Bible glossary
What Does ‘Prayer’ Mean in the Bible?
Prayer is talking with God: honest communication of praise, thanks, confession, and requests with the God who invites us to come near.
In short
Prayer is talking with God: honest communication of praise, thanks, confession, and requests with the God who invites us to come near.
Prayer is simply speaking and listening to God. It is not a magic formula or fancy words, but the ongoing conversation of a relationship. In the Bible people pray with praise and thanks, with confession, with pleas for help, and with silence, bringing their whole selves to God.
Jesus taught His followers to pray simply and honestly, calling God Father. The Bible encourages us to pray about everything, casting our anxieties on God, and to keep at it. Prayer is less a performance for God than a lifeline to Him.
Key verses
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Philippians 4:6
“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
James 5:16
Prayer and Jesus
Prayer is possible because Jesus opened the way. Through Him the curtain that separated us from God was torn, and we can come to the Father freely. He even prays for us. So you never pray alone, and you never have to earn the right to be heard.