The acknowledgment of all God’s perfections, and the exercise of all virtues toward God coalesce in prayer—that necessary, profitable, holy, and sanctifying duty of a Christian. Consequently, the exercise of religion is comprehensively expressed as praying and calling upon God: “Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord” (Gen 4:26).
Since prayer proceeds from a variety of motions of the soul, it is also referred to by various designations, such תפלּה (tefilla), which means prayer (Ps 4:2); תחנה (techinna), which means supplication (Ps 6:10); שיח (siach), which means complaint (Ps 64:1); צעקה (tse‘naqah), which means calling or crying (Ps 9:13); δέησις (deesis), which means prayer (James 5:16) or supplication (1 Tim 2:1); ἱκετηρία (hiketeria), which means supplication (Heb 5:7); ἔντενξις (enteuksis) (1 Tim 4:5), ἐυχή (euche) (James 5:16), and προσευχή proseuche (Col 4:2), which all mean prayer; and προσκυνεῖν (proskunein), which means to worship (MAtt 4:10).
In view of a variety of manners, times, matters, and respects relative to prayer, one may distinguish between various forms of prayer.
The Various Forms of Prayer in Scripture
First there is worship. This occurs when, while viewing and acknowledging the perfections of God, we reverently bow ourselves before the Lord and render Him honor and glory, and if—be it without words, with inward thoughts, or by way of external words—we “speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works” (Ps 145:5). This is also the work of angels toward Christ: “Let all the angels of God worship Him” (Heb 1:6).
Secondly, there is invocation. This occurs when we request something from God, be it the deliverance from some oppressing or imminent evil, or the receipt of some benefit for body and soul. “And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee” (Ps 50:15); “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him…with long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation” (Ps 91:15-16).
Thirdly, there is supplication. This occurs when, with much humility and by presenting many arguments, we persevere in prayer. “…Nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto Thee” (Ps 31:22); “… he wept, and made supplication unto Him” (Hosea 12:4).
Fourthly, there is groaning. This occurs if we cannot find words to give expression to our desires or the lofty matters which we have in view and desire with great yearning. The apostle calls them, “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom 8:26), and the psalmist says, “Lord, all my desire is before Thee; and my groaning is not hid from Thee” (Ps 38:9).
Fifthly, there are public or communal prayers. This occurs when the congregation calls upon God in either a public gathering place or in a private home, where someone audibly leads in prayer. “Prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5). Prayers which are offered when some gather to pray together are also considered communal prayers. “That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:19-20).
Sixthly, there are private prayers. This occurs when we bring our particular desires before God. There are:
(1) Ejaculatory prayers, which are sent heavenward to God during our work, while walking, or during a conversation with people. Thus, Nehemiah prayed to God while he was speaking to the king (Neh 2:4), and Moses did so while he stood before the Red Sea with Israel (Exod 14:13).
(2) Seasonal prayers, which in turn are either of an occasional nature when a particular incident prompts us to seek solitude in order to pray; or regular prayers, that is, at our designated devotional times in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. Both ejaculatory as well as seasonal prayers are either:
[a] Mental, when bringing our desires before God by way of exerting ourselves mentally, and by way of reflection and contemplation. This occurs without words as is to be observed in the quoted examples of Moses and Nehemiah.
[b] Or oral, which occurs when we express our desires with words—even if we form and pronounce words without using the voice. Such was the case with Hannah. “Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard” (1 Sam 1:13).
It can also be that we express our desires with our voice, doing so either more loudly or softly, depending on how far or how close we are to the people. “My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord” (Ps 5:3). It is no wonder that the papists elevate mental prayers above oral prayers, since their oral prayers are nothing but recitations of form prayers, pater nosters, and Ave-Marias.
Seventhly, there is intercessory prayer. This occurs when we desire something from God for others. Such can occur for the church in general: “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles” (Ps 25:22); “Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem” (Ps 51:18); “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Ps 122:6). This can also occur on behalf of given individuals. “Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him” (James 5:16); “Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thess 5:25); “Pray one for another” (James 5:16); “Pray for them which despitefully use you” (Matt 5:44); “Prayers … be made … for kings, and for all that are in authority” (1 Tim 2:1-2).
Many abuse this practice in our days by repeatedly saying to each other upon parting, “I commend myself to your prayers; remember me in your prayers; I request your intercessory prayer; or pray for me.” They do this as commonly as the expression of a greeting. Apart from the fact that it is impossible to remember all those who make such a request, it is necessary that we know specifically what we are to pray for on behalf of someone else. The one who makes the request ought to be in specific circumstances, which should be revealed to those whose intercessory prayer he requests. Only then may one request intercession from another, and the one to whom the request has been made is obligated to do so, so that God, being beseeched by many, would also be thanked by many. However, the trend of making such requests is frequently no more than a custom, and it can cause one to lose sight of the intercession of the Lord Jesus.
There can be no intercession for the dead; they already are where they will eternally be and will remain; purgatory is indeed hell itself. There also can be no intercession for those who have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost. “There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it” (1 John 5:16).
Eighthly, there is imprecatory prayer. Here we must be cautious and on guard that we are not carried away by our own passions, as occurred with the disciples of Christ, who wanted to pray that fire consume the Samaritans who would not receive them (Luke 9:54). One may never pray for someone’s eternal perdition, nor for the bodily destruction of someone who is our personal enemy. We may also not do so relative to those who offend God’s congregation. If, however, the Lord moves us to pray against those who oppress and persecute the congregation in an extraordinary manner, we may then pray that God would convert them, and if such is not to be the case, that God would punish them so that they would no longer be able to oppress the church. It would thus be apparent that the Lord takes vengeance upon the blood of His church and furthermore that God would be glorified therein. “Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek Thy name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: that men may know that Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth” (Ps 83:16-18).
Ninthly, there is thanksgiving. Such occurs when we joyfully acknowledge the goodness of God manifested in all temporal and spiritual blessings bestowed hitherto, doing so especially for specific blessings. Such acknowledgment will motivate the supplicant to pray zealously for that which he presently desires. This is what Jacob did in Gen 32:9- 12, as well as the church in Ps 75:2-5. Therefore thanksgiving and prayer are frequently conjoined: “In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil 4:6); “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men” (1 Tim 2:1).