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 451 to 475 of 4877 results
Sermon
Mark Radecke
... provided the background for a bright red bumper sticker someone had pasted on the car's trunk. It read: "Pronto viene, Jesus Christo." In North America's urban blight and decay no less than in Central America's violence and revolution, the same cry, the same prayer, "Come quickly, Jesus Christ!" So the promise of Jesus as recorded in Matthew is: "The Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." It is a restatement of Malachi's prophecy: "The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. Behold he is ...
452. O Give Thanks To God
Deuteronomy 26:1-15
Sermon
Rodney Thomas Smothe
... comfort and consolation. Finally in a moment when we were alone, he turned to me and said, "Okay, you haven't said much. Let me have it. I know I've got a lecture coming." I said, "Oh no, not a lecture, just a lesson." We began to pray prayers of adoration, thanksgiving and praise. We cried out to God and thanked him for his continued protection and care. You see, although my friend had slid 575 feet on the pavement and grass, when he came to a stop within seconds a passing paramedic stood by his side ...
Sermon
Thomas Long
... with great power and glory ... This age is passing away ... Come, Lord, Jesus." The church lived on tiptoe, straining their eyes toward the horizon. Something was about to happen. Because something was about to happen, every word they uttered, every deed they did, every prayer they prayed was shaped by this coming event. Like an actor in a play whose role seems insignificant until the denouement discloses that his lines held the key to the truth all along, the early Christians risked the shame of the world ...
454. Reformation Sunday
Jeremiah 30:1--31:40
Sermon
George Paul Mocko
... of these and make myself a saint and think that you owe me! God, I really am pretty good at making a fool of myself." Somehow the prayer has to come to something like that. It did so for Luther. And it was out of that that he wrote those classic words for his ... in true faith." The whole point, the whole open secret is that it is not a matter of my getting to God by my mental processes, my prayers, or my decency. But rather a matter of God getting his call to me, in spite of all that I do. Not my cry, but God' ...
Sermon
Steven Burt
... the small church to celebrate, receive, and pass on the gifts of God. Scripture was spoken from memory or read, concerns were shared, prayers were offered, a sermon was preached, a collection was taken, a meal was shared, and the needs of those who were hurting were ... it served in the pews. This time I asked folks to form a circle around the sanctuary and link hands. We would say a prayer and I’d pass the bread around, asking each person to take a piece and wait for the silver chalice to come to them. ...
Sermon
George Bass
... they condemned and executed Jesus, but they were actually playing into the hands of God and participating in the work of salvation in Jesus’ death and resurrection. But we should know this: When we learn to pray for others, in the spirit of Jesus’ prayer when he was dying, our prayers are pleasing to God and have really become holy and genuine offerings to the God who loves every single one of us. Second, as Jesus hung there on the cross, one of the two thieves took up the taunts of the crowd, “He ...
Sermon
Carlyle Fielding Stewart
... around the city as the Canaanites are baffled, perplexed, even astounded by this unorthodox military maneuver. "What are they doing?" shouts their commander. "I don't know," shouts another." "The fools are walking in circles." "Are they serious?" asks one. "They've got hymn books, prayer books, and scores of sheet music." "Got to be half out of their minds," says another. "Is this some kind of joke?" "We'll blow the whole lot of them to smithereens." "If they think this is some kind of game, they're in for ...
Sermon
Robert Beringer
... and began to pray quietly. There was some snickering at first, but it soon died away. When he finished, Niven lay down on the straw and looked rather sheepishly around the stable where he saw every man in the unit on his knees in prayer. It was not the first time that God entered a stable - and touched the hearts of people with peace and togetherness. Those are the realities that Isaiah could see in the coming of the Messiah: Christmas judgment, Christmas changes and Christmas togetherness. As you prepare ...
459. To Be Sure
Luke 17:11-19
Sermon
Theodore F. Schneider
... . Would, too, that it were ours. We are alienated. We are the outsiders. We are the repeatedly unsure and the ungrateful. Again, Luther writes in The Small Catechism: "To be sure, God provides daily bread, even to the wicked, without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that God may make us aware of his gifts, and enable us to receive [them] ... with thanksgiving." Amen. 1. Martin Luther, "The Small Catechism," The Book of Concord, Theodore G. Tappert, Translator and Editor, (Philadelphia, Fortress ...
460. Dust And Ashes
Genesis 18:16-33
Sermon
Erskine White
... , O Lord. For our indifference to others in need, our callousness to their pain and our ignorance of their plight; for our easy conscience in a world where millions groan under the burden of poverty and the yoke of injustice: hear our prayers, O Lord. Most merciful and patient God, who sets before us the bread of life in the midst of our death, forgive us. Accept us at the table tonight. Ease our hunger and quench our thirst with this sacred meal, that we who are but dust and ashes may partake ...
461. Can A Nation Repent?
2 Chronicles 34:14-33
Sermon
Erskine White
... repentance. "Once to every man, woman and nation comes the moment to decide." This is the season of Lent. It is time for each of us to ask, "Can I repent?" It is also time to ask, "Can a nation repent?" Remember Josiah, for he showed the way. Amen. Pastoral Prayer Almighty God, who is our Guardian in heaven and our Guide as we live on earth, take us on the path to repentance as we travel the road to Calvary this Lenten season. Let us know our guilt, not that we may be paralyzed by remorse or overwhelmed by ...
462. God Forsaken
Mark 15:21-32
Sermon
Erskine White
... . We pray for those who seek the oasis of new life, and who thirst for the living waters of faith. They know where they have been but don't know where to go. The day is a torment to them and the night is no comfort. Hear our prayers for people in despair. We pray for those who live in misery at the hands of others ... for those who suffer injustice, oppression and hunger ... those who are persecuted and tortured ... those who are ruthlessly repressed when they take a stand for justice and peace. They wonder ...
Sermon
Ron Lavin
... ... But the pain makes it impossible ..." "Another day ... I'll get up and do something. What shall I do? What do I ever do? No purpose... no reason ... If I could only do something, I might get my mind off this pain. "Another day ... I must begin with prayer ... Sometimes I wonder if it does any good. Sometimes I'm sure that if I didn't pray I would go insane. Sometimes I doubt ... Sometimes I don't believe in anything, but I must pray ... I must ... There is nowhere else to turn. Some of the others say ...
Sermon
... it brings us in the here-and-now will be quite different from the word it brought us in the there-and-then. So it is with this one, The Parable of the Unrighteous Judge, or the Parable of the Persistent Widow, or the Parable of Persevering Prayer, or the Parable of Tenacious Faith. It has been known by all these names. But today the major message waits for this last line, the one so frequently ignored, sometimes omitted altogether, "When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" The Promise ...
Sermon
... gave up the lasting values to satisfy the present posing need. He traded off a kind of family last will and testament promised to the older son - for a bowl of stew. We cannot walk away from our crossroads of life, but we can face them courageously through prayer, faith, compassion, impartial love of our fellow human beings, and personal esteem. Always walking in the strength of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we find our way in his Son, Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
466. Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Daniel 2:24-49, Daniel 2:1-23
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... handle in our own strength. Right there, between a rock and a hard place, we have to turn to God, just as Daniel did. Here is the second life-lesson: When in trouble, pray first. That's what Daniel did when he was between a rock and a hard place. Prayer should not be our last resort but our first resort. In James 1:5 we have this promise: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." Notice that Daniel prayed specifically and ...
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... operator had heeded the warning. God is warning us through the experience of old King Belshazzar. Now is the time to repent and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. You may do that right now. In your bulletin is a prayer of Christian commitment. Let’s bow our heads. I will pray this prayer, line by line. If you feel led to receive Jesus Christ by faith as your Savior and Lord, just repeat after me silently, line by line. Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness...I ...
Sermon
Michael L. Sherer
... its bad, its hope, its future, its experiences. In terms of such a call, the text gives promise that if work or prayers are shared within the Christian congregation, God will ratify them. That may sound foolish on God’s part. There is, however, one ... a whole congregation, can be pleasing to the Lord, it is significant to God that when we pray we come to him. We indicate, by prayer, that we are in common cause with him. We illustrate an openness, a trust, a need to hear from him, a recognition of who is ...
469. Broken and Beautiful
Luke 18:9-14, Psalm 51:1-19
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... Pharisee, a man who was part of the most religiously devout group in the country. He came to the temple three times each day to pray. Show me someone so devout that he or she leaves the workplace three times per day to come to the sanctuary for prayer. Let's nickname this Pharisee "Holy Harry." The Jewish law of that day required that the faithful give 10 percent of their income from crops and livestock to God's work. Holy Harry went beyond that; he gave 10 percent of all his income. Methodists and Baptists ...
470. Servant Worship
Psalm 116:1-19
Sermon
Donald Macleod
... , i.e., he called God in upon his human situation, and in so doing he would help to bring about the answer to his prayers. He said, moreover, that he would perform his devotion "in the presence of all his people" (v. 14b). This is what we Christians mean ... the Hebrews called "a cloud of witnesses" 12:1) and we are heirs of their faith and devotion. When we call upon God in prayer, we are part of a great fellowship who share together in both receiving and giving. 3. The third step the Psalmist took was: "I ...
Sermon
Donald Macleod
... got down to business over a concrete detail. You all know the story. Two names were put forward in a sort of primary (it must have been by a voice vote): Barsabas and Matthias whose qualifications were well known and acceptable to all. Then a season of prayer was decided upon, followed by a casting of lots which put responsibility upon each one to vote as his or her conscience seemed to be led by God. Matthias was chosen, and now the original band of chosen disciples again numbered twelve. What, now, do we ...
Sermon
Thomas Long
... power and glory ... This age is passing away ... Come, Lord Jesus." The church lived on tiptoe, straining their eyes toward the horizon. Something was about to happen. Because something was about to happen, every word they uttered, every deed they did, every prayer they prayed was shaped by this coming event. Like an actor in a play whose role seems insignificant until the denouement discloses that his lines held the key to the truth all along, the early Christians risked the shame of the world, confidently ...
Sermon
Richard A. Jensen
... practice of righteousness. And Jesus says NO to those who disfigure their faces when they fast. Jesus says NO to that kind of public righteousness. Fasting is a good thing. But fasting should be done before God, in secret. Fasting, like almsgiving and prayer, should not call attention to itself. When it does, it has its own rewards. The public practice of righteousness, after all, is always rewarded. Jesus makes that clear. If I practice my righteousness publicly, I’ll be rewarded. There is no doubt about ...
Sermon
Edward Chinn
... cannot wonder is but a pair of spectacles behind which there are no eyes." William L. Stidger recalled the day when a student found Pierre Curie, the French scientist, bending low over his microscope. The student thought that he had discovered his professor at prayer. He was ready to leave the room quietly when the scientist raised his head and turned. "Excuse me, sir," said the student, "I thought you were praying." Pierre Curie again leaned over to peer through his microscope. As he did so, he said, "All ...
Sermon
... in the New Testament. None of us can measure the potential, under God, of a new world, inspired by His presence. I was invited to speak at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. A young man called from the university to ask if I would care to attend their prayer group that evening. As I walked down the hill from the Divinity School I was aware of the tension on the campus. I knew they had been having a great deal of trouble in the town and on the campus itself. I came into the room where the young ...
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