Bible Dictionaries
Pray, Prayer

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"to pray (to God)," is used with this meaning in 2 Corinthians 13:7; 2 Corinthians 13:9 , RV, "pray" (AV, "wish"); James 5:16; 3 John 1:2 , RV, "pray" (AV, wish). Even when the RV and AV translate by "I would," Acts 26:29 , or "wished for," Acts 27:29 (RV, marg., "prayed"), or "could wish," Romans 9:3 (RV, marg., "could pray"), the indication is that "prayer" is involved.

"to pray," is always used of "prayer" to God, and is the most frequent word in this respect, especially in the Synoptists and Acts, once in Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 1:9; 1 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 13:18; Jude 1:20 . For the injunction in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 , see CEASE , C.

"to ask," is translated by the verb to pray in Luke 14:18,19; 16:27; John 4:31; 14:16; 16:26; 17:9,15,20; in Acts 23:18 , RV, "asked" (AV "prayed"); in 1 John 5:16 , RV, "should make request" (AV "shall pray"). See ASK , A, No. 2.

"to desire," in 2 Corinthians 5:20; 8:4 , RV, "beseech" (AV, "pray"): see BESEECH , No. 3.

Notes: (1) Parakaleo, "to call to one's aid," is rendered by the verb "to pray" in the AV in the following: Matthew 26:53 (RV, "beseech"); so Mark 5:17,18; Acts 16:9; in Acts 24:4 , RV, "intreat;" in Acts 27:34 , RV, "beseech." See BESEECH , No. 1. (2) In 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:16 , there is no word in the original for "I pray," see the RV.

akin to A, No. 1, denotes "a prayer," James 5:15; "a vow," Acts 18:18; 21:23 . See VOW.

akin to A, No. 2, denotes (a) "prayer" (to God), the most frequent term, e.g., Matthew 21:22; Luke 6:12 , where the phrase is not to be taken literally as if it meant, "the prayer of God" (subjective genitive), but objectively, "prayer of God." In James 5:17 , "He prayed fervently," RV, is lit., "he prayed with prayer" (a Hebraistic form); in the following the word is used with No. 3: Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:1; 5:5; (b) "a place of prayer," Acts 16:13,16 , a place outside the city wall, RV.

primarily "a wanting, a need" (akin to A, No. 4), then, "an asking, entreaty, supplication," in the NT is always addressed to God and always rendered "supplication" or "supplications" in the RV; in the AV "prayer," or "prayers," in Luke 1:13; 2:37; 5:33; Romans 10:1; 2 Corinthians 1:11; 9:14; Philippians 1:4 (in the 2nd part, "request"); 1:19; 2 Timothy 1:3; Hebrews 5:7; James 5:16; 1 Peter 3:12 .

is translated "prayer" in 1 Timothy 4:5; see INTERCESSION.

Notes: (1) Proseuche is used of "prayer" in general; deesis stresses the sense of need; it is used sometimes of request from man to man. (2) In the papyri enteuxis is the regular word for a petition to a superior. For the synonymous word aitema see PETITION; for hiketeria, Hebrews 5:7 , see SUPPLICATION.

(3) "Prayer is properly addressed to God the Father Matthew 6:6; John 16:23; Ephesians 1:17; 3:14 , and the Son, Acts 7:59; 2 Corinthians 12:8; but in no instance in the NT is prayer addressed to the Holy Spirit distinctively, for whereas the Father is in Heaven, Matthew 6:9 , and the Son is at His right hand, Romans 8:34 , the Holy Spirit is in and with the believers, John 14:16,17 .

"Prayer is to be offered in the Name of the Lord Jesus, John 14:13 , that is, the prayer must accord with His character, and must be presented in the same spirit of dependence and submission that marked Him, Matthew 11:26; Luke 22:42 .

"The Holy Spirit, being the sole interpreter of the needs of the human heart, makes His intercession therein; and inasmuch as prayer is impossible to man apart from His help, Romans 8:26 , believers are exhorted to pray at all seasons in the Spirit, Ephesians 6:18; cp. Jude 1:20; James 5:16 , the last clause of which should probably be read "the inwrought [i.e., by the Holy Spirit] supplication of righteous man availeth much' (or 'greatly prevails' ischuo, as in Acts 19:16,20 ).

"None the less on this account is the understanding to be engaged in prayer, 1 Corinthians 14:15 , and the will, Colossians 4:12; Acts 12:5 (where 'earnestly' is, lit., 'stretched out') and so in Luke 22:44 .

"Faith is essential to prayer, Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; James 1:5-8 , for faith is the recognition of, and the committal of ourselves and our matters to, the faithfulness of God.

"Where the Jews were numerous, as at Thessalonica, they had usually a Synagogue, Acts 17:1; where they were few, as at Philippi, they had merely a proseuche, or 'place of prayer,' of much smaller dimensions, and commonly built by a river for the sake of the water necessary to the preliminary ablutions prescribed by Rabbinic tradition, Acts 16:13,16 ." * [* From Notes on Thessalonians by Hogg and Vine, pp. 189,190.]