During August, I plan to explore the subject of prayer. Each devotion will focus on an aspect of prayer. For example, today, we look at the types of prayers we can use.
Key Verse:
“17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 THESSALONIANS 5:17-18 (NIV)
Prayer is an integral part of our Christian walk. The Bible is filled with how people pray and provides many examples of the types of prayers we should use daily. When we start the day in prayer, it sets the tone for our day. In other words, we give the day to the Lord before it even begins. Some other benefits include;
- Keeping God close to us,
- Strengthening our relationship with our Creator,
- Allowing us to see prayers answered,
- Transforming our hearts,
- And giving us direction in our lives.
So, let’s dive into the prayer types and Biblical examples to help us improve our prayer lives.
Types of Prayer
We can find five types of prayer in the Bible. These types of petitions come from examples found in the Bible and can be combined into one devotion time. Additionally, we will look at these elements, as seen in the Lord’s Prayer, which can be found in Matthew 6:9-13.
Types of Prayer
- Worship – our prayers should contain an element of adoration of our Lord. We see this in the Lord’s prayer in the line “Hallowed be Your Name.” Or, in other words, Your name is Holy, or You are the Holy One.
- Petition – these represent the times we make requests from the Lord for our needs. But it also shows we are willing to accept God’s will for everything that happens. For example, in the Lord’s Prayer, we see the line “They Will be done,” and “Give us this day, our daily bread.” Finally, we ask God to “forgive us our trespasses.”
- Intercession – here, we offer another type of petition to the Lord. These get offered as we pray for our family and friends. The Lord’s prayer line, “Give us this day, our daily bread,” includes providing for those around us. The line “as we forgive those who trespass against us” also expresses a desire to live in unity with others.
- Thanksgiving – a part of every prayer should include thanking God for everything He does for us. I think we often overlook this aspect of our petitions. Although thanksgiving does not appear in the Lord’s prayer, it remains implied throughout the prayer. We offer Him prayer with a thankful heart.
- Praise – we acknowledge God as our Almighty Lord. This is displayed in the Lord’s prayer line, “For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.” Indeed, we recognize His Glory and power over all creation forever and ever.
Biblical Examples of Prayer Types
To further help us, here are some Bible verses demonstrating each type of prayer. We can use these examples to help us get started.
- Worship prayer: – 1 Chronicles 16:10-12 (NIV); “10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 11 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,”
- Petition prayer: Matthew 26:39 (NIV); “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’”
- Intercessory prayer: Exodus 32:11, 14 (NIV); “But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “O Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.”
- Thanksgiving prayer: Psalm 95:1-2 (NIV); “1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”
- Praise prayer: Ephesians 1:3-6 (NIV); “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
I hope this message about the types of prayers helps you in your prayer life.
Prayer:
Lord, I bow my heart before You and give You honor and praise. Please help me to strengthen my prayer life. Remind me to pray more often and help me remember these types of prayers.. Help me to know who I am in Christ, understand that You always hear me, and know the Bible so I can pray. Teach me to write down my own prayer needs and the needs of others and to see how You answer me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer is a vital part of each moment. When I pray and am in conversation with God, He brings me peace. Great message Yvonne.
Thanks Melissa. Praying brings me peace too. Blessings
Thank you for this. I’m always ready to learn more about prayer.
Thanks Candyce. Blessings
Love this! I always appreciate getting direction from God through prayer, but the biggest thing for me about prayer is your point about strengthening my relationship with God. Prayer always helps my heart grow closer to Him.
Good thoughts Jessica. Pray draws us closer to God. Blessings
I love praying using God’s Word! As someone who wasn’t raised in the church, it was the Bible that taught me how to pray. Prayer takes the focus and control away from us and onto the only one who can actually make a difference. Thanks for sharing!
Amen Candice. The Bible is an incredible source of prayers. It is beneficial to learn from it. Thanks and blessings
Love these descriptions. It’s too easy to fall into a rut regarding the format of our prayers, causing them to be spoken by rote rather than from intimacy.
That is true for me too. It is easy to fall into rut if not careful. Thanks Ava. Blessings
Prayer is such an important part of our Christian walk and growth my friend. Enjoyed, and am looking for more.
Thanks JD. Pray is a crucial part of our faith walk. Blessings
An excellent article on prayer, Yvonne! You covered every detail and category with more information and precision than I’ve ever seen elsewhere.
Thanks so much Melinda. It is such an important aspect of our faith that we should not neglect. Blessings
Thanks for this teaching, Yvonne. It’s so important in our daily walk. God bless!
Thanks Nancy.
Yvonne, this will be a great month of devotionals on prayer. I like how you note right away that prayer is an integral part of our Christian walk. Where would we be without prayer!
Thanks Karen. I think prayer is so important. Blessings
In reference to the first scripture on give thanks in everything. I have found this hard many times and I would guess I am not alone. I heard someone say the Bible says we are to give thanks in everything but it does not say we have to feel thanks in everything. That perspective change has helped so much and in the giving thanks even when I don’t feel it has changed my heart.
Thanks Jennifer. That is a good way to look at it too. Blessings
Your message is just what I needed this week. I’ve been focusing on having a more faithful prayer life. Thank you!
So glad to hear. Thanks Katherine and God bless