What different types of prayer are there? The Bible contains a variety of types of prayer, from the psalms to the Lord’s Prayer. Today, we will look at the Types of prayer in the bible, and different types of prayer found in the bible.
The psalms are prayers that were written by the Jewish people during their time as slaves in Egypt, and they were later collected into one book. The Lord’s Prayer is one such psalm, but it was also given to us by Jesus Christ himself as an example of how we should pray.
The Gospels also contain examples of prayer. John 17 is a particularly famous example: it’s when Jesus prays to God while on the cross, asking him to forgive humanity for its sins and asking God to have mercy on them.
Types Of Prayer In The Bible
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Petition
Pews and confessionals, Shrine of the Apostle Paul, Saint Paul, MN.
Scott P. Richert
Outside of the Mass, prayers of petition are the type of prayer with which we are most familiar. In them, we ask God for things we need—primarily spiritual needs, but physical ones as well. Our prayers of petition should always include a statement of our willingness to accept God’s Will, whether He directly answers our prayer or not. The Our Father is a good example of a prayer of petition, and the line “Thy will be done” shows that, in the end, we acknowledge that God’s plans for us are more important than what we desire.
Prayers of expiation, in which we express sorrow for our sins, are one form of prayers of petition. In fact, the first form because before we ask for anything, we should acknowledge our sinfulness and ask God for His forgiveness and mercy. The Confiteor or Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass, and the Agnus Dei (or Lamb of God) before Communion are prayers of expiation, as is the Act of Contrition.
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Intercession
Family Prayer
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Prayers of intercession are another form of prayers of petition, but they are important enough to be considered their own type of prayer. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes (Para. 2634), “Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did.” In a prayer of intercession, we’re not concerned with our needs but with the needs of others. Just as we ask the saints to intercede for us, we, in turn, intercede through our prayers for our fellow Christians, asking God to shower His mercy on them by answering their requests. A Prayer of Parents for Their Children and these Weekly Prayers for the Faithful Departed are good examples of prayers of intercession for the needs of others.
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Thanksgiving
Multi-generation family saying grace before Christmas dinner.
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Perhaps the most neglected type of prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving. While Grace Before Meals is a good example of a prayer of thanksgiving, we should get into the habit of thanking God throughout the day for the good things that happen to us and others. Adding the Grace After Meals to our regular prayers is an excellent way to start.
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Praise
‘God the Father’, 1885-1896. Artist: Viktor Mihajlovic Vasnecov
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Prayers of praise acknowledge God for what He is. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Para. 2639) notes, praise “lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory, quite beyond what he does, but simply because HE IS. It shares in the blessed happiness of the pure of heart who love God in faith before seeing him in glory.” The Psalms are perhaps the best-known example of prayers of praise. Prayers of love or charity are another form of prayers of praise—expressions of our love for God, the source and object of all love. The Act of Charity, a common morning prayer, is good example of a prayer of praise.
Types of Prayer
4 Types of Prayer
1 Timothy 2:1-2 NASB
First of all, then, I urge that ENTREATIES and PRAYERS, PETITIONS and THANKSGIVINGS, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (emphasis mine, ADL)
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (KJV)
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, SUPPLICATIONS, PRAYERS, INTERCESSIONS, and GIVING OF THANKS, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (emphasis mine, ADL)
While this scripture is especially appropriate now in the USA, I have already discussed the election and how one should view it through the lens of scripture, here. Today, I want to consider the four words I highlighted in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: Entreaties/Supplications, Prayers, Petitions/Intercessions and Thanksgiving.
In To Be a Handmaid of the Lord, Lesson 11 is called “Prayer and a Thankful Attitude“. In it, we study how to pray along with what makes an acceptable prayer, who can pray, and when to pray. I was struck though with Paul making the point of four different types of prayer. There was not room to cover those in detail in the book, so I am beginning to explore them now for a more focused study on prayer.
Prayers and Thanksgiving
These two words are fairly easy to deal with and to understand.
Prayers in this verse, and the 36 other times this Greek word is used in the New Testament, just means “prayer”. This is simply a prayer to God in its most generic meaning. Any communication directed toward God, that recognizes Him as God, is a prayer. It can be in a formal worship service (1 Cor. 14:15) or it can be in a closet (Matt. 6:6).
Thanksgiving is pretty straightforward as well. These are expressions of gratitude that we make towards God.
So, we are to offer up communication to God, recognizing that He is God Almighty (Matt. 6:9) and we are to express our gratitude to Him for the things He has done for our benefit. Many of the Psalms of praise or thanksgiving would fit in these categories.
The next two interest me because of the distinction they make.
Entreaties/Supplications
The Greek word that is translated as “entreaties” or “supplications” means “need, indigence, a seeking, asking, entreating”. This is asking something of God. These are the communications that accomplish the command in Matt. 7:7. “Ask” means “to beg”. Supplications to God is how you bring your deep needs to Him and beg for His attention and provision for those needs.
This word indicates specific conversation with the Lord that indicates that we each know our own needs, the needs of others, and we express those needs to Him. It requires humility because we are willing and able to “beg” of Him for these things. We are able to say that without Him our needs will not be met.
Petitions/Intercessions
“Petitions” and “intercessions” are the English renderings for the Greek word that means “a falling in with, meeting with, an interview, a coming together, to visit, converse”. This gives a different picture or aspect to the communication we are having with God! One of the aspects of our prayers is approaching God the Father as we would an important meeting to discuss plans. We bring something to the table that needs to be dealt with and we expect a captive audience Who will, in turn, address the issue that is brought to them. This is not remote, far away, disconnected access. This is access to the Father, one on one.
This makes me think of Acts 17:27, “that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us”. Don’t you love the reminders that God is not far away?
So, what do we do with that information?
It helps me to break the verses down into parts, go back to 1 Timothy 2:1-2 –
First of all, then, I urge that
entreaties – prayers that bring the needs of all men, kings, and all who are in authority to the feet of the Lord
prayers – acknowledgement that God is God Almighty, hallowed be His name, and that He is in control of these things
petitions – the plans and desires be brought before the Lord so that we are working together with Him and through Him
thanksgivings – we be grateful for His love and the blessings He provides in every aspect of our lives and all those of all men
be made so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
I believe that it is important that Paul did not just tell Timothy to pray – to converse with God. He told Timothy to
acknowledge God’s authority
be thankful for God’s hand in the life of all men
be aware of the needs of others – including on a political/global scope
bring all of the aspects of living out our days, plans, wants, desires, goals, etc to the Lord.
keep his focus on being able to live a quiet life spent serving God
Well – that leaves a LOT of room for study. It also leaves room to consider how well we actually DO those things. When we pray, are we praying that deeply? Do we get beyond our own hurts and ask that the Lord protect those He has put in authority over us? Are we thinking of all men as souls God wants in His household, they just need to see the Way? Are we approaching Him in prayer as our superior Creator but also as our partner? Do we truly see Him as working with us and for us to accomplish the life that we live? Hmm – like I said, much to study and much to think about.
Lord willing, we will explore this more together going through the year. I hope to share with you my studies as I prepare the print version of the study on prayer. Mondays will be the days I share those thoughts, so look for them then.
Do you have a prayer life full of all four types of prayer? Are you one who likes to write them out? Do you track them in some way? Share your insights if this is an area where you are strong so that others might learn from you.
Different Types Of Prayer Found In The Bible
5 Types of Prayer
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By Scott P. Richert
Updated on June 25, 2019
“Prayer,” St. John Damascene wrote, “is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” At an even more basic level, a prayer is a form of communication, a way of talking to God or to the saints, just as we talk to family or friends.
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, however, not all prayers are the same. In Paragraphs 2626-2643, the Catechism describes five basic types of prayer. Here are brief descriptions of each type of prayer, with examples of each.
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Blessing and Adoration (Worship)
Mature couple in church
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In prayers of adoration or worship, we exalt the greatness of God, and we acknowledge our dependence on Him in all things. The Mass and the other liturgies of the Church are full of prayers of adoration or worship, such as the Gloria (the Glory to God). Among private prayers, the Act of Faith is a prayer of adoration. In extolling the greatness of God, we also acknowledge our own humility; a good example of such a prayer is Cardinal Merry del Val’s Litany of Humility.
Different Types Of Prayer In The Bible
There are many types of prayer in the Bible. In fact, there are hundreds of different types of prayers.
Some are short and simple. Others are more complex and take longer to complete. Some prayers include instructions on how to say them, while others don’t. Some prayers are written by God himself, while others were written by people who were praying at the time.
One type of prayer is called a Psalm—this is a song-like poem that usually includes a lot of repetition and a certain rhythm to it (similar to how we sing hymns today). Another type is called an apocalypse—it’s when you write down what you’re seeing in your mind as if it’s happening right now!