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 1651 to 1675 of 4877 results
1651. Food for Faith
Matthew 14:13-21
Sermon
John R. Brokhoff
... you. Now stop and reflect on what you read. Is God saying anything to you in this passage? Any command to obey? Any promise to claim? Any example to follow? Any sin to avoid? Any prayer to echo? This is called reflection or meditation. You get quiet and still. You focus your mind on God and his Word. The next step is to respond to God by prayer which is talking to him. Speak to him as you do to a friend in conversation. Tell him everything and ask him for what you may need for that day. By doing this day ...
1652. Jesus ... Who?
Matthew 16:13-20
Sermon
John R. Brokhoff
... you ashamed to mention Jesus’ name when you pray in public? Are you afraid you might offend Jews, secularists, atheists, and agnostics by praying in Jesus’ name? I, for one, am so very proud of Bishop William R. Cannon who had the inaugural prayer for Jimmy Carter. At the end of his prayer, he said, "All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, thy Son and our Savior. Amen." This was on national television and radio networks. Not only most of the nation but much of the world was hearing and seeing. I am ...
Sermon
Leonard Mann
... the loving Father, but as a loving father or a loving mother to a child. So is God’s love toward us. A little seven-year-old girl who had been playing with a little boy who had been berating her all day long knelt down wearily to say her prayers one night. She cupped her little hands and looked up toward Heaven: "Dear God," she said, "are little boys really better than little girls?" Then she added: "I know you are one, but please be fair!" God is a Spirit. And they that worship God must worship God in ...
Sermon
Leonard Mann
... of the Bay have been known to reach a height of over sixty feet. You have known such moments: the singing of the "Hallelujah Chorus" on Easter Day. At other times God seems to disappear: the tide ebbs, the Bay of Fundy is now miles of mud flats, our prayers go dead. But always out there the mysterious ocean. Even when the tide is out we hear the distant murmur of ifs waves. III. One day the Mystery became Miracle: "The Word became flesh." "Word" has a capital W. It means the thrust into creation of God’s ...
Sermon
Allan J. Weenink
... in his business dealings, sets fair prices, gives value for value received. He is a model husband. To top it all, he is an exemplary churchman, devout in his religious duties and astonishingly generous in supporting the church budget. Yet in reality, his prayer had a hollow ring. In it we find every shibboleth of superiority and sanctimony. There is no compassion, no love, no sympathy, no concern for his poor brother standing by in obvious and abject misery. There is no humility. He seeks nothing from ...
Sermon
Allan J. Weenink
... s wisdom for him. During his three years of public ministry that needed to count so vitally for the world’s salvation, we find no indication of impatient haste or bursts of speed that far outdistanced his contemporaries. He paused often for prayer and private communion with his Father. He calmly taught his disciples and waited for the message to be absorbed in their often-dull minds. Although the crowds thronged and pushed about him, the gospels indicate that he showed infinite patience with individuals ...
Sermon
Harold Warlick
... prophetic traditions. Jesus repeatedly asserted that a man cannot be forgiven if he will not forgive others. In fact, one of the distinctive elements in Jesus’ teaching was this stress on forgiveness of the brother. This finds expression in the Lord’s Prayer and even in Jesus’ prayer of forgiveness from the cross. The common man or woman shares the power of God in being able to forgive others. So often we emphasize being saved as coming solely from the grace of God after our own confession. Yet Jesus ...
Sermon
Barbara Brokhoff
... . Nine hundred-calorie-a-day diets can even make some people mean. Faith gets at a low ebb when the body needs physical attention. Let me cite a biblical example. Remember the great prophet of God, Elijah, who called down fire from God out of heaven? His prayer of about 66 words was answered by God who sent fire upon a sacrifice that had been doused with twelve barrels of water! Elijah has such mighty faith in God to do such impossible things! And yet, after such ultimate triumph on Mt. Carmel, a few hours ...
Sermon
Jerry L. Schmalemberger
... a gift this invitation to God’s kingdom is to us, we too will try our best to ring true. We have been invited to a grand feast of worship today, and as we come, our lives ought to be changed. If we come prepared to worship, ready for prayer, conscious of our sins, then worship will be worship indeed. Well, that’s the story that Jesus told about a king who invited people to a wedding feast and none came. He went out into the streets and gathered in those who didn’t deserve the invitation. After the ...
1660. Double Citizenship
Matthew 22:15-22
Sermon
Jerry L. Schmalemberger
... When we have an obligation, we keep it. When we make a commitment, we are good for it. Whatever we do, we do well; so because we live in the world, in the community, in the state, we should do our part and take our responsibilities seriously. In an invocation prayer at the United States Senate, Peter Marshall said, "Lord Jesus, Thou who art the way, the truth, and the life, hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make men free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty ...
Sermon
Jerry L. Schmalemberger
... slavery of sin." "Oh, that a man may arise in me, that the man I am may cease to be" (Anonymous). That’s the kind of prayer we disciples can have answered: freedom from self, sin, fear, and others. Jesus goes on to say in our Gospel, "... I tell you the truth; everyone ... the sun’s rim rise above the horizon than they laughed, wept, and sang, and danced, and fell upon their knees in prayer. But all alike kept crying in a kind of dazed and happy ecstasy, "Free! Free! Free!" That is the New Testament note ...
Sermon
Herchel H. Sheets
... that we, therefore, should pay little attention to our good deeds. Some of the people among whom he lived were doing just the opposite of that. They were "religious" persons, but they wanted everyone to know it. They liked to be in a conspicuous place when the hour of prayer came so that all could see their piety; and if they gave a dollar to a beggar, they were eager for others to know what they had done. But Jesus said, "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." He was pleading for ...
Sermon
Kent Moorehead
... he seeks to prepare his heart as well as his head for his prophetic office. I have a very searching but simple procedure that is indispensable to me. Primary and supreme in importance is deliberate immersion of oneself in the spirit of Christ. By prayer, by the most inspiring devotional reading, by disciplined meditation, I must practice the presence of the Master. To make him so real, so alluring, so fully in command of my life is my objective. To paraphrase a famous statement, I say to myself, "This ...
Sermon
Jon L. Joyce
... I believe he did once. I heard him just as I was leaving the pulpit." He said, "Klaus, you have been lazy again." At our worst, the visible power of the Holy Spirit is safely frozen in the standard greetings of courtesy given to God correctly in Sunday prayers. The religion that used to walk - take men where they were going - has lain down on the job and is carried now to ceremonies. It is now eccentric for a family to sit down together and consult the will of God before making their decisions. I think that ...
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... will not likely see them again on this earth. By that time there is not a dry eye in the crowd. They kneel together in prayer. Then they hug one another and weep unashamedly. They escort Paul back to the ship and he sets his face toward Jerusalem. When God is ... Go to Green Bay." God doesn't leave messages on answering machines. But God is able to transform a question mark offered in prayer to an overnight inspiration about direction. When God is consulted, He can put all manner of obstacles in the way of a ...
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... that way except John. He replied, "That's alright. My Dad doesn't talk like that, and until I hear him talk like that, I'm not going to do it either." Bill Hinson says that as soon as he got a few moments, he found a private place of prayer. There he made a commitment that even though his son might hear every kind of foul speech in this secular society, he would never hear it from his Dad. The world is waiting for Christians to set an example in their speech and in their conduct. The only distinctiveness ...
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... a friend can make up that deficit. Children are so bright. If they sense that the Bible is not a vitally important book in your life, chances are that it won't be in theirs. If they seldom see you pray, except a perfunctory prayer at meal-time, they will not take prayer seriously. If children sense that Sunday worship is a grim duty rather than a treasured privilege, they will stop attending as soon as they get a chance. I remember a mother who took her poodle dog to obedience class each week without fail ...
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... elderly sharecropper, illiterate but very wise. One of his favorite sayings was this: If you ain't in trouble, your prayers ain't got no suction." The Bible declares that our extremity is God's opportunity. God is most likely to ... think I can go to sleep now." And in a little while he was quiet. The father lay there in the darkness, and then in childlike faith, prayed this prayer: "0 God, I don't see how I can survive this. The future looks so miserable. But if your face is toward me, somehow I think I can ...
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... where threats of suicide have been made, get professional help. But when the depression is not that extreme, you can take the person to lunch or assure him that he is important to you or offer a truthful compliment. And you can share a prayer. One final suggestion, and this gets into the political arena: We are currently undergoing a revolution in the way our government provides welfare. This revolution is long overdue. For a long time we have known that the current system encourages dependency and often ...
1670. The Words We Speak
Ephesians 4:17--5:21
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... read: "The women of Michigan love Frank." Frank Gifford responded, "The sign should read 'woman' and the place is my home in Greenwich." Don't you know that Frank got a warm welcome from Kathie Lee when he got home! Last week at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., the keynote speaker was Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia who is openly and unapologetically Christian. Senator Nunn told us that back in the fall when he announced his decision not to run for re-election, a newspaper reporter came to ...
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... : "Dear Larry, I'm so glad to hear that everything went well with your surgery. I want you to know that God was watching over you every minute and even though I know you question that, I also know that one day it will be revealed to you. My prayer is that you remain open and God will touch your life as he has mine. Once I was a disbeliever. When I could not fill my life with basketball, I would simply substitute sex, liquid drugs or material things to feed my internal shell-like appearance. I was never ...
1672. A Wonderful Sacrifice
1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... of years we have given to God more than 10 percent of our gross income. God continues to outgive us. We felt it would be improper to give less to Christ Church's budgeted ministries in order to give something to the Capital Campaign. So, following prayer and discussion, we decided to keep on giving above the tithe to Christ Church's budget; and, in fact, to increase it each year. In addition, we are going to find $15,000 somewhere for the Up with Christ campaign. It will probably mean putting off some ...
1673. Crossing Over
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
... top 20 golfers in the world. You don't mean that one, do you?" My friend just smiled and nodded. Now friends, I don't normally pray on the golf course. I figure the Lord has much more important business to attend to. But I pulled the emergency prayer rope and said, "Lord, please don't let me embarrass myself. Just don't let me hit somebody with the ball or knock out any windows. Please." As it turned out, Loren Roberts is a tremendous person, a dedicated Christian, and an absolute pleasure to be around. He ...
Sermon
Don Yocom
... together. A man and a woman cannot fight if they are on their knees before God. They can pick a time in the day when the family can be together and keep a regular schedule of family worship. Children enjoy taking turns reading and can offer a simple prayer also. We must rebuild the altar to God in our hearts. Here we surrender to Him all those hidden things. Sometimes renewal cannot come to a church until a "key person" makes the step forward. We have seen that happen, too. When the lay leader of one church ...
1675. Free to Be
Acts 4:23-31
Sermon
Michael J. Anton
... U. S. of A. has been a good home for most of its citizens. It has done many things right and has provided a healthy environment for the majority of its people. So we do have good reason to say, "Thanks, Lord, for planting us here." But our prayer should continue, "And, Lord, not only thanks for giving us our citizenship here, but, Lord, teach us as Christians to demonstrate to your world what it means to be free." I have many enemies. There are men who want me for their slave under their tyranny. There are ...
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