What does "prayer" mean?

Many terms are used in the Bible to describe prayer. The general Hebrew noun is tephillah from a form of the verb palal. The root idea is intercession. In the Greek language, the word is proseuchomai. The root idea is a vow. However, the two words can be used comprehensively for any kind of petition, intercession, or thanksgiving.

Old Testament expressions
We are introduced to ‘prayer’ in Genesis 4:26 where it is described as “calling upon the name of the Lord.” Other OT expressions of prayer are:
• To entreat
• To seek the favour (of God)
• To bow in worship
• To draw near
• To fall upon; meet for entreaty
• To cry out (for redress of a wrong)
• To ask
• To supplicate
• To appear before the face of the Lord

New Testament expressions
The NT writers used the terms:
• Beseech
• Request
• Ask
• Intercede
• Worship
• Give thanks
• Vow

[In the list above, only the last four terms were specifically used towards God only.]

A look at the various expressions of prayer clearly show that prayer is a rich, multifaceted communication with God. It is definitely more than simply asking or making requests of God.


[This is the second post in a series on the subject of prayer. Last week we looked at what prayer means to God. These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]