Prayer in the New Testament by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.
There is no single word in biblical Hebrew or Greek that signifies “prayer” in general, but rather a whole series of different words with related meanings, such as praise, give thanks, confess, bless, repent, ask, plea, beg, petition, sacrifice, bow down, worship, sing psalms, etc.
To learn about the wide variety of “prayer” in the Bible, we can not only look at the explicit teachings about prayer by Jesus, Paul, and other biblical characters and authors, but also consider the situations in which these figures are portrayed as praying, as well as the texts of specific prayers they used. While all four Gospels contain some teachings and examples or prayer, by far the most prayer-related material is found in Luke’s Gospel, as well as in Paul’s letters.
Greek
English
Matt
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Paul
Heb
Cath
Rev
NT Total
proseucomai
to pray, speak to God
15
10
19
0
16
19
1
5
0
85
proseuch
prayer, request
2
2
3
0
9
14
0
3
3
36
eucomai
to pray, make a vow
0
0
0
0
2
3
0
2
0
7
euch
prayer, vow
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
0
3
deomai
to ask, beg, plead
1
0
8
0
7
6
0
0
0
22
dehsiV
prayer, plea, petition
0
0
3
0
0
12
1
2
0
18
eulogew
to bless
5
5
13
1
1
7
7
2
0
41
euloghtoV
blessed
0
1
1
0
0
5
0
1
0
8
eucaristew
to give thanks
2
2
4
3
2
24
0
0
1
38
eucaristia
thanksgiving
0
0
0
0
1
12
0
0
2
15
docazw
to praise, give glory
4
1
9
23
5
12
1
4
2
61
proskunew
to bow down, worship
13
2
3
11
4
1
2
0
24
60
adw & wdh
to sing / song
0
0
0
0
0
2 / 2
0
0
3 / 5
5 + 7
umnew & umnoV
to sing hymns / hymn
1 / 0
1 / 0
0
0
1 / 0
0 / 2
1 / 0
0
0
4 + 2
yallw & yalmoV
to sing psalms / psalm
0
0
0 / 2
0
0 / 2
4 / 3
0
1 / 0
0
5 + 7
epaitew & prosaitew
to beg
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
2 + 1
Prayers spoken by Jesus himself:
While teaching the disciples to pray: The Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4)
Thanking the Father for hiding things from the wise, revealing them to children (Matt 11:25-27; Luke 10:21-24)
Before curing a deaf man, Jesus looks up to heaven, sighs, and says, “Ephphatha” or “Be opened” (Mark 7:31-35)
Before calling Lazarus out of the tomb, Jesus thanks the Father for hearing him (John 11:41-42)
After the Last Supper discourse: Jesus’ Great Prayer to the Father (John 17:1-26)
At Gethsemane, Jesus prays to accept God’s will (Matt 26:36-44; Mark 14:32-39; Luke 22:41-46; cf. John 18:11)
Hanging on the cross, Jesus prays Psalm 22 (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:34, 46; cf. John 19:30)
Other occasions when Jesus prays:
After having been baptized in the Jordan river, Jesus remains praying (Luke 3:21)
While living in Capernaum, Jesus goes outside of town to pray by himself (Mark 1:35; cf. Luke 5:16)
Before choosing his Twelve Apostles, Jesus spends the night in prayer (Luke 6:12)
Jesus give thanks (to God) before distributing food to 5000 people (Matt 14:19; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16; John 6:11)
After feeding the 5000, Jesus goes off by himself to pray (Matt 14:23; Mark 6:46)
In feeding the 4000, Jesus gives thanks (to God) before distributing the loaves (Matt 15:36; Mark 8:6-7)
Jesus prays alone before asking the disciples who people think he is (Luke 9:18)
Jesus goes up a mountain with three disciples to pray, when he is transfigured (Luke 9:28-29)
After observing Jesus at prayer, one of his disciples asks him to reach them to pray (Luke 11:1)
People bring children to Jesus for him to lay his hands on them and pray (Matt 19:13)
Jesus prays blessings over bread and wine at the Last Supper (Matt 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-23; Luke 22:17-20)
Jesus prays the Peter’s faith may not fail (Luke 22:32)
Jesus mentions that he could call upon his Father to save him (Matt 26:53)
Prayers addressed to God by other NT characters:
Mary’s Song of Praise: Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
Zechariah’s Prayer of Blessing: Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79)
The Angels’ Hymn of Praise: Gloria in excelsis (Luke 2:14)
Simeon’s Prayer to God: Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29-32)
Prayers by a Pharisee and a Tax Collector in a parable (Luke 18:10-13)
References to other characters praying in the Gospels:
Zechariah enters the temple to offer incense and pray, while the people outside pray (Luke 1:8-22)
The prophetess/widow Anna remains in the temple fasting and praying night and day (Luke 2:37)
The disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees are said to fast and pray often (Luke 5:33)
A Samaritan prostrates himself and thanks Jesus after being healed of leprosy (Luke 17:16)
In a parable, a Pharisee and a tax collector go to the temple to pray (Luke 18:10-14)
Jesus’ instructions on prayer:
Pray for those who persecute you (Matt 5:43-45; Luke 6:28)
Don’t be like hypocrites, who show off or babble when they pray (Matt 6:5-8; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47)
Forgive others, so that God may also forgive you (Matt 6:14-15; Mark 11:25)
Trust that God will give you good things when you ask (Matt 7:7-11; Luke 11:9-13; cf. John 14–16)
Some demons can only be driven out through prayer (Mark 9:29)
Pray always and don’t lose heart (Luke 18:1, with the parable of the Unjust Judge)
Jesus calls the Jerusalem temple “a house of prayer” (Matt 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46; quoting Isaiah 56:7)
Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive (Matt 21:22; Mark 11:24)
Pray that you may escape from the coming judgment (Matt 24:20; Mark 13:16; Luke 21:36)
Pray that you might not come into the time of trial (Matt 26:41; Luke 22:40, 46)
If you ask anything in Jesus’ name, he will do it (John 14:13-14; 15:7; 16:24)
Prayers within the Acts of the Apostles:
Acts 1:14 – After Jesus’ ascension, his disciples and family devote themselves to prayer
Acts 1:24-25 – The apostles pray before selecting a replacement for Judas
Acts 2:42 – The Jerusalem believers devote themselves “to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”
Acts 3:1 – Peter and John go up to the temple at the hour of prayer
Acts 4:29-31 – Peter and John pray for boldness in preaching and for God to do miracles
Acts 6:4-6 – The apostles select seven men to serve the community, so they can devote themselves to prayer and preaching; they appoint them by praying and laying hands on them
Acts 7:59-60 – Stephen prays to the Lord Jesus at the moment of his death
Acts 8:15 – Peter and John go to Samaria to pray that new believers may receive the Holy Spirit
Acts 8:22-24 – Peter tells Simon the Magician to repent and pray for forgiveness; Simon asks Peter to pray for him
Acts 9:11 – After encountering Jesus on the road, Saul of Tarsus remains in Damascus praying
Acts 9:40 – Peter prays before raising Tabitha back to life
Acts 10:2-4 – Cornelius, a Roman centurion, is described as a devout man who prayed constantly
Acts 10:9 – While in Joppa, Peter goes up to a roof to pray (cf. 11:5)
Acts 10:30-31 – Cornelius recounts how an angel appeared to tell him his prayers had been heard
Acts 12:5, 12 – While Peter is in prison, the church prays for him
Acts 13:3 – The Christians at Antioch fast and pray before sending Barnabas and Saul off on a mission
Acts 14:23 – With fasting and prayer, Barnabas and Paul appoint elders for the churches they founded
Acts 16:13, 16 – Paul, Silas, and Timothy go to a place of prayer outside of Philippi
Acts 16:25 – While in prison overnight at Philippi, Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns
Acts 20:36 – After speaking to the elders from Ephesus, Paul kneels with them and prays
Acts 21:5 – On a beach near Tyre, Paul kneels and prays with believers from that city
Acts 22:17 – Paul tells a crowd of Jews about what happened while he was praying in the Jerusalem temple
Acts 26:29 – Paul tells King Agrippa that he prays that he and everyone listening will become Christians
Acts 27:29 – During a storm at sea, the whole crew prays for day to come (so that they might be safe)
Acts 27:35 – While on the ship, Paul gives thanks to God for the bread before they all eat
Acts 28:8 – On Malta, Paul cures the father of the governor Publius by praying and laying his hands on him
Acts 28:15 – Upon landing on the Italian mainland, Paul thanks God for the believers who meet him
Prayers and instructions about prayer in the letters of the New Testament:
A “Thanksgiving” at the beginning and a “Doxology” at the end of most of the Pauline letters
Many more instructions about prayer throughout the Pauline and Deutero-Pauline letters!
Several prayers and teachings about prayer in Hebrews, the Catholic epistles, and the Book of Revelation.
