Biblical Words Related to Prayer

To pray is to interact with God.

Prayer can be a naturalist feeling at one with nature while overlooking a pristine winding river valley, a Buddhist monk attending the “Words of Truth”, a Sufi attending “Becoming One with the Mentor”, or a Benedictine monk reading, meditating, praying and contemplating scripture as they practice the “Lectio Divina”.

Prayer is communication between the soul and what that soul considers divine. For me divinity is found in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, Christianity’s Trinity. To whom the soul prays matters. In monotheistic religion, this direction of attention differentiates worship from idolatry, idolatry being among the greatest offenses.

As it is important to identify accurately who we communicate with, it is also invaluable to have an understanding of the types of communication. From the Old and New Testament I have compiled a list which I consider valuable and available for those who follow Jesus Christ.

Hebrew

• אָמַר,aw-mar’; a prim. root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, command, commune, consider, declare, demand, *desire, determine, *express, *indeed, *intend, name, plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak, *still, *suppose, talk, tell, term. (examples)

• דָּבַר, daw-bar’; a prim. root; perhaps prop. to arrange; but used fig. (of words) to speak, rarely (in a destructive sense), to submit – answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehurse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use [ en, utter, *well, *work. (examples)

• דָּרַשׁ, daw-rash’; a prim. root; prop. to trust or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by impl. to seek or ask; spec. to worship -ask, *at all, care for, *diligently, inquire, make inquisition, [necro – mancer, question, require, search, seek [for, , *surely. (examples)

• פָּלַל, paw-lal’; a prim. root; to judge (officially or mentally): by extens. to intercede, pray – entreat judge (-ment, (make) pray (-er, ing), make supplication. (examples)

• קָרָא, kaw-raw’; a prim. root [rather ident. w to call out to (i.e. prop. address by name, but used in a wide variety of application): – bewray [self, that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest invite, mention, )give) name, preach, (make) proclaim (ation), pronounce, publish, read, renouned, say. (examples)

• שָׁאַל, shaw-al’; or _ shaw-ale’; a prim. root; to inquire, by impl. to request; by externs. to demand; – ask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, to charge, consult, demand, desire, *earnestly, enquire, greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, salute, *staitly, *surely, wish. (example)

Greek

• αἰτέω, ahee-teh’-o; of uncert. der.; to ask (in gen): – ask, beg, call, for, crave, desire, require. (examples)

• ἐκζητέω, ek-zay-teh’-o; to search out, i.e. (fig) investigate, crave, demand, (by Hebr.) worship: -en (re-) quire, seek after (carefully, diligently). (example)

• ἐπικαλέω, ep-ee-kal-eh’-om-ahee; to entitle; by impl. to invoke (for aid, worship, testimony, decision, etc.): – appeal (unto), call (on, upon), surname. (examples)

• ἐρωτάω, er-o-tah’-o; appar. from _ρέω to interrogate, by impl. to request: – ask, beseech, desire, intreat, pray. (example)

• ζητω, dzay-teh’-o; of uncert. affirm.; to seek (lit. or fig.) spec. (by Heb.) to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life): – be (go) about, desire, endeavor, enquire (for), require, (*will) seek (after, for, means). (examples)

• λέγω, leg’-o; a prim. verb; prop. to lay forth, i.e. (fig.) relate (in words [usually of systematically or set <discourse>. (examples)

• πρoσεύχoμαι, pros-yoo’-khom-ahee; to pray to God, i.e. supplicate, worship: – pray (*earnestly, for), make prayer. (examples)