Prayer in Genesis

The first Hebrew word which is translated “prayer” is found in Genesis 20:7^[1] when Abimelech had attempted to take Sarah, Abraham’s wife, for himself. God came to Abimelech in a dream (v. 3) and pronounced judgment on him for this offense. Abimelech related what Abraham had told him to God and God said “restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live” (Gen. 20:7). The word is used again in v. 17 when the situation is resolved and “Abraham prayed to God” for the wellbeing of Abimelech.

A few things must be noted regarding prayer from Genesis 20. Prayer was first commanded by God, it was not an activity that Abimelech, Abraham or Sarah came up with on their own. This prayer was not to be conducted by any person who wanted to do it. Rather, it was commanded by God that the prophet Abraham should be the one to pray. The result of the prayer was also clear in God’s commandment; Abimelech would either live or die as the outcome of Abraham’s prayer. Abimelech’s life was spared in answer to the prayer of Abraham. It should be noted that the prayer itself is not the agent of healing. The God to whom the prayer was directed is the efficacious healer.

Isaac, Abraham’s son, is also recorded as having prayed. Scripture records that “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived (Gen. 25:21). In Hebrew a different word is here translated “prayer” than in Genesis 20:7, 17. If a divine command to pray was issued in this instance its record is not in Scripture. It is quite possible that Isaac was taught to pray by his father and was aware of the situation surrounding Abimelech’s healing.

Isaac’s prayer was also for healing. As a result of this prayer the Lord healed Rebekah allowing her to successfully conceive with Isaac. As was the case with Abraham’s prayer, the healing was from God, not the prayer itself.
The next notable use of the term “prayer” is in Genesis 32:11. Here we find the record of Jacob’s prayer when he was about to meet his brother Esau and his 400 men. Jacob was frightened at the prospect of facing his brother’s anger. As far as Esau had been concerned Jacob had stolen his birthright and his blessing from their dying father. Taking preventative measures, Jacob split up his company so that at least one part would survive if Esau attacked. He then turned his focus toward God, saying

O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,’ I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children. For You said, ‘I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.’

This is a very honest prayer to the Lord. A number of comments on this prayer will prove helpful in forming a biblical definition of prayer.

First, note that Jacob clearly states Whom he is praying to. He addresses the same One Whom his father and grandfather had addressed and received an answer. It is no mistake that prayer to God was practiced by three consecutive generations in this family. It was a regular practice that the father taught to his children. Second, note that Jacob uses God’s words when making his prayer request: “O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you’” (v. 9), and “for You said, ‘I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered’” (v. 12) God had promised him descendents and this promise seemed to be in jeopardy. Rather than accuse God of breaking His word he cries out for deliverance with the promise justifying the plea. He did not doubt God’s integrity for one moment!

Finally, Jacob humbled himself. He recognized that he was not worthy of the treatment he had received from the Lord. His “lovingkindness” and “faithfulness” was shown toward Jacob as a master would show similar sentiments toward a servant. Prayer was, in part, viewed by Jacob as a servant approaching a master who was able to solve the problems that he had gotten himself into. No servant would ever presume to order his master to help him. That is a sure way to get a beating! The servant, as exemplified by Jacob, bows before the master and speaks highly of the good he has received from the master in the past. He takes the highest view of the past words of his master, there is no suspicion that the master had lied when he spoke them.

Prayer in the Pentateuch

In Genesis we saw that Abraham was commanded to pray by God. His son and grandson both prayed seemingly on their own initiative, but it is clear that God had worked things out in such a way that his promise would be kept and Abraham’s line would not be cut off. Each prayer was prayed by man addressed to God, either on behalf of another person or, in the case of Jacob, for the individual praying. At this point it seems that there is a connection between the prayer and the promises of God. Two of the three cases examined involved the promise to multiply Abraham’s descendants (although only one explicitly quotes God’s words verbatim). Moses records more prayers in Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

In Exodus the Pharaoh of Egypt called for Moses and Aaron to “entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people” (Exod. 8:8). The word “entreat” is the same word used of Isaac in Genesis 25:21. Pharaoh promised to allow the people of God to go and make a sacrifice to their God if He would remove the frogs from the land. Moses cried to the Lord (Exod. 8:12) and He “did according to the word of Moses” (v. 13) but pharaoh hardened his heart and did not keep his end of the bargain.

Prayer on behalf of a leader or ruler was clearly practiced early in Israel’s history. Pharaoh was a wicked man who, in contrast to God, broke his word. He hardened his heart toward God’s will while Moses and Aaron opened up in prayer and saw their requests answered. Similarly, God answered Moses’ prayers to remove flies (Exod. 8:30), thunder and hail (Exod. 9:33), and even locusts (Exod. 10:18) from the land of Egypt. Each prayer was made at the request of Pharaoh and each time the result was the same, God answered the prayer of Moses and Pharaoh sunk further and further down in unbelief.

For some reason Moses often found himself praying for relief from disaster. In Numbers 11:1-2 the Israelites kindled God’s wrath in the desert and God sent fire down as punishment for their murmuring. When the people cried to Moses for relief Moses turned to prayer. Moses’ prayer resulted in the fire dying out (v. 2). Notably, this is an instance of punishment for sins being postponed because prayer was made to that effect. Certainly those who would later die in unbelief would meet with an eternal fire that would not be so quickly quenched!

Moses did not attempt to find water and quench the fire himself. Such an effort would prove futile. He showed complete trust in the Lord and God honored His special relationship with Moses by again answering his prayer. Moses treasured this special relationship and taught the Israelites that Yahweh was a unique God, nothing like the gods of the nations around them. His basis for this claim was the nearness of God to His people when they call on him: “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him” (Deut. 4:7)? The word “call” in Hebrew is not normally translated into English as the word “prayer.” However its second occurrence^[2] in Genesis is in 4:26 when “men began to call upon the name of the Lord.” This is likely meant to imply that they were calling on the name of the Lord in some form of organized, public worship. The practice of “calling” on the name of the Lord as a form of worship was common in the Old Testament (Gen. 12:8; 13:4; 16:3; 21:33; 26:25; Exod. 34:5; 2 Kings 5:11; 1 Chron. 13:6; 16:8; 2 Chron. 14:11; Ps. 99:6; 105:1; 116:4, 13, 17; Isa. 7:14; 12:4; Lam. 3:55; Joel 2:32 cf. Acts 2:21 and Rom. 10:13; Zeph. 3:9; 13:9). Even the apostle Paul, in the New Testament, will address his letter to the church in the city of Corinth:

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours (1 Cor. 1:2)

Prayer in the Writings and the Prophets

As we go further and deeper into the Bible it becomes evident that the golden thread of prayer is strung throughout the entire book. The remainder of the Old Testament contains a plethora of prayers which are too numerous to examine in this paper.^[3] A few more will be mentioned.

The birth of Samuel, one of the Israel’s greatest leaders, was the result of God answering the prayer of a barren woman. The first chapter of 1 Samuel records the history of the events leading up to the birth of Samuel. Hannah, one of the wives of Elkanah, was a barren woman. She had never been able to give birth to a child. Her womb had been closed by the Lord (1 Sam. 1:5,6) and Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, would continuously remind her of this fact, driving her to tears. Her words are recorded in v. 11. As she wept in her distress,

She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.

Eli the priest was at the doorpost of the temple and mistook her prayer for intoxication. When that was cleared up he sent her off with words of comfort: “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him” (1 Sam. 1:17). The petition was answered in the affirmative and Hannah’s womb was opened by the Lord. She conceived and named her son “Samuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked him of the Lord’” (v. 20). She was unable to think of a more appropriate name for her first son! Samuel, to her, meant “God answered my prayer.” Her prayer played a role much larger than she imagined, for her son, Samuel, would serve a vital role as a leader in Israel.

Prayer was offered on many other occasions. The prayers of David and many others are recorded in the Psalms. These prayers cover all of the issues of life from the deliverance from enemies (Ps. 17), to requests for a right relationship with God (Ps. 51). Solomon prays publicly at the dedication of the newly completed temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:22-53). Hezekiah, one of Judah’s reformer-kings, prayed for deliverance from Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:15-19). Daniel prayed and gave thanks to God regularly during the Babylonian captivity. God protected Daniel when he was thrown to the lions as punishment for prayer (Dan. 6). After the exile Nehemiah prayed to God for forgiveness for the sins of the entire nation (Neh. 1:4-11). He cited Scripture as the basis for his request, as did Jacob, and God was pleased to provide what Nehemiah asked for.

The Old Testament records circumstances when God prohibited prayer. Jeremiah records God’s words “do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you” (Jer. 7:16). God was about to judge the nation for their sins. This judgment was inevitable and entirely beyond avoidance. They had used up their last chance to repent and now God commanded that prayers for deliverance of the nation cease.

God does not hear all prayers. This is the idea in Proverbs 15:8, 29. The prayers of the “upright” and “righteous” are heard. This is contrasted with the situation of the wicked. They may make a sacrifice, but to God it is an abomination on account of their wicked nature. God is, anthropomorphically speaking, far from the wicked (v. 29). He is too far to hear them pray but this is not the case for the righteous. He hears their prayer because He is, so to speak, near them.

Prayer in the New Testament

While the Old Testament has much to teach us about what prayer is, it can never teach with as much clarity and precision as the New Testament. It is evident from a careful study of the entire Bible that the New Testament is a further revelation of God than the Old Testament. They stand united; both are true records of events and doctrine. They also stand divided with regard to clarity. To be sure, the Old Testament is clear in what it says, but the New Testament brings the clear truths of the Old Testament into focus by adding more true information and fine tuning the doctrine already in place. Progressive revelation on God’s part and progressive understanding on our part must work together if we are to understand all that the Bible has to teach about the nature of prayer.
The first point of interest for the Christian seeking a definition of prayer from the text of the New Testament is found in the teaching, example, and prayers of Jesus. These three aspects of Jesus’ view of prayer may be an artificial way of examining the relevant material, but it will prove useful as a starting point. The instructions of the Lord Jesus, God’s Messiah, should be discussed first when turning to the New Testament. They will be followed by an examination of prayer in Paul’s writings and then in the remainder of the New Testament texts.

Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer

There is no question that Jesus was a man of prayer. Jesus was always praying by Himself and in the company of others. Perhaps this is why there is such a wealth of information recorded by the Gospel writers concerning the things Jesus taught His followers about prayer. To Jesus, prayer was fitting in any situation; He taught His disciples to “pray at all times” and “not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1). For our purposes a close study of what Jesus taught about prayer will be useful in forming a biblical definition of prayer.

Jesus’ longest recorded sermon was the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3-7:27). Here, we have the first use of the term in the New Testament. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus teaches that we are to “love [our] enemies and pray for those who persecute [us].” The Greek word in this verse is proseu,cesqe which is from proseu,comai. This term is always translated as “pray,” “praying” or a similar “pray-” word in English. In 6:5-15 Jesus talks in detail about prayer. Our attitude is to be humble, unlike the hypocrites who pray to be seen by men we are to pray to be seen by God (v. 5-6). Further, the manner in which we pray must not be patterned after the manner in which the Gentiles pray; specifically, we must not use “meaningless repetition” in prayer (v.7).

Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 contain a pattern for prayer labeled by many as “The Lord’s Prayer.” The pattern for prayer includes an appropriate address toward God as our Father in heaven (whose name is most holy), submission to the Father’s will, requests for our day to day needs, forgiveness of sins and grace to forgive others, and help against temptation. Jesus adds that the Father will forgive you only when you forgive others for their sins against you (Matt. 6:14-15).^[4]

Jesus held prayer in high regard. This is a direct result of the Old Testament teaching on prayer. All three synoptic accounts record Jesus’ cleansing of the temple (Matt. 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46). Each time He quotes Isaiah 56:7, “my house shall be called a house of prayer.” He was angry at the temple goers for making the temple into a sort of religious strip mall. They should have been praying there, for the very identity of the house was to be found in the prayers offered up by the worshipers therein.

Prayer requests had requirements to make them legitimate in prayer to God. One must ask with an attitude of belief that God will grant them what they are praying for (Matt. 21:22; Mark 11:24-25). Prayer requests must sometimes be repeated if not answered. Jesus taught that persistence counts when praying to God (Matt. 7:7-8 cf. Luke 11:5-10; Luke 18:1-8). Not only did He teach us with His words, but also with his actions (Matt. 24:36-46 cf. Mark 14:32-42).

Requests are not simply to be made often and with a belief that they will be granted. According to Jesus what we pray for must also be “good” (Matt. 7: 11) for those who ask. In addition our prayer requests ought to be limited to any and all things which will glorify the Father in the Son (John 14:13). If that will be the result then God will grant us whatever we ask (v. 14).

Abuse of prayer is cautioned against. Jesus had must displeasure with the scribes who would “for appearance’s sake offer long prayers” (Mark 12:40 cf. Luke 20:47). This was not their only problem but it is certainly deserving of the “greater condemnation.” Jesus is emphatic that God knows how to answer prayer. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him” (Matt 7:11)! The fact that a person is evil, and remains evil,^[5] is not a good excuse to avoid prayer. The scribes received the “greater condemnation” for allowing their evil to use prayer for evil ends. Jesus would have us tame our evil urges by much prayer and petition. Did He not tell Peter and the sons of Zebedee to pray against temptation (Matt. 26:41)? Was not the ability to escape from temptation included as an answer when Christ was asked how one ought to pray (Matt. 6:13 cf. Luke 11:4)?

One’s self-perception is important when approaching God in prayer. As indicated above, we must understand that we are and remain to be “evil.” In a parable Jesus used a tax collector as an example of the wrong self image. He was really only “praying… to himself” (Luke 18:9). The content of his prayer was a superficial thanksgiving for how much more wonderful God had made him than the Pharisee who entered the temple at the same time. His prayer, if we can even call it “prayer,” went unanswered because of his pride and lack of reverence.

To say that we are “evil” sinners would be accurate and this is important to remember in prayer according to Jesus. But there is more to the picture than just this. We are “evil” sinners who have been made friends with the Son (John 15:15). The slave/master motif has now been upgraded to a familial motif. We can now come to God in prayer because we are on friendly terms with His Son. This is a sizable difference from the Old Testament approach to prayer.^[6]

Jesus taught the form of prayer as well. Prayer was to be addressed to the Father in the name of the Son (John 14:13, 14; 15:16; 16:23, 26). This teaching must reflect the understanding of the inner workings of prayer. Prayers are addressed to each member of the Trinity in the New Testament. The writer of these verses, John the apostle, finished his last book with a prayer to Jesus (Rev. 22:20)! Praying to the Father in the name of the Son must be the normative way of prayer, not excluding spontaneous outbursts of praise to any and all members of the Trinity, or in the case of John, spontaneous outbursts of longing for God to fulfill His word (Rev. 22:20, here that Jesus would return again as He had promised, cf. John 14:3).

Jesus’ Examples of Prayer

In addition to the teaching of Jesus on the topic and practice of prayer the Gospels record numerous examples of Jesus’ prayer life. These examples are very important to note after surveying his explicit teaching on the subject. If Christ as the spotless Lamb of God saw a need to pray so often, we too ought to follow His example.

Jesus would set aside time specifically for prayer. He would “often slip away to the wilderness and pray” (Luke 5:16). Jesus tried to find a “secluded” place to pray in Mark 1:35. As a man, Jesus likely got distracted by those around Him at times and saw a need to pray in a remote area. What better place than under the heavens which He Himself created! These prayer sessions were probably lengthy if He felt the need to get away from town. At times He would spend “the whole night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).

Our Lord did only pray by Himself, other people were aware of His active prayer life. His public prayers were nothing like the public prayers of the hypocrites whom He condemned (Matt. 6:5, 7; Mark 12:40 cf. Luke 20:47). He prayed in public for children who were brought to Him (Matt. 19:13-15 cf. Luke 18:15-17). When rebuked for this by His followers He replied with another rebuke! “Do not hinder them from coming to Me,” Matthew records (19:13). Jesus was very protective of children and lashed back when they were prevented from coming to Him.

He also prayed in the presence of his disciples. His constant praying in their midst no doubt peaked their interest and cultivated in them a desire to learn how to pray for themselves (Luke 9:20). Jesus prayed at his baptism and the Father spoke from heaven that He was pleased in His Son (Luke 3:21-22). Martha was aware of Jesus’ prayer life when she spoke to Jesus after her brother, Lazarus, had died. “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You,” said Martha (John 11:22). She knew Jesus to be a man who prayed so often that what He asked for was what the Father wanted and therefore His prayers were granted.

Jesus was aware of the devil’s activity during His life on earth. At some point the devil had demanded permission to sift Peter like wheat. Jesus relayed this story to Peter and added “but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32). Note the great compassion that Jesus had toward His friend. By example He teaches that we too should pray for our friend’s spiritual needs. Note also that the first recourse when Satan was at work was to prayer. Christ’s example was understood by Paul who later wrote that

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places… With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (Eph. 6:12, 18)

The Prayers of Jesus

Both Jesus’ teaching on prayer and His example of prayer, when viewed together, form a picture of what prayer should be like. We are very blessed to have some records of the actual prayers of Jesus. Knowing what we know about how often He prayed and how it was usually by Himself it was not possible to have a script of His prayer to put in the New Testament. But of His prayer’s made in public or with his disciples we have a glorious glimpse which will provide valuable material for our definition of biblical prayer.

Matthew, Mark and Luke each write a pericope concerning the time when Jesus took Peter, John and James to pray on the Mount of Olives. Jesus prayed three times. Before each session He would tell the three to keep watch and pray. And after each session He would return to find that they fell asleep while He was praying at a distance (Matt 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46). Matthew 26:39 records Jesus’ words: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Verse 42 records His second round: “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Jesus, as noted earlier, is doing what He taught others to do in prayer, to pray persistently. He also prayed that the will of the Father would be accomplished. This He also taught others to do. After He had prayed three times He had received an answer from the Father, He must drink the cup of God’s wrath. There was no other way. In reply our Lord did not shrink back and cry about His eminent death. Rather He accepted the will of God with dignity and grace. “The hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners” (Matt. 26:45).

One of the Public prayers of Jesus was to give due credit to the Father for His activity in sending His Son. The prayer was not for Jesus sake but for the sake of those around Him:

Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me. (John 11:41-42)

Jesus’ goal in praying is clear. He wanted those present to believe that He was sent there from the Father. The prayer was granted in the affirmative (John 11:45).

In the middle of a discussion with Philip and Andrew, Jesus broke into a short prayer of praise to the Father (John 12:28). Jesus began to talk about the approaching hour of his death. He claimed that His soul was troubled and hypothetically asked “what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour ‘? But for this purpose I came to this hour” (John 12:27). With that purpose in mind he spontaneously prays “Father, glorify Your name.” Christ prayed that the Father would glorify His name His Own actions. The Father immediately answered this prayer with a voice from heaven, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again” (v. 28). Thus the Father indicated that He was glorified in Christ’s previous actions and would again be glorified in His upcoming actions, specifically in His sacrificial death on the cross.

It is an interesting side note that the Greek text of the Gospel of John does not use the Greek words for prayer at all. It is therefore somewhat ironic that the longest prayer of Jesus is to be found in John’s gospel account. The “High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus occupies the seventeenth chapter of John’s Gospel. It is too lengthy to dissect in detail here, but a number of things ought to be pointed out.

First, He addresses the Father when praying (John 17:1, 5, 11, 21, 24, 25). Second, His prayer addresses or assumes certain theological themes such as election (v. 9), fulfillment of Scripture (v. 12), inspiration of Scripture (v. 17) and His own pre-existence (v. 24). Third, a prominent theme of the prayer is the glory of the Father (v. 4, 5, 11 (holy Father), 22, 25 (righteous Father)). This theme, Jesus told us elsewhere (John 14:13), should be present in all of our prayers.

Before turning our focus toward the remainder of the New Testament there are two more issues regarding prayer worth mentioning. Jesus taught the doctrine of fasting alongside the doctrine of prayer. In the Sermon on the Mount the section about fasting (Matt. 6:16-18) immediately followed the section about prayer (Matt. 6:5-15). He used the same formula to criticize the abuse of fasting (v. 16) as He used to criticize the abuse of prayer (v. 5). Each criticism is followed by a similar statement about how one ought to pray/fast (v. 6, 17). Each should be noticed by the Father. Each will be rewarded when done with a sincere heart. This presumption lies behind the words of Jesus in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee fasted twice each week and boasted about it in prayer. Jesus makes His point well for this character embodies the worst qualities to be found in one who is fasting and praying. The link between fasting and prayer is unstated yet visible.

Fasting is also linked together with praying by Jesus in Luke 5:33-36. When asked why His disciples do not fast and pray as John’s did He replied “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days” (Luke 5:34-35). Jesus’ disciples prayed but did not fast. This was so because they were celebrating His life and presence while they still could. Once He was taken away they fasted and prayed together. The book of Acts records such events after the Bridegroom had ascended (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23).

The second point of interest is the position of ones “eyes” in prayer. Before He prayed at the tomb of Lazarus “Jesus raised His eyes” (John 11:41) and then prayed. Before Jesus prayed His “High Priestly Prayer” He had been talking with his disciples. “Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven,” (John 17:1) He began to pray. The phrase is used by Jesus in Luke 18:13. The tax collector would not so much as “lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’” (Luke 18:13). This indicates that such a practice was common, but not a command or requirement by any means. The condition of the tax collector was reflected by him beating his breast. He felt unworthy to even pray, but did so nonetheless.

Prayer in the Book of Acts

The early church was a praying church. They were “continually devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14). The verse adds that women prayed. This is important to note because women, like men, ought to pray. In Christ “there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Sexism has no place in a biblical theology of prayer. In the Church both men and women must pray “continually.”

Acts 2:42 lists prayer as one of the four activities of the early church. The same phrase is used again. They were “continually devoting themselves to… prayer.” Prayer was an activity for all in the church, both male and female. It was also an activity for all times. Prayer was something to be done regularly throughout the day. This fact did not mean that there were not special times set aside for prayer. Acts 3:1 indicates there was a time called “the hour of prayer” in which Peter and John participated. Prayer was by no means limited to this time exclusively.
The leaders of the Church viewed prayer as an activity which they ought to be devoted to (Acts 6:4). They appointed seven men to serve in a special capacity over other issues in the church so that they might have more time to pray and study the Scriptures. The Apostles did not go to an extreme and say that only they were fit to pray, they commanded others to go to God in prayer (Acts 8:22, 24). They set aside places specifically to pray (Acts 4:31; 16:13, 16), but they prayed where ever they went; in the temple (Acts 3:1; 22:17) and even in prison (Acts 16:25). Prayer was done individually and collectively (Acts 12:5, 12).

Prayer in the Epistles

Before examining the prayers and the teaching about prayer recorded in the letters of the New Testament, it is important to note the fact that prayer is, here, written down. The point is that prayer does not have to be verbal. It can be written out as well. God gives written prayers His stamp of approval by including them in his word. The Psalms record many prayers written down in poetic form, so also the epistles record prayers in a genre common to the Hellenized world, namely letter-writing.

The majority of letters in the New Testament begin with a prayer or a reference to prayer in some way (Rom. 1:10; 1 Cor. 1:4; 2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 1:16, 18; Phil. 1:4, 9, 19; Col. 1:3, 9; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:3, 11; 1 Tim. 1:12, 17; 2 Tim. 1:3; Philem. 4, 6; 3 John 1:2). This trend is noteworthy for these verses present us with a different perspective of prayer in the early church than does the Book of Acts. The Book of Acts tells us that the early church prayed continually This fact is corroborated when we examine the letters they wrote to each other (Rom. 12:12; 1 Cor. 7:5; Eph. 6:18; Col. 1:9; 4:2, 12; 1 Thess. 1:2; 3:10; 5:17; 2 Thess. 1:11; 1 Tim. 5:5; 2 Tim. 1:3; Philem. 4).

They rejoiced and praised God when good news was heard (1 Cor. 16:17; 2 Cor. 7:16; Phil. 1:18; 2:17; 1 Thess. 1:2) and made requests for other churches and individuals as well (Rom. 1:10; 10:1; 2 Cor. 9:14; 13:7, 9; Eph. 1:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:12; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:11). Paul asked for prayer to be made on his behalf (Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; 1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1; Philem. 22); the writer of Hebrews makes the same plea (Heb. 13:18). Prayer was no meaningless ritual to the early church; it was an effectual means of communication with God for things which God desires (Phil. 1:19).

James teaches his readers about prayer citing the Old Testament story of Elijah to justify what he said:

Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. (Jas. 5:13-18)

The teaching about prayer in the first century made use of the Old Testament. This justifies our use of it as we look for a biblical definition of prayer. James’ point here is that we ought to pray for things “earnestly” as Elijah did. His prayer was answered and so will ours be. It is assumed, of course, that we are asking for things which are glorifying to God and in accord with His will as Jesus taught during His earthly ministry.

Prayer in the Apocalypse

In the final book of the New Testament we find a few more points about prayer. God treasures the prayers of His saints. The prayers of the saints are said to be “incense” which God keeps in “golden bowls” (Rev. 5:8) which are set on “the golden alter” (Rev. 8:3). This “golden alter” is “before the throne.” Its close proximity to the throne on which God sits allows the smoke (meaning the prayers) of the incense to reach God’s nose. The genre of the Apocalypse must be in view as we read these verses. God does not have a literal nose; prayers are not literally incense, etc. The meaning here is that God treasures the prayers of His saints (by keeping them in golden bowls on a golden alter) and they are always on His mind (by being “before the throne.” Rev. 8:3).

As mentioned earlier, the final prayer recorded in the Bible is a prayer to the Son. After John had completed his record of his vision Jesus tells him “I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:20). John replies, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” The prayer is for the fulfillment of the promise.

Common elements of Prayer

Having now gone through the entire Bible, noting the relevant material regarding prayer we are ready to ask what themes stand out which provide the grounds for our definition. First, prayer is a conscious activity of man. There are no prayers which occurred on accident in the Scriptures. Man was active in a conscious way while prayer.

Second, prayer is always directed toward the Triune God. In the Old Testament the distinction is not as clear as in the New Testament. No matter the case, prayer is always made to God, in general, or to the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit in particular. No one else is worthy to be prayed to but the Triune God.

While prayer may be made the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit the Bible does tell us that each has a role in prayer. We are to pray to the Father, through the Son, in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. While this pattern is the biblical blueprint for prayer, it is not commanded to the exclusion of all other patterns.

Third, prayer is a command, not a suggestion or option. The first mention of prayer was a command from God that Abraham pray for a specific person in a specific way to a specific end. Jesus told a parable to show His disciples that “they ought to pray” (Luke 18:1).

Fourth, the content of our prayers must be justified by God’s word and in accordance with and in submission to His will. We have examined a number of prayers where the person praying cites a promise of God which they desire to be fulfilled and then make their request on the basis of that promise. We must have the attitude of Christ on the Mount of Olives who prayed “Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42) and later accepted the will of the Father which was a denial of His prayer request.

Fifth, prayer is appropriate and necessary at all times except for such times as God specifically forbids prayer for a specific circumstance (as was the case in Jer. 7:16). The believer ought to “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Sixth, there are various kinds of prayer which may be used by the believer. Biblical warrant is given for prayers of invocation (Ps. 4:1; 17:1, 6; 25:18; 27:7; 28:2; 30:19; 31:2; 39:12; 54:2; 59:4; 61:1; 64:1; 71:2; 80:14; 84:8; 86:1; 88:2; 102:2; 102:1; 119:53, 149; 130:2; 143:1), thanksgiving (Ps. 7:17; 9:1; 30:4; 33:2; 52:9; 86:12; 105:1; 107:1), lamentation (Ps. 10:1; 22:1; 42:9; 43:2; 44:23, 24; 74:1, 11; 80:12; 88:14), confession (Ps. 25:18; 32:5; 51; 79:9), petition (Phil. 4:6;1 John 5:15), intercession (Num. 21:7; Isa. 53:12; Rom. 8:26-27, 34; 1 Tim. 2:1), benediction (Gen. 48:9-49:28), praise (Ps. 22:22; 30:12; 34:1; Rom. 9:5; 11:36; 15:11; Heb. 13:15; 1 Pet. 4:11; 2 Pet. 3:18; Rev. 19:5), submission (Ps. 40:18; Mat. 6:10), and contemplation (Ezra 9:5-19; Ps. 116:12-14). Prayer is scriptural when made on behalf of an individual’s pain or suffering (Ps. 25:2; 27:1, 3; 31:13; 42:5, 11; 43:5; 56:3f) or for alleviation from a national crisis (Neh. 1:5-11; 2 Kings 19:10-19).

Seventh, while prayer can be divided into parts, or kinds, each is vital to a biblical prayer-life and more or less relevant to the specific situation of the believer. For example, a prayer of lamentation and confession will be the most appropriate for one who is repenting of a sin. The focus of this prayer will be on confessing the sin. The prayer may include praise for God’s goodness and requests for less suffering, but these will not be the focus because of the nature of the situation.

Eighth, prayer involved the entire person. The Bible makes the point clearly that prayer must be intellectual, for it must be informed by scripture and have a logical process (Jacob’s prayer, for example, was logical by moving from the premise of God’s promise to the request, or conclusion), and emotional, for we are emotional beings and feel guilt and pain which must drive us to pray. The position of the body may also indicate the position of the heart, whether by bowing, kneeling, jumping, raising hands, etc.

Historical Definitions

Having looked through the entire Bible and sorted out the raw material, we have now formed a basic definition of prayer by recognizing eight of its elements. We are now equipped to shift to church history and examine a few definitions of prayer in the light of Scripture. Perhaps the best definition was offered by the Puritan John Bunyan in 1662:

Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.^[7]

Prayer is most certainly a sincere activity, nothing less is acceptable to God! It is sensible rather than senseless, for Jesus prayed using theological terms and concepts which were no doubt a result of studying the Scriptures. It is also affectionate, reaching beyond our intellect into our deepest emotions; such were the prayers of David and Paul in Romans 10:1. Prayer is “to God” for no example, command, or prayer in Scripture is ever made to anyone but God. We are not to go through Mary, an icon, or some human priest. We must pray to God “through Christ” for Christ commanded His followers to pray to the Father in His name (John 14:13, 14; 15:16; 16:23, 26). He is our High Priest (Heb. 2:17; 3:1; 4:14f; 5:5, 10; 6:20; 7:26; 8:1, 3; 9:11) and only mediator (1 Tim. 2:5). The “strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit” is also necessary for biblical prayer (Rom. 8:26-27). The Bible records many prayers which were made asking for something which God has promised. One of the first prayers in the Bible was Jacob’s prayer (Gen. 32:9-12). He prays that God will protect him because He had promised him many descendents. The prayer of John in Revelation 22:20 is an echo of the statement made by Jesus. As soon as the promise was made John immediately begins praying for its fulfillment. The prayers in Acts and the epistles are abundant evidence that we ought to pray for the good of the church, as a whole and for individual parts. All of our prayers must be made “in faith” (Jas. 5:13-18) and according to “the will of God” (Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). The definition offered by Bunyan is justified by the evidence of Scripture and may rightly be called “biblical.”

Dr. B.M. Palmer, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in New Orleans for 36 years, published a book^[8] on prayer in 1894. In it he offers a definition to his readers by combining the definitions of prayer in the Larger and Shorter Catechisms:

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.^[9]

This definition, though shorter than Bunyan’s, can also be classified as a biblical definition. For, as noted already, prayer is only made to God and no one else. It is to be for things “agreeable to his will” (Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). These thing must be requested “in the name of Christ (John 14:13, 14; 15:16; 16:23, 26), by the help of the Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26; Rom. 8:26-27). Confession of sin, though not mentioned by Bunyan,^[10] is a scripturally appropriate part of prayer (Ezra 10:1; Neh. 1:6; Dan. 9:4, 20; Acts 8:22-24). Giving thanks to God for His mercy is also a scriptural practice (1 Chron. 16:34, 41; 2 Chron. 20:21; Neh. 9:5, 7; Ps. 106:1; 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 31; 118:1, 29; 136:1ff, 26; 138:2; Jer. 33:11).

The History of the Church has no short supply of definitions of prayer which, upon study, are found to be biblical. Zacharias Ursinus, the 16th century German theologian and co-author of the Heidelberg Catechism, defined prayer in the following manner.

Prayer consists in calling upon the true God, and arises from an acknowledgment and sense of our want, and from a desire of sharing in the divine bounty, in true conversion of heart and confidence in the promise of grace for the sake of Christ the mediator, asking at the hands of God such temporal and spiritual blessings as are necessary for us; or in giving thanks to God for the benefits received.^[11]

John Calvin viewed prayer as such an important doctrine of the Christian faith that he dedicated a very long chapter^[12] to it in his Institutes. In the 1559 edition he defines prayer as

a kind of intercourse between God and men, by which, having entered the upper sanctuary, they appear before Him and appeal to his promises, that when necessity requires, they may learn by experience, that what they believed merely on the authority of his word was not in vain.^[13]

It is interesting how Calvin notes that believers must pray for things they already believe on the authority of the Bible. The experience of prayer will then justify their already present belief. Prayer, according to Calvin, must be biblical from start to end.

These few historical definitions offered are by no means a complete list. The Christian church has produced many great men and women of prayer who have in turn trained others to pray and used their own unique (and biblical) definitions in the process. The depth of their insight into Scripture is refreshing. God has truly given His church pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of service (Eph. 4:11-12).

1. I speak here of the record of the first word translated as “prayer” in English. The book of Job, in all likelihood written before the book of Genesis, makes use of relevant terms. The events and dialog of Job, however, are difficult to date and will be set aside for the moment. [↩]
2. The first is in Genesis 2:19 when Adam would “call” each animal a name. [↩]
3. Herbert Lockyer has 167 entries on prayers from Deuteronomy to Malachi in his volume on prayer: All the Prayers of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), 46-170. [↩]
4. The words of verse 15 are inserted after Mark 12:25 because of the similar wording between Matthew 6:14 and Mark 12:25. It is clear that Matthew’s words are original, and that well-meaning scribes intended to harmonize these two statements by adding to (they probably saw it as “completing”) the Markan account. [↩]
5. The Greek is clear that the evil is a continuing condition of man. “Being evil” indicates an ongoing condition of evilness in man. [↩]
6. The trinity is revealed in the clearest terms in the New Testament. In this case, we know facts about the Son; His teaching and life have “exegeted” God to us (John 1:18). The Father, Son and Spirit were present and active in Old Testament Israel. The advantage of the New Testament church is that it witnessed the incarnation of God and sat under Christ’s teaching. [↩]
7. John Bunyan, Prayer (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1965), 13. [↩]
8. B.M. Palmer, Theology of Prayer (Harrisonburg, VA: Sprinkle Publications, 1980). [↩]
9. Ibid., 13. Palmer notes that the italicized portions are where one catechism differs from the other. The first clause is found only in the Shorter Catechism and the second is only in the Larger. [↩]
10. Bunyan might point out that his definition includes one’s “pouring out of the heart or soul to God” which would include such an act as confession of sins. Such an act is certainly “according to his Word” and therefore carried out in “submission…to the will of God.” [↩]
11. Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, nd.), 619. [↩]
12. In the 1845 translation by Henry Beveridge the chapter on prayer, comprised of 52 sections, occupies 58 pages. [↩]
13. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. Henry Beveridge (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989). Book III, Ch. XX, sec. 2 [↩]