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 751 to 775 of 4877 results
Sermon
Carlyle Fielding Stewart
... church said, "Because the scriptures say, 'And it came to pass,' which means that it didn't come to stay. That's why the prayer says, 'Yea though I walk through the valley,' because I'm coming through, I'm claiming my victory right now in the name ... the storms? Are you a tree or a post? A tree gives life and grows. A post withers and dies! Are you getting the sunlight of prayer? Are you planted in the soil of hope and showered by the cool waters and rains of love and spirituality? Have the axes of doubt been ...
752. Hostage Crisis
1 Kings 19:1-8
Sermon
Carlyle Fielding Stewart
... . Had Elijah kept it in the hollow of his heart, Ahab and Jezebel couldn't have put him on the run. Had he known the prayer warriors were praying and the saints of God were staying on his side, he could have stayed on that mountain and put the king and ... he turned away from his sinful addiction and allowed the word of God to come into his life. And he discovered that the prayer saints never stopped praying. If Christ can free him from crack; if God freed Elijah from fear of Jezebel's traps, freed Jesus from ...
753. The Interview
Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42
Sermon
Larry Goodpaster
... to be, one of the tasks is that of ‘preaching.’ Now, don’t start objecting too soon -- I see it in your face. I’m not talking about standing up in some pulpit somewhere and sharing with a congregation the fruit of all your study, research and prayer. There are some who take on that role, but it’s not for everyone. However, everyone is expected to ‘preach,’ by which I mean, share the good news -- tell the story! As you are going about your daily routine, in the coffee shop with your friends, on ...
Sermon
Ron Lavin
... for more than 33 years. As I have preached and lectured around the country, I always ask the groups of people to pray for Harry. "Wing your prayers toward Chicago, Illinois," I requested. "We don't know what prayer is, only that it is. We don't know how prayer works, only that it works. Pray for Harry's conversion and baptism before he dies," I said. "I love him. I want him to find peace through Jesus Christ before he dies." Water came down from heaven. Some of it fell into Lake Michigan and became a ...
755. Good News!
Isaiah 51:17--52:12
Sermon
Ron Lavin
... been placed because his father was at war, and his mother could not afford to feed him. Nicolas heard the name of his father in the prayers for English soldiers who had died in World War II. "Right there and then," he said, "I told God I would never believe in him ... loud for the first time at a quiet supper we shared in an English cottage that was more than 400 years old. The prayer was a thing of beauty and simplicity. "God, take care of Jean. And help us to accept whatever happens. Thank you, Jesus, for ...
756. Saints Alive!
Matthew 5:1-12
Sermon
Theodore F. Schneider
... Beatitudes in the first place. O the bliss of the man who has realized his own utter helplessness, and who has put his whole trust in God ...2 This is a day of thanksgiving for all the saints ... and especially for those who now rest from their labors. The prayer of the church is said again: "May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace." We remember them with thanksgiving. But finally, today's good news, as it is every day, is God! God's grace makes this day one of hope ...
757. Stairways Of Heaven
Genesis 28:10-22
Sermon
Justin Tull
... not obscured by the walls of fear or the darkness of tragedy, or blocked by the stockpiles of our sin. The good news is that God’s escalators are everywhere. The stairways of heaven are no farther than the breath of God’s Spirit or the sigh of our prayers. Heaven and earth are forever connected. Why? Not because we always choose to go up to him, but because God never fails to come down to us. There is an escalator by every pit we ourselves dig and by every pit provided by life. God’s promise to Jacob ...
Sermon
Justin Tull
... us by its own power, but it always comes if we invite it. So, if we want to be Spirit full we must learn to pray, we must learn to gather and we must learn to invite. Those who are open then to the Spirit, will you now make this prayer your own. Come, my Light, and illumine my darkness.Come, my Life, and revive me from death.Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds.Come, Flame of divine love, and burn up the thorns of my sins, kindling my heart with the flame of thy love.Come, my King, sit ...
759. Step Three - Faith
Mt 8:5-13 · Heb 11:1-7 · Is 55:6-9
Sermon
John A. Terry
... still and know that I am God." We cannot shout God down. God does not shout us down. There are verbal skills in speech. There are listening skills as others speak to us. Then there is the skill of listening to the silence. This is the basic skill needed in prayer. If God's ways are higher than our ways and God's thoughts higher than our thoughts, how can we ever hope to hear what God says? We can, because, even though God is infinitely higher, God is not removed. We are created in God's image. The Bible ...
760. The Rights of an Apostle
1 Corinthians 9:1-27
Sermon
Johnny Dean
... - even at work - even at school. I can take God into any place I want to. I carry him in my heart, my mind, my prayers, and most of all my actions. Notice that Paul did not say anything about judging people, criticizing people, or condemning people. Our job is not ... , witnessing became a life style not just something we do occasionally or something we pull out on Sunday. Christianity isn't just prayer and worship - it is life. Let your life speak for your beliefs. You don't need to preach from a soapbox on ...
761. The Household Leader
Deuteronomy 6:1-25
Sermon
R. E. Lybrand
... Luther to aid fathers in fulfilling their baptismal promises to teach their children the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. Incidentally, those are the same promises all of us fathers made when our children were baptized. But I wonder how many of us ... the Bible in the past month? Are you being God's spokesman in your family? We say that we believe in the power of prayer, but how many of us lead family devotions in our homes? How many of us actually pray with our children about some hurt or ...
Sermon
James Angell
... the willingness to share what has flowed into my inner world from so many sources - their passion, hallowed imaginations, knowledge of the world, their books, their poetry, their ability to move life forward, to teach and to care, to finish in their own way the prayer "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace." Preachers, of course, do not preach to be honored or even remembered. And even to suggest such a "Royalty of the Pulpit" sounds silly, and at odds with the humility of the One whose life, death, and ...
Sermon
Carveth Mitchell
... reasonable desire. Have you prayed about it?" "Well, no. Of course not." "Why not? There’s certainly nothing wrong with a prayer like that. You should pray about it." "All right. Maybe I will sometime." "Not sometime. Now. What better place to pray than ... goes on up there I don’t know.) The man said, "I’ve always gone to church, read my Bible, given my tithe, and said my prayers. There I was in great need of your help. Where were you when I needed you?" The Lord replied, "Where was I? I sent you two ...
764. Dodging the Thrust
Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:1-7
Sermon
Carveth Mitchell
... close I am to home. I’ve lost my landmarks." Perhaps those three young men, like that woman and like some sheep, have lost their landmarks, too - the home of their childhood, the gospel hymns in the little church, the mother who heard their childhood bedtime prayers. Oh, yes, we could talk about people, and point the finger of scorn, like the Pharisees did. For example, there is that family that moved in across the street. They argue a lot. Their children are often left alone. If they go to church, I’ve ...
Sermon
Carveth Mitchell
... as the computer operater and the insurance man study their manuals? Do we devote time and patience to our prayers and our witnessing like the investor to his accounts or the sportsman to his skills? Jesus said, "In the ... have, and thus to be a slave to mammon. The possession of things - little or much - is a matter for prayer, in order that they may be our servants, and never be allowed to become our masters; prayer that they may be used as the owner God would have them used. No matter how we sugar-coat it ...
Sermon
... ocean floor rose as much as fifty feet. This makes us ask, "Is there anything too hard for God?" Paul talks about a God who is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think. When you pray, do you doubt whether God is able to answer your prayer, even though it seems to take a miracle? Is it too hard for God to remove the obstacle in your life? Is it too hard for God to heal your friend? Is it too hard for God to change your life into something worthwhile? You can say it again and ...
Sermon
... . We do not ask whether the recipients are worthy. These things do not matter. We are not doing these good things for them. We are doing them for Jesus. Knowing Jesus means that he is key to all we think, believe, and say. Christian prayer is different from all other prayers, because the prayer is offered through Christ or in the name or spirit of Christ. Jesus told us that no man comes to the Father but by him. He is our intercessor at the throne of God, and he takes our petitions to the Father who answers ...
768. Angry Hands
Psalm 26:1-12
Sermon
... works against us, our relationships with each other, and our life with God. The Psalmist concludes, "Allow my feet to stand on level ground." What Jesus Christ did in giving himself at Calvary is the answer to the Psalmist's prayer. It is the answer to our prayer. It is the answer to our prayer that God would consume our anger and take it out of us, asking him to remove all the bitterness that exists in us, all the scheming that we do against each other gossiping and back-stabbing, seeking his release from ...
Sermon
Kendall McCabe
... for our strengthening as we go on to glory by way of the cross. Haste thee on from grace to glory, Armed by faith and winged by prayer; Heaven's eternal day's before thee, God's own hand shall guide thee there. But, I may add, God's hand will guide us down from ... sake of a following. Here is a Son who seeks to live in obedience to a loving Father, and to remain in the communion of prayer in order to know God's will. Someone greater than Moses is here. Now a new word is added. "Listen to him." The Word has ...
770. God of the Ordinary
Exodus 13:17--14:31
Sermon
... him why it was important I be the one who prayed, he said, "Because you are a minister, you are good, you are better than the rest of us, and God will hear you before he will hear me." That man was wrong, wrong, wrong! God does use the mighty prayer power of an Oral Roberts, a Billy Graham, my John, your pastor, and others; but, just as surely does he also hear and answer the cries to heaven of humble, average, ordinary persons like you and me. It's God, all God, that does it anyway! God Uses Ordinary ...
Sermon
... reasonable desire. Have you prayed about it?" "Well, no. Of course not." "Why not? There’s certainly nothing wrong with a prayer like that. You should pray about it." "All right. Maybe I will sometime." "Not sometime. Now. What better place to pray than ... goes on up there I don’t know.) The man said, "I’ve always gone to church, read my Bible, given my tithe, and said my prayers. There I was in great need of your help. Where were you when I needed you?" The Lord replied, "Where was I? I sent you two ...
Sermon
... is glorified," said Jesus, "that you bear much fruit." (John 15:8) Not to bear good fruit is to be distant from the spirit of the living Christ. Good deeds are indeed the gold of Christian life. Nor can Christians be fed for their journey without prayer. Prayer is that resource which helps us to practice the presence of Christ in every relationship of our lives. Rufus M. Jones, in The Double Search, puts it this way: It is a primary truth of Christianity that God reaches us directly. No person is insulated ...
Sermon
Brett Blair
... picture of 90% of the people in the world. But then again… We now live in a world in which there are more hungry people than there were people 100 years ago. Yet, according to a gallop Poll nine out of ten American families will not utter a prayer as they sit down to their Thanksgiving dinner. Jesus said: “Where are the nine? Will no one return and give thanks to God?” Are we really that much unlike them? I wonder. I wonder. Off the coast of Evanston Illinois there comes the story of a shipwreck. The ...
Sermon
Dennis Kastens
... to some), but what his actions are like as he literally goes about living his very life in and through the lives of others. One of the places where Christ’s actions are most clearly evident is (not necessarily only in Sunday worship or in prayer at midnight, but) in the awesome privilege which Christians have to forgive others; not merely tolerate, not merely put up with, not merely overlook, but actually forgive! The story is told of an inhuman slave master in the South before the Civil War, who, while ...
775. Solomon’s Search
2 Chronicles 1:1-17
Sermon
Richard F. Bansemer
... you? Anyhow, I just wanted you to know I think about it, sometimes, and it bothers me, sometimes, and if you have anything you want me to do, just say so, and I’ll do my best. Honest." And God answers: "What do you want?" Yes, God really answers your prayer in a way that you know it’s God, and you heard the question clearly: What do you want? First, adrenaline. You are not alone! Good Lord, you’re not alone! He was really listening! He heard you and answered you and asked you a question! My wife never ...
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