If you grew up in a church environment, then you heard those three words regularly. Quite often, the man standing before the church, assigned to lead the congregation in prayer, would preface his first words toward God with, “Let us pray.”

It was a call to focus and, maybe, to action. While it was certainly a traditional statement, it was by no means empty. “Let us pray.” It was the entire group, listening to the leader’s words and, hopefully, adding their own in their hearts, silently reaching the lofty heights that can only happen when we are in the presence of God in His throne room.

The Bible has an abundant supply of prayer scriptures, teachings, reference, and examples. It is a major theological theme of God’s Book.

• If we put together all the different forms and actions that represent prayer in the Bible, it comes to 600+ times.
• The gospels tell of Jesus praying 25 times.
• The first mention of the action of prayer in the Bible is Genesis 4:26. Adam and Eve had a son named Seth. Seth had a son named Enosh. It was during the time of Enosh that “people began to call upon the name of the LORD.”
• This doesn’t mean there was no communication between man and God. We know God had a direct dialogue with Adam and Eve in chapter three following their sin.
• There was also the blood of Abel, after his murder at the hands of his brother, Cain. His blood cried to God from the ground. At least that’s how God described it. A prayer? Maybe. It expands our understanding of how our existence through life (and death) on this planet connect to God in intimate ways. (Genesis 4:10)
• Abram, later called Abraham, called on the name of the Lord in Genesis 12, building an altar after the first stage of his long journey.
• Prayers in the Bible were not about saying to God what is believed He wants to hear, but speaking the heart honestly.
• There are several postures for prayer mentioned in the Bible:
  • Kneeling (Luke 22:41; Dan. 6:10; Eph. 3:14)
  • Sitting (II Samuel 7:18)
  • Hands lifted (I Timothy 2:8)
  • Face down on the ground (Matthew 26:39)
  • Standing (Mark 11:25)
• Bible people spoke their prayers. They shouted their prayers. They prayed silently. They sang their prayers. They cried their prayers.
• The longest prayer in the Bible is Psalm 119, some 176 verses long, speaking to God in praise for the wonder of His Word.
• There are various kinds of prayers in the Bible:
  • Praying by agreement with others (Acts 1:14)
  • Request/supplication (Philippians 4:6)
  • Thanksgiving (also Philippians 4:6)
  • Intercession (I Timothy 2:1)
  • Consecration which means setting ourselves aside for God’s own purpose (Mathew 26:29)
  • Worship (Acts 13:2-3)
  • The prayer of faith (James 5:15)
  • Imprecatory prayers (Psalms 7, 55, 69)
• Paul mentions prayer 41 times.
• The word “amen” is first written in the Bible in Numbers 5:22. In the Hebrew Old Testament, the word is pronounced “amen,” which is where we get the word. It means “so be it.”
• The ultimate prayer: “Your will be done.” (Matthew 26:39)