Bible Verses About Prayer
Prayer is a powerful and integral part of the Christian faith. It gives us a way to form a closer relationship with God and thank Him for His blessings.
As Christians, we are blessed to have access to so many beautiful Bible verses about prayer. Prayer enables us to express our deepest concerns and gratitude to God, no matter where our life journeys lead us.
Psalm 5:1-3 says “Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God; for unto thee will I pray” reminding us that through prayer we can always find solace and have intimate moments with our Heavenly Father.
The Bible serves as a reminder of prayer’s well-documented power throughout history and provides a roadmap for continued spiritual journey.
Reading these Bible verses about prayer will renew our focus on Him and offer guidance for better communication with Him during times of need or joyous occasion.
Prayer Quotes
Prayer in the Bible
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
Jesus teaches us to communicate with God by offering the Lord’s Prayer in Mathew 6:9-13.
He starts by honoring God, our Father, by praising His name. Then gives His prayer over to God’s will with, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Next, Jesus says we can ask for our daily needs to be met. Then shows us how to repent for our sins as we forgive others around us.
Finally, Jesus shows us to ask God for His divine protection over our lives and keep us away from sin.
Through Jesus’ words, we learn to be grateful for what we are given and ask for insight so that we may live in accordance with the Father’s wisdom. His words help us foster closer relationships with the Almighty as well as provide comfort as He promises redemption not only for ourselves but others around us.
Mathew 6:5-8
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Jesus spoke these words before He shared “The Lord’s Prayer” as a guideline of what to do and not to do in prayer.
He says we shouldn’t show off our prayers in order to be seen by others, but that prayer is a private and personal time with God. Jesus suggested we should practice a sincere form of prayer that helps us develop a relationship with our Creator.
We should also “not keep on babbling” as if that earns us favor with God. God already knows what we need. The importance Jesus placed on solemnly praying tells us this is a vital part of invoking true connection between our Lord and Savior.
1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
1 John 5 encourages us to have faith in the power of prayer. No matter what challenges we face throughout our lives, we can count on the Lord to hear our prayers and bring comfort during difficult times.
The act of prayer allows us to lift our worries up to the Lord and rest assured that He will listen. We must never doubt that He can transform any situation; His infinite power is greater than anything we might face on this earth and through Him, all things are possible.
This verse also asks Christians to pray within God’s will. We trust at know that He responds to our prayers according to His will, which is always greater than our understanding.
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
if my people who are called by my name 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.
2 Chronicles 7:14 is one of the powerful Bible verses about prayer that tells us that if we turn from our sins, humble ourselves, pray, and seek God’s favor, He will forgive us and fill us with His blessing.
This verse calls on us to take time, reflect on our lives, let go of anything that stands between us and God, and focus our attention on faith and righteousness so that we can fully receive His grace.
Doing so not only brings spiritual blessings but also grows our relationship with God.
James 5:13-16
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
These Bible verses, written by James, the half brother of Jesus, were written to Christians who had been scattered after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Many people think of prayer as something that should only be done when we are in need, like during dark times or desperate moments. Yet James 5:13-16 speaks to us differently.
In these four short verses, James encourages believers to come together and pray no matter the circumstance—be it a time of joy or a moment of distress. He reminds us that our mission is to talk to God and make requests freely, no matter whether they “are good prayers” or “urgent cries.”
As children of God, we can come together in unity through prayer.
Matthew 26:39-44
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
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.”
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away[a] unless I drink it, your will be done.” When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.
In Matthew 26:39-44, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, grieving and struggling with His anticipated suffering.
He implored God to take away the cup of impending sacrifice, asking three times if it was possible for Him to be spared from His duty as the Savior of mankind. Despite His agony and tears, Jesus steadfastly held onto His faithfulness to God’s plan by ultimately submitting Himself to God’s will.
Through this passage, Jesus teaches us about trusting in God even in our greatest moments of struggle and giving ourselves to Him completely – even when our suffering seems unbearable.
This powerful lesson serves as a reminder that although life can be hard, we are never alone and through faith, there is always hope.
Psalm 17:6
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my words.
Psalm 17:6 is a beautiful, heartfelt request of God to protect us and guard us from the wicked who pursue us.
This verse reminds us that while we may never understand why evil exists, or why it affects so many of our lives, we should always ask God to prevent those with ill intentions from touching our lives.
By faith and prayer, we can affirm that even in times when danger and fear surround us, God is watching over and guarding our steps. We should never lose faith and be constantly reminded to put our trust in Him with all of our hearts.
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6 about putting on the “Armor of God.”
Among the items needed to fight spiritual warfare are the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, your feet fitted with readiness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.
Finally, Paul ends the spiritual warfare readiness with imploring his readers to do all of these things while praying. He says to pray with “all kinds of prayers and requests.”
This calling to pray immediately grabs our attention as the Scripture admonishes us to accept our responsibilities within the Christian faith and seek out help from the Lord above. This look into Ephesians 6:18 shows us clearly how prayer and supplication are essential weapons against Godly opposition.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Doesn’t this sound like a beautiful way to live? If we can focus on being joyful (because of knowing God), to never stop praying, and be thankful, wouldn’t our lives be so good?
This reminds us of the importance that prayer has in our faith and how it can bring us closer to God. In prayer we ask for his guidance, comfort and support, which will help as we strive to stay positive, even when life throws us trials and tribulations.
All these elements combined can lead to a strong sense of joy and peace in our lives if we faithfully follow this instruction given in these Bible verses about prayer.
Mark 11:22-25
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
This verse in Mark is a powerful example of what prayer can do. When Christians pray with the right intentions and within God’s will, miracles will happen.
Another key point this verse is making about prayer is the importance of forgiveness first. First, we should look within ourselves and forgive, so that God may forgive us as well.
When we are in the right state with God, and our fellowship is full, we can trust and obey God’s will in prayer.
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
In Romans 8:26 Paul shares that even when life is so difficult that we cannot express our needs, the Holy Spirit comes alongside of us to help us pray.
When we feel too weak to continue praying or too exhausted to form the right words, the Spirit is there ready to offer support and care.
By recognizing this Divine presence within ourselves and our prayers, let us be encouraged as we seek assurance and comfort in our hardest days.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us to ask God for things that are necessary and beneficial for our leaders. This includes leaders of all kinds: our Government leaders, Church leaders, community leaders, school administration, among many others.
We should pray that we can have a peaceful life on Earth through God’s guidance for our leaders. We should also pray that hearts are opened to be saved by Jesus, as this verse says “to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Through faithful prayer, we can make an impact within our world.
Acts 2:42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection the Christian Church was born. In Acts 2 we see what that beginning church looked like and how they worked together.
Verse 42 specifically shows the importance of prayer within a Christian community. The early church “devoted” themselves to prayer. They knew they needed God’s guidance and wisdom as they share Jesus with the world.
Let us then, as the early church did, devote ourselves to prayer, asking God to come alongside our efforts in all that we do. We can multiply our efforts when we are devoted to prayer and Godly wisdom.
Philippians 4:6-7
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
How do we achieve peace in our day to day life? We pray.
Prayer in every situation leads to peace in your heart. We should pray with thanksgiving and then see how God will guard our hearts and minds.
The peace it brings is a treasure, one we have access to anytime we remember that whatever life throws our way, He will handle it through prayer to Him that transcends all understanding.
These verses remind us how powerful prayer can be when it comes from a heart willing to give everything up to the Lord.
