What the Bible Says About Prayer
What is Prayer, and What Does the Bible Say About It?
Prayer is a dialogue between man and God. It is the finite creature being able to address his Creator. In almost every religion, prayer is an essential part of religious faith. In the Bible, prayer is mentioned many times in both the Old and the New Testaments. According to the Jewish people, after the Holy Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D., worshiping God was no longer done by sacrificing animals and incense and grains. Prayer took the place of sacrifice.
Specific Types of Prayers Include
- Intercessory prayer: praying for someone else
- Distant healing prayer: praying for the healing of someone or something at a distance
- Petition prayer: asking God or a higher power for something
- Centering prayer: centering on a word or phrase for a minimum of 20 minutes in silence, usually in order to open to the sacred
- Contemplative prayer: opening to union with God or the sacred
- Meditation: In Christianity, the ultimate goal of meditation is often union with God. In Buddhism, meditation is practiced to expand awareness and gain insight into the nature of passing phenomenon.
Where is Prayer First Mentioned in the Bible?
One of the first explicit references to prayer in the Bible is in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 20, verse 6. There it is written that God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him that Abraham would pray for him because he did not harm Abraham’s wife, Sarah. The verse then tells us that “Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech.” The next reference to prayer comes a few chapters later, in Genesis 24:11. Abraham’s servant Eliezer had been sent by his master to finds a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac. Eliezer prays to God to help him find the right girl for his master’s son. Before Eliezer had even finished his prayer, Rebeccah, the girl destined to be Isaac’s wife, comes to the well, in direct answer to his prayer.
Prayer in the Book of Genesis
The next reference to prayer is in Genesis 25:19. There God answers Isaac’s prayer for a child. It is written that “Isaac prayed to God on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer and his wife Rebecca became pregnant.” Jacob later (in Genesis 32:7) prayed to be saved from his brother Esau’s anger. God answered this prayer as well.
Prayer in the Book of Exodus
In the next book of the Bible, Exodus, Chapter 8, Pharaoh asks Moses to pray to the Lord in order to stop the plagues that are afflicting the Egyptians because Pharaoh will not let the enslaved Jewish people leave Egypt. Later, after the children of Israel have left Egypt, Moses prays to God to forgive them. Even though they have showed their lack of appreciation for what God did for them by redeeming them from slavery and taking them out of Egypt, Moses prays for his people. Similarly in the Book of Deuteronomy, 9:26, Moses prays for God to forgive the people after they sinned by making the Golden Calf and setting it up as an idol in place of God. “I prayed to the Lord and said, ‘Oh Sovereign Lord, do not destroy your people.’”
Prayer in the Book of the Prophets
In the books of the Prophets, prayer is mentioned on many occasions. For example, in the Book of Judges, 16:27, Samson prays to be able to take revenge on the Philistines and his prayer is granted. In the first book of Samuel (1:13), the childless Hannah prays with deep emotion for a child. The way she prayed has become an example of how proper and heartfelt prayer should be. The Bible tells us, “Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard.”
Prayer in the Old Testament
There are further examples throughout the Old Testament of prayer. These include King David praying for success in battle (in the First Book of Samuel), praying and fasting for his son to recover from illness (in the Second Book of Samuel); King Solomon (in the First Book of Kings) praying at the dedication of the Temple, Elijah (in Kings I) praying for God to send fire to consume his offering; Elisha (in Kings II) praying for a dead child to be brought back to life. The Book of Job also involves profound prayer on the part of the grieving Job. Queen Esther asks her people to fast and pray to God. Prayer is central to the stories of Jonah and Daniel. Of course, the Psalms speak of prayer constantly. In Psalm 102, for example, there is an eloquent call to pray to God. “Hear my prayer, O Lord. Let my cry for help come to You. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.”
List of Prayers
Roman Catholic prayers
- Act of Contrition
- Fatima Prayer
- Confiteor
- Eternal Rest
- Divine Praises
Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Sub Tuum, the oldest known prayer to Mary
- Rosary
- Ave Maria (Hail Mary)
- Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen)
- Alma Redemptoris Mater (Loving Mother of our Savior)
- Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven, Rejoice)
- Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Mary, Mother of Grace
- Memorare (Remember O Most Gracious Virgin Mary)
Prayers to Saints and Angels
- Prayer of Saint Francis
- Prayer to Saint Michael
- Prayer to Saint Joseph
- Chaplets
- Litany of the Saints
Eastern Orthodox prayers
- Jesus Prayer
- Akathist
- Axion Estin
- Theotokion
- Ektenia
Other denominations
- Wesley Covenant Prayer (Methodist)
- Daily Prayer for Peace (Community of Christ)
Prayers of the Theotokos (“Mary, Mother of God”)
- It Is Truly Meet
- O Virgin Pure
Islamic prayers
- Salah, ritual Islamic prayer, prescribed five times daily
- Fajr — the dawn prayer
- Dhuhr — the noon prayer
- Asr — the afternoon prayer
- Maghrib — the sunset prayer
- Isha’a — the night prayer
Besides the five daily prayers, other notable forms of salah include
- Jumu’ah — weekly congregational prayer
- Eid salah
- Tarawih
Dhikr, or “remembrance of God”
- Subhanallah
- Alhamdulillah
- Allahu akbar
- La ilaha ill Allah
- Astaghfirullah
Hindu prayers
- Sahasranam
List of Prayers Common Across Denominations
- Collect
- Compline
- Epiclesis
- Glory Be to the Father
- Good Friday Prayer
- Guardian Angel Prayer
- Litany
- Lord’s Prayer
- Magnificat (Song of Mary)
- Nicene Creed
- Apostles’ Creed
- Serenity Prayer
- Trinitarian formula
Resources about Prayer
How do you pray to the Rosmary?
Prayer Beads: a cultural experience. The History and Meaning of Prayer Beads
How can prayer benefit your health and well-being?
Benefits of Couple Prayer. Recently, couple prayer has been the topic of increasing research. Many married couples who have relied on prayer in addressing marital problems report that using prayer within a marriage tends to increase their level of satisfaction within the marriage.
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