What is prayer?
Philippians 4:6 - 7
ESV - 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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Tim Maas
Supporter
I would say that prayer is human communication with God, either by words or thoughts. For Christians, those communications are made in the name of Jesus, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul advised early Christians to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer can have multiple motivations or purposes. Some of the more common are: Thanksgiving to God for blessings received; Expressing love and adoration for God; Asking God to fulfill or grant requests or supplications that we make of Him, subject to His will; Confessing sins, and asking for forgiveness in Jesus' name; and Requesting God's guidance or assistance in dealing with situations, meeting needs in our lives, or avoiding circumstances that could cause us to sin. All these areas are encompassed in the guidelines that Jesus gave as examples to His disciples in passages such as Matthew 6:5-15, Mark 11:25-26, and Luke 11:1-4.
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