What is Prayer?
The simplest definition of prayer might be this: “Talking with God.” It is merely expressing your heart to God and spending time with Him. God speaks, we listen; we talk and God listens. You might want to ask, what is not prayer! Christian prayer is not a mindless chanting of memorized words to a distant god in the sky. It requires an active engagement of your body, soul and spirit. God, in turn, focuses His attention on His children. God designed prayer to be fulfilling, exciting, and rewarding.
While I will focus mostly on intercession on this website, I wanted to give an overview of other types of prayer that will hopefully inspire you to study the subject of prayer further.
Types of Prayer
A. Thanksgiving
B. Petition
C. Prevailing
D. Praying For Others
A. Thanksgiving– Giving thanks to God for all things in your life. Scripture commands us to give thanks in every circumstance. Thankfulness flows from a heart that recognizes His protection, provision, and blessing—and above all, the gift of His Son.
B. Petition– We bring specific needs to God. “Give us this day our daily bread” speaks to asking Him for what we need to live: food, shelter, employment, and so on. Petitions focus on personal or corporate needs, presented to our Heavenly Father with faith that He provides. God welcomes us to be specific. Avoid vague prayers like, “God bless the whole wide world.” He delights in details.
C. Prevailing Prayer– This is a fervent, consistent, and insistent prayer that refuses to quit until a breakthrough comes. Prevailing prayer often carries a breaker anointing, bringing lasting emotional healing or even physical healing from chronic illness.
Biblical Example:
Luke 18:1-8 – Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“For some time, he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
D Praying For Others and For Nations, Cities, Businesses, Schools, Homes – (Intercession)
This is sacrificial love expressed through prayer. It means advocating for someone else’s needs. You stand in the gap—praying prayers of repentance as if you were that person or a part of the situation needing to be changed. This often includes identifying with the sins of those you pray for, trusting God to move with power and love to change a home, a city, or even a nation.
Biblical Example:
Nehemiah, a godly and upright man, prayed prayers of repentance. He identified himself with the sins of Israel and asked the Lord to show mercy and restore the nation to its former glory.
Biblical Example: Nehemiah, a very godly and upright man, prayed prayers of repentance, identifying himself as one of those who had sinned. He asked the Lord to have mercy upon Israel and to return it to its former glory.
Nehemiah 1:4-10 – I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.
We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.”
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©1997, 2025 Katherine Walden
