Bible Topics

Bible verses about prayer

Scripture's prayers are far more honest than most of ours. That's the point.

Passages worth sitting with

4 passages
Matthew 6:5–15

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you…

The Lord's Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

"Pray Without Ceasing"

James 5:13–18

Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.

"The Prayer of a Righteous Person"

Luke 18:1–8

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men, yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Otherwise, she will wear me out with her perpetual requests.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge. Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them? I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

The Persistent Widow's Prayer

Whole chapters on this

Read in full

More verses that speak to this

Berean Standard Bible
Luke 1:13

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

Luke 22:32

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

Acts 4:31

After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Ask what these verses mean

In BibleKey, tap any verse for its meaning and background — then ask a follow-up question and get an answer rooted in the text.

Get BibleKey

Related topics

Keep going

Read it. Then understand it.

BibleKey explains every verse you tap — meaning, background, and the Hebrew or Greek underneath.

Download on the App Store

Free on iPhone & iPad