Prayer is talking to God – with words, with silence, with lament, with thanksgiving. The Bible is full of prayers and full of invitations to simply do it. Here you will find 23 Bible verses about prayer: Jesus' invitation, verses for praying in every situation, and promises that God hears.
The invitation to prayer
Jesus and the apostles encourage us to bring everything before God.
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Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7Baptismal verses
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Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6Thankfulness
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Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
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And you will call me, and I will go to you and answer you.
Jeremiah 29:12
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Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.
Jeremiah 33:3
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But when you pray, go into your room, and shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and he shall reward you openly.
Matthew 6:6Reward
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Pray without ceasing, and watch in prayer with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2Thankfulness
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Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, pray without ceasing.
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And pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching and wrestling all with prayer and supplication for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18EquipmentSpiritual battle
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But he told them a parable, that a man ought to pray always, and not to give up.
Luke 18:1
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Hope in him always, O ye beloved, and pour out your heart before him; for God is our hope.
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Cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
God hears
Verses that promise that no prayer is wasted.
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The LORD is near to all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psalm 145:18GodGod's nearness
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And this is the joy that we have toward him, that, when we ask according to his will, he heareth us.
1 John 5:14
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The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.
Psalm 34:16God sees me
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And call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt praise me.
Psalm 50:15
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The prayer of the righteous availeth much when it is earnest.
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Likewise the Spirit also maketh intercession for our infirmities: for we know not how that we ought to pray as is convenient, but the Spirit himself maketh effectual our supplications with groanings that cannot be uttered.
Romans 8:26Answered prayerConfirmation verses
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For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
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Therefore I say unto you, Whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believe that ye receive it, and it shall be yours.
Mark 11:24
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And it shall be done, before they call, I will answer; when they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Isaiah 65:24
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Blessed be God, which hath not cast away my prayer, nor turned away his mercy from me.
Psalm 66:20
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Hitherto ye have not asked in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:24Receive
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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What is prayer?
Prayer is not a technique in the Bible, but a relationship. Abraham bargains with God, Hannah weeps so much that the priest thinks she is drunk, the Psalms cry out, lament, and rejoice. Jesus withdraws again and again to pray, and teaches his disciples the Lord's Prayer. Paul writes: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) – this does not mean to make words non-stop, but to lead the whole life in conversation with God.
How you can pray
The Bible knows many forms: free prayer from the heart, corporate prayer, where two or three are gathered (Matthew 18:20), silent prayer in the room (Matthew 6:6), and the prayers that you take over from others – above all the Psalms and the Lord's Prayer. Anyone who does not know what to say may rely on Romans 8:26: The Spirit himself intercedes for us. A good start is given by the verses in The Lord's Prayer in the Bible and The most beautiful Psalms and Psalm verses; anyone waiting for an answer will find verses in Bible verses about answered prayer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about prayer?
The Bible invites us to bring everything before God in prayer (Philippians 4:6), to pray persistently (Luke 18:1), and to trust that God hears (Psalm 145:18; 1 John 5:14).
Where does it say “Pray without ceasing”?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Paul means by this a life that remains in conversation with God permanently.
