Prayers

This page examines praying and both serious and humorous prayers.

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A Prayer by Maya Angelou

...
Thank you for your presence
during the hard and mean days.
For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence
during the bright and sunny days.
for then we can share that which we
have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence
during the Holy Days, for then we are
able to celebrate you and our families
and our friends.

For those who have no voice,
we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy,
we ask you to pour your love out
in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain,
we ask you to bathe them
in the river of your healing.

For those who are depressed,
we ask you to shower upon them
the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless
sea of substance, we ask you to give to
all the world that which we need most:

Peace.

"The Prayer" Song by Josh Groban

Sissel

Charlotte Church and ice dancers at the Olympics

Celine Dion

with Andrea Bocelli at the Emmys

I pray you'll be our eyes
and watch us where we go
and help us to be wise
in times when we do not know.

Let this be our prayer
when we lose our way (as we go our way).

Lead us to a place,
guide us with your grace,
to a place where we'll be safe.

La luce che to dai (The light that You give us)
I pray we'll find your light

Nel cuore restero (will stay in our hearts)
And hold it in our hearts

A ricordarchi che (Reminding us)
When stars go out each night
L'eterna stella sei (You are an eternal star)

Nella mia preghiera (in my prayer)
Let this be our prayer:

Quanta fede c'e (there is so much faith)
When shadows fill our day,
lead us to a place
guide us with your grace
Duet: give us faith so we'll be safe.

Duet: Sognamo un mondo senza piu violenza (We dream of a world without violence)
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza (A world of justice and hope)
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino (Grasp your neighbor's hand)
Simbolo di pace e di fraternita (as a symbol of peace and brotherhood)
La forza che ci dai (The strength that You give us)

We ask that life be kind
E'il desiderio che (is the wish)
And watch us from above

Ognuno trovi amore (that everyone finds love)
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro a se (around and within)
Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Just like every child
needs to find a place.
Guide us with your grace
Give us peace so we'll be safe.

E la fede che (And the faith that)
Hai acceso in noi (you have ignited in us)
Sento che ci salvera (I feel will save us)

What Is Prayer?

communication

Why is it when we talk to God we're said to be praying, but when God talks to us, we're schizophrenic?

Why Pray?

Because prayer ...

Quiets our nerves
Clears our vision of what's important
Focuses us to a higher purpose
Reminds us of our duty
Strengthens our purpose and resolve
Fortifies our soul

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things [the Tribulation] that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
— Luke 21:36 (KJV)

The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything."

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

by Joseph M. Scriven

Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus - All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a priviledge to carry__ everything to God in prayer.
Oh what peace we often forfeit,
Oh what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry__ everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble everywhere?
We should never be discouraged -
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
who will allow Satan's share?
Jesus knows our every weakness -
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
'cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge -
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, foresake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He'll take and shield thee -
Thou will find a solace there.

"The heat and the sun's rays, falling upon salt water, cause evaporation, which gradually becomes condensed into clouds, which again descend in the form of sweet, fresh water. The salt, and all the other things in the water, are left behind.

In the same way the thoughts and desires of the praying soul rise to heaven like clouds; then the Sun of Righteousness cleanses them from the taint of sin by His purifying rays. The prayer then becomes a great cloud which falls in showers of blessing, life, and strength upon the earth below."

"Through prayer we experience the greatest of all miracles, heaven upon earth." — Sadhu Sundar Singh

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Jesus said
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
— Matthew 7:7-8

And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain." Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested. — 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” — James 5:16

Does prayer work?

Track prayer requests and reports using the Interactive Prayer System at Prayusa.org

“While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I travelled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival In the city, I observed two men fighting, one of who had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time witnessed to him of the Lord Jesus Christ. I then travelled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.

Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.'

At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone out in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, "No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.”

At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day that this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

"On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?"

The men who had met together that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were--he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.

Psalm 91:1-2,4 (NLT) — Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Psalm 62:1-2 (NLT) — ... I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.

“Pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on you.”
—Dale Galloway

"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
— Matthew 6:6

"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

“Rejoice always; Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

“ ... the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” — Romans 8:26-27

Where in the Bible does it talk about women wearing a veil when praying?

"We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls." —Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Lighthouses of Prayer is an initiative for groups to pray for their neighbors before serving and evangelising them.

“Dear God, please bless every home and each person in my neighborhood and work through their felt needs to reveal yourself to them. Bring them to a saving knowledge of you. I pray that your presence and peace will reign over the streets and homes and families. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

Eternal God, Father of all men.
cleanse and strengthen, we beseech thee
that the life we live this day;
that the work of our hands
and the thoughts of our hearts
may be acceptable in Thy sight,
and our lives may do honor to Thy holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
—Unknown

How To Pray — The Parts of a Prayer:

John 4:23-24

“For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The meaning of "in spirit and in truth" is not obvious in this literal translation from Greek to English. The grammar of the original Greek describes the manner in which we should worship God. It answers the question "How do we worship God?" Kulikovsky offers this translation with explanation:

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship with their spirit and with sincerity".

So going through the motions, performing ceremonies, eating the Lord's Supper, singing songs or praying with little or no thought is not worship! These things may be used to express worship - but they are not worship. Worship comes from the depths of our spirit, as we recognize and bow before the greatness and awesomeness of God. To worship God truthfully means that our worship must be real and not pretentious - it must be sincere!

must

From Charles Spurgeon:
We should have faith enough to believe that the present trouble, about which we are praying, is sent to us in love by God. We should pray concerning our trials in this way:

“Lord, I have this thorn in the flesh. I beseech you, deliver me from it, but meanwhile I bless you for it; for though I do not understand the why or the wherefore of it, I am persuaded there is love within it. Therefore, while I ask you to remove it, so far as it seems evil to me, yet wherein it may to your better knowledge work for my good, I bless you for it, and I am content to endure it so long as you see fit.”

Is this not a sweet way of praying?

“Lord, I am in need, be pleased to supply me; but, meanwhile, if you do not, I believe it is better for me to be in need, and so I praise you for my necessity while I ask you to supply it. I glory in my infirmity, even while I ask you to overcome it. I bless you for my affliction even while I ask you to help me in it and to rescue me out of it.”

This is a royal way of praying.

The Lord's Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13

Luke 11:1-4

Lord's Prayer

Model Prayer

God's first name is “Howard” as in "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Howard be thy name."

To help you remember the aspects of Jesus' Blueprint For Prayer, use the acrostic A.C.T.S. or C.A.T.S.

Here are several translations of these passages:

The Lord's Prayer presented in a Flash movie with piano music and majestic landscape photos.

The translation from Aramaic is from this website, which claims the prayer's origins in the Talmud.

#	KJV	ISV	NIV	NLT	Peterson	Aramaic
6:9a	After this manner therefore pray ye:	Therefore, this is how you should pray:	This, then is how you should pray:	Pray like this:	With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
6:9b	Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.	Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.	Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,	Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.	Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are.	Oh Thou, from whom the breath of life comes, who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration. May Your light be experienced in my utmost holiest.
6:10a	Thy kingdom come.	May your kingdom come.	your kingdom come,	May your Kingdom come soon.	Set the world right;	Your Heavenly Domain approaches.
6:10b	Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.	May your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.	your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.	May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.	Do what's best - as above, so below.	Let Your will come true - in the universe (all that vibrates) just as on earth (that is material and dense).
6:11	Give us this day our daily bread.	Give us today our daily bread,	Give us today our daily bread.	Give us our food for today,	Keep us alive with three square meals.	Give us wisdom (understanding, assistance) for our daily need,
6:12	And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.	and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.	Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.	and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.	Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.	detach the fetters of faults that bind us, (karma) like we let go the guilt of others.
6:13a	And lead us not into temptation,	And never bring us into temptation,	And lead us not into temptation,	And don't let us yield to temptation,	Keep us safe from ourselves	Let us not be lost in superficial things (materialism, common temptations),
6:13b	but deliver us from evil [adversity]	but deliver us from the evil one.	but deliver us from the evil one.	but deliver us from the evil one.	and the Devil.	but let us be freed from that what keeps us off from our true purpose.
6:13c	For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.	footnoted		omitted	You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty!	From You comes the all-working will, the lively strength to act, the song that beautifies all and renews itself from age to age.
6:13d	Amen.	footnoted		omitted	Yes. Yes. Yes.	Sealed in trust, faith and truth. (I confirm with my entire being)

Several commentators note that:
a. "Trespasses" is a mistranslation made common by the Church of England Prayer Book.
b. The "Amen" doxology was not in the earliest manuscripts. It means "It is true," "So be it," "May it become true."

“But I say to you, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and despitefully use you.” —Matthew 5:44

“And when you stand up to pray, forgive whatever you have against anyone, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your offenses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your offenses.” —Mark 11:25-26

“bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” —Luke 6:28

Prayerful Attitude

prosekunesan

"They saw him, they worshipped him." — Matthew 28:17

proskuneo

The word has the general meaning of "bow, crouch, crawl, kneel, or prostrate."

Those who encounter the living God face-to-face feel a need to do that.

Isaiah "I am a man of unclean lips."

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Mary's ”Magnificat” prayer after she heard from the angel Gabriel that she will be the mother of the “Son of the Most High.”
Luke 1:46-55

If you have ever been faced with a situation, and did not know what to pray for, or even how to pray about it, this book is for you:

Audio Book: Prayers That Avail Much

Prayers That Avails Much by Germaine Copeland.
Get this book here at a discount.

Other Sample Prayers

The Power of Prayer

Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now Lord, show them a new revelation of Your love and power.

Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment.

Where there is pain, give them Your peace & mercy.

Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through them.

Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, and strength as they learn submission to Your leading.

Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You.

Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage.

Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life.

Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them.

Give each of them discernment to recognize the demonic forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it.

I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name.

In Christian love,
Your Friend in Jesus.

(Pass this on to anyone you consider a friend. You do not have to be a Christian to pray for someone or wish them well. Just give from your heart.)

"Pray for rain in time of rain." —Zechariah 10:1

How Jesus Prayed

From Phillips Brooks (1835-1893):

Every true prayer has its background and its foreground.

The foreground of prayer is the intense, immediate desire for a certain blessing which seems to be absolutely necessary for the soul to have; the background of prayer is the quiet, earnest desire that the will of God, whatever it may be, should be done.

What a picture is the perfect prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane! In front burns the strong desire to escape death and to live; but behind there stands, calm and strong, the craving of the whole life for the doing of the will of God...

Leave out the foreground, let there be no expression of the will of him who prays, and there is left a pure submission which is almost fatalism. Leave out the background, let there be no acceptance of the will of God, and the prayer is only an expression of self-will, a petulant claiming of the uncorrected choice of him who prays.

Only when the two are there together, the special desire resting on the universal submission, the universal submission opening into the special desire, is the picture perfect and the prayer complete.

Gratitude by Enstrom. Get this print framed for your wall!

Jewish Prayers

Upon rising in the morning

I thank thee, ever-living king who has mercifully restored my soul within me. Great is thy faithfulness.

In bed at night before sleeping

“Carnal objects are not helps to spiritual worship; they are snares to the mind and lead the heart away from God.”
—Charles H. Spurgeon

If you are not sacrificing a part of your life (with fasting) then you are still praying with your lips and not your full heart.

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”
— 1 Peter 4:7

The Yuppie Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my Cusinart to keep.
I pray my stocks are on the rise,
and that my analyst is wise.
that all the wine I sip is white,
and that my hottub's watertight,
that racquetball won't get too tough,
that all my sushi's fresh enough.
I pray my cordless phone still works,
that my career won't lose its perks,
my microwave won't radiate,
my condo won't depreciate.
I pray my health club doesn't close,
and that my money market grows.
If I go broke before I wake,
I pray my BMW they won't take.

Amen.

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord..”
— James 5:14

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Get this print framed for your wall!
Get this print framed for your wall!

Get this print framed for your wall!

A Virtual Prayer Team's Prayer List

Resources on Prayer

Subscribe to daily prayers emailed to you from eprayer.org
Time With God: Practical help in building a regular devotional time
Praying With Confidence: Overcoming disappointment in prayer
What's true prayer
Finding Supernatural power to break free

From Books On-line: Christianity:
On Prayer by Tertullian, trans. by Sydney Thelwall (HTML with commentary at CCEL)
The Spirit of Prayer by William Law (HTML at CCEL)
The Necessity of Prayer by Edward M. Bounds (HTML at CCEL)
Power Through Prayer by Edward M. Bounds (HTML at CCEL)
The Possibilities of Prayer by Edward M. Bounds (HTML at CCEL)
The Soul of Prayer by P. T. Forsyth (at CCEL)
The Still Hour: or, Communion with God by Austin Phelps (page images at MOA)
Awakening to Prayer by Ichiro Okumura, trans. by Masaru Yamato and Kazue Hiraki (HTML in Austria)
The Kneeling Christian by An Unknown Christian (HTML at CCEL)
A Call to Prayer (text slightly modernized) by J. C. Ryle, ed. by Daniel W. Wright (HTML at iserv.net)
Lectio Divina and the Practice of Teresian Prayer by Sam Anthony Morello (HTML in Austria)
Prayers Stirryng the Mynd Unto Heavenlye Medytacions by Katherine Parr (HTML at Brown)
"Prayer - Resource For Victory" by Theodore Epp
Victorious Christian Praying at Sammy Tippit Ministries.

What to Pray For: A Prayer For Each Day of the Week

SUNDAY We pray for personal renewal resulting in a spiritual and moral awakening in our nation. 2nd Chronicles 7:14 (NKJ) if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

MONDAY We pray for leaders of our country by name, that they might have wisdom, guidance, protection, an awareness of God's presence in mind and heart, and that they might practice personal integrity. The apostle Paul wrote in
1st Timothy 2:1 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.”

TUESDAY We pray for the leaders of our state, county and city. Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

WEDNESDAY We pray for those undergoing persecution, imprisonment or privation. Psalm 91:14-16

THURSDAY We pray for the unity of believers in local churches and church-related organizations worldwide. John 17:11

FRIDAY We pray for greater Christian impact in our communities. Colossians 2:8

SATURDAY We pray for family and friends to live in peace, love, respect, and honor. Deuteronomy 5:33

This What to pray for each day of the week Prayer Guide is adapted from the National Task Force - National Day of Prayer.

Prayer for the President

by Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the Senate.

We pray, Lord Jesus, for our President. We are deeply concerned that he may know the will of God, and that he may have the spiritual courage and grace to follow it.

Deliver him, we pray, from all selfish considerations. Lift him above the claims of politics. Fill him with the Spirit of God that shall make him fearless to seek, to know, to do the right. Save him from the friends who, in the name of politics or even friendship, would persuade him from that holy path.

Strengthen and empower his advisers. Bring them, too, to their knees in prayer. May their example and their influence spread, that we, in these United States, may yet have a government of people who know Thee, the Almighty God, as their Friend, and who place Thy will first in their lives as well as in their prayers.

Hear and answer, we pray Thee, forgiving us all our unworthiness; cleansing us from every ignoble thought and unworthy ambition that we may be renewed in spirit and mind and heart, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

L

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