.

Jesus tells his disciples to address God as “Father” (Matt. 6:9; cf. Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Although recent scholarship has demonstrated that “Abba” is not the equivalent of our “daddy,” it expresses a certain intimacy that goes beyond what was prevalent at the time, but retains an element of reverence as well. God is not just “Father,” but “our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). Even Jesus addresses God as “Holy Father” (John 17:11), “Righteous Father” (John 17:25), and “Father, Lord of heaven and earth” (Matt. 11:25). And Paul, as mentioned earlier, uses a buffer zone, rarely in his epistles using the word “Father” by itself, but instead referring to “God our Father” (e.g., Rom. 1:7) and frequently using the phrase “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 1:3; 11:31; Eph. 1:3; cf. Eph. 1:17; Col. 1:3). God is our Father, but still he is a Father before whom one reverently kneels (Eph. 3:14).

Prayer to God is now to be made in the name of Jesus (Matt. 18:19–20; John 14:13; 15:16; 16:23–26). While there is some debate as to the exact nuance of this idea, it seems clear that, at the very least, prayers in Jesus’ name need to be ones that Jesus would affirm and are in accordance with his holy character and expressed will. It is, in essence, saying to God that the prayer being offered is one that Jesus would approve.

Prayer can also be made to Jesus (John 14:14), and such devotion to him in the early church is evidence of his being regarded as deity. The instances of this in the NT are rare, however, and generally either exclamatory or rhetorical (Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 16:22; Rev. 22:20). The norm would still seem to be that prayer is to be made to the Father, through Jesus’ name.

Unlike anything prior in the OT, Jesus tells his followers to pray for their enemies (Matt. 5:44). Jesus and his followers serve as examples (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60).

The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in prayers. It is by him that we are able to call out, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). The Spirit himself intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26). Our praying is to be done in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18; Jude 20; possibly 1 Cor. 14:15).

Jesus encourages fervent and even continual or repeated prayer (Luke 18:1–8), but not showy or repetitive prayer (Matt. 6:5–8).

Jesus becomes the model of prayer. He prays before important decisions (Luke 6:12–13) and in connection with significant crisis points (Matt. 14:23; 26:36–44; Luke 3:21; 9:29; John 12:27). He offers prayers that are not answered (Luke 22:41–44) and prayers that are (Heb. 5:7). Even as he tells his disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1 [which is also the meaning of the sometimes overly literalized “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thess. 5:17 NRSV]), so he himself wrestles in prayer (Luke 22:41–44; Heb. 5:7). He has prayed for his disciples (John 17; Luke 22:32), and even now, in heaven, he still intercedes for us (Heb. 7:25). Indeed, our intercession before God’s throne is valid because his is (Heb. 4:14–16).

Synonyms: invocation, intercession, devotion, appeal, plea, entreaty, petition, solicitation, supplication, request, suit
Antonyms: demand something, insist
Showing 4326 to 4350 of 4877 results
Sermon
King Duncan
... want the crucifix, you take the whole crucifix.” (5) We know why, don’t we? Many people would like to have Jesus and leave his cross behind. Jesus represents forgiveness and grace. Jesus is a divine Friend who accepts us as we are, hears our prayers and helps us in times of need. Who wouldn’t want Jesus? But his cross, on the other hand, represents discipline and self-denial. The cross represents service and sacrifice. The cross represents taking our eyes off of ourselves and putting them on those for ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... rice and beans, a most diverse and troubled community gathers to receive e gifts of God. But as she tells the story, rather than just feeding the hungry, what develops on Friday nights is a kind of new community where people start to ask for prayer and linger in the sanctuary in search of some peace. ‘This is what I’d told Saint Gregory’s, after all,’ Miles writes, ‘that the pantry would be church and not a social service program.’” (Take this Bread: A Radical Conversion [New York: Ballantine ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... and return to the garden. Jesus’ message was not a condemnation. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). Jesus came to save the world and call us to repentance and prayer. Going on the offensive will give offense. Ironically, for someone who never had use for God all his life, Norman Mailer’s last book is a conversation with God entitled On God: An Uncommon Conversation (2007). Looking back on the 20th century and on his life ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... and return to the garden. Jesus’ message was not a condemnation. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). Jesus came to save the world and call us to repentance and prayer. Going on the offensive will give offense. Ironically, for someone who never had use for God all his life, Norman Mailer’s last book is a conversation with God entitled On God: An Uncommon Conversation (2007). Looking back on the 20th century and on his life ...
Sermon
Richard Gribble
... from the dead, he told those who witnessed this great event, "Unbind him, and let him go" (John 11:44b). God wishes for us to live in freedom. We must let go of our past transgressions against others and forgive those who have transgressed against us. The Lord's Prayer says it all: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Sometimes we are hesitant to let go of the past in any way. When this happens we are held back, whether we know it or not, and do not allow ourselves to go ...
Sermon
Ken Lentz
... be the horn of any clean animal except that of a cow. It was used in the feast prescribed in Numbers 29:1, the feast of New Year's Day, "Rosh Hashanah." The shofar, sounding mornings and evenings except on the sabbath, called the faithful to prayerful preparation for the great feast. Most experts agree that Joel was a cult prophet who felt himself aligned to the postexilic temple rebuilt in the Persian period, probably between 400-350 BC. A plague of locusts and drought are signs pointing to the imminent ...
Sermon
Ken Lentz
... confessed that he lacked the ability to pray; he just didn't know how to pray. The parson, an apostolic witness, simply suggested, "John, just imagine that Jesus is sitting on the chair over there and just have a conversation with him. That would be prayer." Some time later, the daughter of the elderly man came to the parsonage to tell the minister that her father had died peacefully in the night. "But there was something strange I noticed when I entered his bedroom this morning," she said. "What was that ...
Sermon
William J. Carl, III
... deafening sound of nearly 500 men from all over Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana singing "Be Thou My Vision" at the tops of their voices. It reminded me of being in the mission fields in Taiwan, China, India, South Africa, and Russia. In Taiwan, the prayers of the people consisted of everyone praying out loud at the same time. I encountered the same thing in Russia with Pentecostal Presbyterians worshiping in a bomb shelter three stories below ground in the Ural Mountains. In China, there was so much noise ...
Sermon
William J. Carl, III
... some of the older members. The details were sketchy, but, it was clear his predecessor had left under a cloud. Now, he had died and his sons were wondering timidly if they might come down to the church and have the new, younger pastor say a few words and a prayer for their daddy since they'd grown up in the church and hadn't been there since. "We understand if it's not possible," they said with a lump in their throats. "I'd be honored to say a few words," said the new pastor. So he spoke to a ...
Sermon
Robert A. Hausman
... of a judgment on material greed and preoccupation with self. There are those, like certain scribes of Jesus' day, who demand respect, walk around in long robes, and take the best seats at banquets. They even devour widows' houses, then say long prayers for appearance. Today, we dress by the dictates of fashion, buy private boxes at stadiums, ride in limousines, let the market devour widows' pensions, and use religion as a veneer for our evil. Jesus says, "They will have the greater condemnation." Then ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... . You crave more than your communion with the Father to have joy. The blessed person finds their sufficiency with Him.” (5) But perhaps the best explanation of being blessed comes from rock star Bono, lead singer of the rock group U2. Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast years ago, Bono was asked by then President George W. Bush to give the homily. Bono gave an honest and moving sermon, quoting Scripture in a number of places, about the need for the world to focus on the needs of the poor, especially ...
4337. Remember the Lord
Deuteronomy 8:1-20
Sermon
King Duncan
... into nothingness. Here is what Cavett Robert said about that experience with this blind individual, “Here was a man blessing the darkness while I was cursing the light. I couldn’t have cared less whether I caught that plane. I found myself that night in my prayers asking that someday I might see as well as that gentleman.” (5) Sometimes we forget, don’t we? And so, on this Thanksgiving Day 2011, let us remember the Lord God who brought us together as a people, who gave His own Son in our behalf ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... the carillon bells from the church tower began to ring: Joy to the World! The Lord is Come! “Here I come, Mother!” Bobby called. But he paused at the door and shut his eyes. “You came!” he whispered. “Thank you for coming!” (1) That is our prayer to the Lord Jesus this Christmas Day . . . Thank you for coming. Comedian Bob Hope used to joke about how poor his family was when he was growing up. They were so poor, he said, they didn’t get presents, but on Christmas Eve they would hang up ...
4339. Being Prepared
Matthew 25:1-13
Sermon
King Duncan
... nothing to apologize for. Be prepared so if you were offered the biggest promotion in your life, you would be ready to step into your new role. Be prepared so that if some tragedy entered your life, you would be able to ride out the storm, because your prayer life was rich and you knew you had a Friend. Be prepared. Harold Ivan Smith in his book No Fear of Trying tells a fascinating story about how battleships from World War II like the Iowa, and the New Jersey, and the Wisconsin,were put into mothballs ...
4340. Life Is Yours
Matthew 25:1-13
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... Christians were known for lagniappe (lan-yap), for always adding something unexpected, something extra? One of the greatest missionaries of the 20th century, E. Stanley Jones, began every day at what he called his “Listening Post.” This was how he talked about his prayer time with God. It was a “listening post” where he would sit in silence and listen to God speak. [In fact, here is a rare video of E. Stanley Jones talking about his “listening post” that comes about 2 minutes into the interview ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... the mother replied. “How was I to know something like this would work? I didn’t even know that we even believed in this kind of thing. How was I to know that it would work?” (2) I suspect many of us would be surprised at how many prayers we’ve prayed over the years have been answered. Sam was destined for the ministry. He would not be content anywhere else. Jonah tried to flee from his calling and from God. But what happened? You know the story. The ship that he was on encountered a vicious storm ...
4342. Acting on Faith
Genesis 17:1-27
Sermon
King Duncan
... That baseball player was a remarkable figure named Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday went on to become the greatest evangelist of his generation. Later at a revival in Charlotte, North Carolina, Billy Sunday so excited a group of local men that they began an ongoing prayer group. Later they engaged an evangelist named Mordecai Hamm to come to their town to keep the revival spirit alive. In the revival with Mordecai Hamm, a young man heard the gospel and made his profession of faith. His name? Billy Graham. (5) Do ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... dark place full of joy and peace despite her own troubles and woes. Rev. Fairchild writes, “I always prayed with her on my visits I would pray for her and she would pray for those around her and she would always give thanks to God at the end of each prayer for his goodness and his love for how He worked His will and helped her each day even in the days of pain.” (4) Do you think this wonderful woman was doing those good works and spreading all that cheer to draw attention to herself? Not at all. People ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... make the ultimate sacrifice of one’s life, 1 John challenges his readers to make a daily sacrifice of some of our actual “livelihood.” 1 John isn’t talking about sacrificing social status or personal comfort or more time spent in prayer rather than in play. The epistle author has something much more “down‑to‑earth” in mind — that is, “the world’s goods,” “worldly wealth” or “material possessions.” The willing “sacrifice” of some of our worldly “stuff” for the sake of ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... the church, we do it in Jesus’ name. We have seen popular heroes celebrities, politicians, business leaders, clergy whose names have been sullied by time, but not this name. It is a name above all names. And as you leave this place today, my prayer is that you will take that name with you and treat it with reverence. Well known evangelist Sam Kamaleson of India was preaching in an evangelistic crusade in Romania just as the Communist world of Eastern Europe was collapsing. His audience, so long deprived ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... should be nothing more, or less, than the Holy Spirit working its way through our lives. The church should be nothing more, or less, than the laboratory of the Spirit at work in the world. And the Holy Spirit moves and manifests its presence through prayer, through prophesy, through disciplines of the Spirit. We aren’t our own, and we don’t have to make it on our own. We can relinquish our Titanic pretensions, and Carnegie illusions. It is time our laboratories of the Spirit practice the presence, and ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... of the two candidates had been mentioned before in the gospels. Remarkably, neither are ever identified after this event (although Acts 15:22 does mention a “Judas, the one called Barsabbas.”). The choosing of this new disciple is achieved through prayer and the casting of lots. Casting lots to determine important decisions was traditional in Israel. The rationale? God’s decision was already made and was simply made known to others through this human activity. In other words, without the gift of ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... didn’t matter if it was Matthias or Barsabbas, the other candidate. All that mattered was that God was involved. Still the question remains: How do you know the will of God? Let me suggest some better ways than casting lots. First of all, be a person of prayer and a student of the scriptures. In other words, spend time daily with God. Do not wait until a moment of crisis or when you are facing a difficult decision. Pray daily to “have the same mind in you which was in Christ Jesus” as St. Paul writes ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... Satan, not from God. Nothing could be more evident from the New Testament. It is difficult to see how Christians can hate anyone in Jesus’ name. In our lesson for today, St. Paul says that Christ came to break down the “wall of hostility.” That is my prayer, too, that, if anyone is this room has any hostility in your heart toward any other person for any reason, or toward any other group of people, that you will ask God to deliver you from that hostility. Years ago, beloved actor Dick Van Dyke wrote a ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... John's gender designation. With complete confidence Jesus takes the mini-meal of the little boy and offers thanks ("eucharistesas") for the morsels. While John's Greek would clearly have had a Eucharistic meal meaning for his later first century readers, Jesus' own prayer at this moment almost certainly was the traditional Jewish blessing offered before meals: "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings froth bread from the earth." It is not the presence of the food that is blessed ...
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