Prayer as asking God

God’s people are commanded to bring their requests to him

Philippians 4:6 LEB

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

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Prayer for deliverance from difficulty

Psalm 4:1 LEB

When I call, answer me, O God of my righteousness. In trouble deliver me. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

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Prayer for deliverance from enemies

Psalm 17:8–9 LEB

Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings from the presence of the wicked who destroy me, those enemies against my life, they that surround me.

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Prayers of individuals in time of crisis

Jacob’s prayer

Genesis 32:9–12 LEB

Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your family, and I will deal well with you.’ I am not worthy of all the loyal love and all the faithfulness that you have shown your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please rescue me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and attack me, mother and children alike. Now you yourself said, ‘I will surely deal well with you and make your offspring as the sand of the sea that cannot be counted for abundance.’ ”

David’s prayers

Psalm 28:1–9 LEB

To you, O Yahweh, I call. O my rock, do not be deaf to me. Or else, if you are silent to me, then I will become like those descending to the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your holy inner sanctuary. Do not drag me away with the wicked or with the workers of evil, who speak of peace with their neighbors, while evil is in their heart. Give to them according to their work, even according to the evil of their deeds. Give to them according to the work of their hands; repay them their rightful due. Because they do not regard the works of Yahweh, nor the work of his hands, he will destroy them and not rebuild them. Blessed is Yahweh, because he has heard the voice of my supplications. Yahweh is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts him and I am helped. So my heart rejoices, and with my song I will give thanks to him. Yahweh is their strength, and he is the refuge for the salvation of his anointed one. Save your people and bless your heritage. Shepherd them also and carry them always.

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Elijah’s prayer

1 Kings 19:4 LEB

Then he went into the wilderness one day’s journey, and he went and sat under a certain broom tree. Then he asked Yahweh that he might die, and he said, “It is enough now, Yahweh; take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.”

Jeremiah’s prayer

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Jesus Christ’s prayers

Matthew 26:39 LEB

And going forward a little he fell down on his face, praying and saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Individual petition to God in prayer

Individual prayer for guidance

Genesis 24:12–14 LEB

And he said, “O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show loyal love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are going out to draw water. And let it be that the girl to whom I shall say, ‘Please, offer your jar that I may drink’ and who says, ‘Drink—and I will also water your camels,’ she is the one you have chosen for your servant, for Isaac. By her I will know that you have shown loyal love to my master.”

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Individual prayer for healing

2 Kings 20:1–11 LEB

In those days Hezekiah became deathly ill, and Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Command your house, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’ ” Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh, saying, “O Yahweh, please remember how I went about before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and remember the good that I have done in your eyes.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. Isaiah had not gone out from the middle of the city when the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “Return; you must say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘Thus says Yahweh the God of David your ancestor, “I have heard your prayer and I have seen your tears. Look, I am about to heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the temple of Yahweh. I will add to your days fifteen years, and from the hand of the king of Assyria I will deliver you and this city. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.” ’ ” Then Isaiah said, “Bring a lump of figs,” so they took and put it on the skin sores, and he lived. Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that Yahweh will heal me that I shall go up on the third day to the temple of Yahweh?” Isaiah said, “This is the sign for you from Yahweh that Yahweh will do the thing that he has promised: Shall the shadow advance ten steps or shall it return ten steps?” Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. No, but let the shadow return backwards ten steps.” Isaiah the prophet called to Yahweh, and he brought back the shadow on the steps where it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz, backwards ten steps.

Individual prayer for the birth of a child

1 Samuel 1:10–11 LEB

She was deeply troubled, so she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said: “O Yahweh of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the misery of your female servant, and will remember me, and not forget your female servant, and will give to your female servant a male child then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor will never pass over his head.”

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Corporate petition to God

Corporate prayer for deliverance

Exodus 2:23 LEB

And then during those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites groaned because of the work, and they cried out, and their cry for help because of the work went up to God.

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Corporate prayer for restoration

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Corporate prayer for protection, especially at times of crisis

Ezra 8:21–23 LEB

I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava to humble ourselves before our God in order to seek from him a safe journey for us, our children, and our possessions. For I was ashamed to ask the king for troops and horses to protect us from enemies on the way because we said to the king, “the hand of our God is favorable to all who seek him, but his strength and anger are against all who forsake them.” So we fasted and sought our God for this and he responded to our prayer.

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The first Christians prayed together when they met

Acts 1:13–14 LEB

And when they had entered, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying—Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James. All these were busily engaged with one mind in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.

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The first Christians prayed together at times of crisis or important decisions

When threatened with punishment

Acts 4:24–31 LEB

And when they heard it, they lifted their voices with one mind to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them, the one who said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples conspire in vain? The kings of the earth stood opposed, and the rulers assembled together at the same place, against the Lord and against his Christ.’ For in truth both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, to do all that your hand and plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, concern yourself with their threats and grant your slaves to speak your message with all boldness, as you extend your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

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When Barnabas and Saul were sent off by the church at Antioch

Acts 13:3 LEB

Then, after they had fasted and prayed and placed their hands on them, they sent them away.

When Paul and Silas experienced persecution

Acts 16:25 LEB

Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Prayers for mercy and grace

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