Bible Verses About Prayer: How We Communicate with God

Prayer is a vital part of the Christian life. It is how we communicate and fellowship with God. Prayer draws us closer to Him and helps us form a deep personal relationship with Him that is built on faith, trust, and gratitude. There is no single right way to pray, but there are many Bible verses about prayer we can look to for guidance. Here are a few Bible verses about prayer to get you started.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:16, NIV

Believers can confidently approach God with their needs and requests and speak to Him openly and directly.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him. – 1 John 5:14-15, NIV

God always listens to our prayers and has our best interests at heart. He will grant our requests when we pray according to His will.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV

The apostle Paul exhorts us to be joyful, to pray without ceasing, and to have an attitude of gratitude no matter what, for this is God’s will for us. Think of your prayers as open-ended, spontaneous conversations with God.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7, ESV

When we speak to God about our concerns instead of worrying about them, He promises to replace our anxiety with His peace that surpasses understanding.

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6:5-8, ESV

Jesus warns against the misuse of prayer and tells us to simply ask for what we need in private. We do not need to pray long wordy prayers for God to hear us.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they 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 person is powerful and effective. – James 5:13-16, NIV

Christians are called to confess their sins to one another and to pray for each other in faith.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:12, NIV

Knowing God is in control and that we can trust in His sovereignty should give us joy and hope despite our circumstances.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. – Romans 8:26-27, NIV

When we don’t know how to express our feelings or what words to pray, the Holy Spirit will intercede for us and effectively communicate our prayers to God on our behalf.

If you have questions about this article on Bible verses about prayer or would like to meet with one of the faith-based counselors at Thousand Oaks Christian Counseling, please give us a call.