Prayer is being with God.
These are some of the many kinds of prayer.
Adoration and praise
Blessing prayers
Breath prayers--In one breath, breathe in and speak the first part….breathe out and speak the second part.
Confession and repentance
Faith prayers
Forgiveness
Healing, deliverance, help
Historical prayers of the church
Hymn, doxology, or praise song as prayer
Ignatian meditation
Intercession—asking for others
Lamentation
Lectio Divina
Listening prayer
Looking back/forward through the day, week, month, or year
Petition—asking for oneself
Prayer through creating--art, making music, dance, praying in color (https://prayingincolor.com/), singing
Prayer walking
Scripture as prayer especially the Psalms
Silent prayer
Thanksgiving
Transformation/transformational prayer
Warfare prayer
- Holy, holy, holy are you Lord God Almighty. (inspired by Revelation 4:8)
- You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created everything.
(inspired by Revelation 4:11) - Praise you Lord. You are good; your love endures forever. (inspired by Psalm 106:1)
Blessing prayers
- “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
- Lord, please bless our leaders with wisdom.
Breath prayers--In one breath, breathe in and speak the first part….breathe out and speak the second part.
- “Lord…have mercy” (the Kyrie Eleison)
- “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God…have mercy on me, a sinner.” (the Jesus Prayer)
Confession and repentance
- I confess my sin of _____. I know you are faithful and just, God, and forgive me when I repent.
(inspired by 1 John 1:9) - I am sorry for _____.
Faith prayers
- I seek you, Lord, knowing by faith you can be found. I call on you while you are near. (inspired by Isaiah 55:6)
- Lord, I know you don’t want anyone to perish. You want everyone to repent and follow you. May that be true for _____. (inspired by 2 Peter 3:9)
Forgiveness
- I forgive _____ and ask you, God, to please forgive me for my sins including _____ . (inspired by Matthew 6:12)
Healing, deliverance, help
- We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. We trust you. Please heal/deliver/help us.
(inspired by 2 Chronicles 20:12b)
Historical prayers of the church
- The Lord’s Prayer
“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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13 and more) - The Apostles Creed
“I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.” - The Peace Prayer
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.”
Hymn, doxology, or praise song as prayer
- “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen” (the Common Doxology)
Ignatian meditation
- Imagine you are there in the Scripture passage and you can hear, see, smell, taste, and touch. Ask God to help you experience his word in a fresh way.
Intercession—asking for others
- God, please draw _____ closer to you.
- Please protect _____ as they travel.
Lamentation
- God, why are you ignoring me? Why aren’t you saving me? (inspired by Psalm 22:1)
- Don’t be so far away from me, God. Trouble is near and there is no one to help me. (inspired by Psalm 22:11)
Lectio Divina
- Read a Scripture passage multiple times and let your heart reflect.
Listening prayer
- Sit quietly, listening for what the Lord wants to say to you today. It might be a word, a Scripture, a song, a picture.
Looking back/forward through the day, week, month, or year
- Talk over the time that has just passed/that which is just ahead with the Lord.
Petition—asking for oneself
- “Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me. Lord, be my help.” (Psalm 30:10)
- Heal me, Lord, because my bones are causing such pain. (inspired by Psalm 6:2)
Prayer through creating--art, making music, dance, praying in color (https://prayingincolor.com/), singing
- I will sing unto the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously, the horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is God and I will praise him, my Father’s God and I will exalt him. The Lord, my God, my strength, my song, has now become my victory. (inspired by Exodus 15:1-2)
- I will praise your name with dancing and with musical instruments (inspired by Psalm 149:3)
Prayer walking
- Pray as you walk around the sanctuary, around the church grounds, around the neighborhood.
Scripture as prayer especially the Psalms
- Open your Bible and pray verses from one of the Psalms or elsewhere that speak of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and mercy in times of need.
Silent prayer
- Thank you, Lord God, that you hear our silent prayers. Even before we call, you answer. (inspired by Isaiah 65:24)
Thanksgiving
- Thank you, God, for ____
Transformation/transformational prayer
- “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
Warfare prayer
- God, I choose to submit to you, to come near to you, to confess my sin of _____ and resist the devil.
(inspired by James 4:7-8) - Thank you, Lord, that you are faithful. You strengthen me and protect me from the evil one.
(inspired by 2 Thessalonians 3:3) - I believe the One who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world. I praise you, God, for this!
(inspired by 1 John 4:4) - “Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
- Thank you that I am strong in you, Lord, and in your mighty power. With the armor you provide—truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and your Word—I can stand against the devil’s schemes. Keep me alert and praying for all your people. (inspired by Ephesians 6:10-18)
- “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Scriptures related to these kinds of prayer
Exodus 15:1-2
The Song of Moses and Miriam
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.
“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Numbers 6:24-26
“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
1 Samuel 3:9
So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
2 Chronicles 20:12
Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Psalm 22:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
Psalm 22:11
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 149:3
Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
Isaiah 55:6
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
Isaiah 65:24
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, 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 today 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.’
Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
James 4:7-8
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Revelation 4:8,11
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
The Song of Moses and Miriam
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.
“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Numbers 6:24-26
“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
1 Samuel 3:9
So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
2 Chronicles 20:12
Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Psalm 22:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
Psalm 22:11
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 149:3
Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
Isaiah 55:6
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
Isaiah 65:24
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, 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 today 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.’
Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
James 4:7-8
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Revelation 4:8,11
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”