The Bible gives us several examples of different types of prayers to God.

They
vary in purpose and context, and learning about them can deepen our own
prayer lives.

So what are these different types of prayer, and how do we know what type to
use in what situations?

Here we will cover these common ways people communicated with God:

 Prayers of worship and adoration

 Prayers of thanksgiving
 Prayers for direction and guidance
 Prayers for healing
 Prayers of intercession
  Prayers of confession
 Corporate prayer
 Personal prayer

You are invited to commune with the Divine. God says,  “pray to Me, and I will
listen to you”  (Jeremiah 29:12, NKJV). 

PRAYERS OF WORSHIP AND ADORATION

Prayers of worship acknowledge God’s glory, goodness, love, and power. They
give us a chance to recognize how beautiful, creative, and loving He is, expressing
these sentiments through the lens of our own experiences.

David, the Psalmist, often expressed worshipful prayers:

O Lord, our Lord,

How majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8:1 (ESV)

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!

Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, How awesome are Your works!
Psalm 66:1-3 (NKJV)

Even Job, after experiencing all kinds of loss, expressed adoration for the
Almighty:

I know that you can do all things,

And that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. …
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Job 42:2, 3 (ESV)

Prayers of worship can sometimes be songs or poems.

This is different than a simple thank-you prayer. These prayers focus on who God
is, rather than on something He’s done. 
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory
and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both
riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are
power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength
to all.
1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (ESV). It helps us realize just Who it is we’re
communing with. And it can do wonders for developing faith.

Sometimes prayers of worship happen within a group, like at a church service or

small group. 

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING

As we recognize the blessings of God, it’s good to express our gratitude. It helps us
recognize the good in our lives, and it helps us attribute these things to the One
all good things come from (James 1:17).

The children of Israel had an amazing testimony of praise.

I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! 

The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 
The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; 
He is my God, and I will praise Him.
Exodus 15:1, 2 (NKJV)

When God helped Daniel interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, He made sure
that all the glory went to Him:

To you, O God of my fathers,

I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me wisdom and might, 
And have not made known to me what we asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s matter.
Daniel 2:23 (ESV)
PRAYERS FOR DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE

God promises to guide us are all over the Bible. And we can claim them in our
prayers to Him.

In Isaiah, God promises to give us direction:

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’
whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)

As we pray for guidance, we open our minds to receive God’s directions.

Gideon was an Old Testament judge of Israel who prayed for God’s guidance.

So he asked God for a sign, and he put a piece of wool on the ground. 

If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—look, I shall put a
fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it
is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my
hand, as You have said.
Judges 6:36-37 (NKJV)

Gideon was impressed, but still wanted to be absolutely sure.

Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: let me test, I pray,
just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all
the ground let there be dew
Judges 6:39 (NKJV)

Again, God provided Him with a sign.

God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all
the ground
Judges 6:40 (NKJV)

The book of James counsels,  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who
gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him”  (James 1:5,
NKJV).
PRAYERS FOR HEALING
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the
prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.
James 5:14, 15 (NKJV)

Prayers for healing can also include anointing. Anointing with oil happens during
a time of prayer. An elder or minister drops a small amount of oil on the head
while saying a special prayer for healing.

When Jesus sent His disciples into the community, they anointed the sick. Mark
writes that they “anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them” (Mark
6:13, NKJV).

“thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7, NKJV). Something had been bothering him
for some time, though he doesn’t say what it is. But it’s clear how much it was
affecting him. So he asked God for healing.

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might
depart from me.
2 Corinthians 12:8 (NKJV)

After praying three times, Paul received an answer.

And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

But was Paul bitter? Did it make him doubt God? 

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power
of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 (NKJV)
Knowing God loves us, we can be at peace. Whatever happens to us physically,
we can trust that God knows best. God’s goal is to save us for eternity. The
disciple John writes, “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask
anything according to His will, He hears us”  (1 John 5:14, NKJV).

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Intercessory prayer holds up the needs of others to God. We may be the only
person praying for someone.

We can make a difference in the lives of other people by praying for them: 

Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer
of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:16 (NKJV)

“I have prayed for you,” Jesus told him, “that your faith should not fail; and when
you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren”  (Luke 22:32, NKJV). 

And right before Jesus was to go to the Cross, He prayed a long, profound prayer
of intercession for His followers. 

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them
from the evil one. … Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you
sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their
sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
John 17:15-19 (ESV)

It is also important to pray for our communities, and even our countries and
leaders. In 1 Timothy 2:1, 2 we’re encouraged to intercede “for all people,”  and
specifically “for kings and all who are in high positions.” 

Intercessory prayer is a way we can touch the lives of others with God’s helping
hand.

PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

Since God knows everything, is it necessary to confess our mistakes to Him? 

God wants us to confess not for His benefit, but for ours. God is happy to forgive
us (Acts 5:31, NKJV), but we have to ask Him. Our part is to acknowledge our sins
and ask Him to forgive us. And that’s how we begin to grow past our struggles.

Remember the story of King David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)?

There’s no way around it—that’s an awful, detestable thing for him to have done.

In Psalms 51:1-3, 7 (NKJV) we find the details of his confession:

Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Prayers of confession don’t have to be elaborate. A good place to start can be as

simple as “God, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

What if we feel unforgivable? What if we’re sure we’ve gone too far? 

Don’t be discouraged. Nothing is too hard for God. “With God all things are
possible,”  (Matthew 19:26, NKJV).

The Bible tells us, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
who repents”  (Luke 15:10, NKJV). 

We don’t have to confess for forgiveness through a pastor or a priest. God’s ear is
open to our request. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”  (1 John 1:9,
NKJV).

Prayers of confession are often made in secret. Next we’ll explore public prayer.
CORPORATE PRAYER

Public or corporate prayer is when a large group joins together to commune with
the Lord. It is a time to unite in bringing our requests and cares before God. God’s
Word tells us “where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in
the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20, NKJV).

In the early Christian church, group prayer happened daily. 

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with
the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.
Acts 1:14 (ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to
the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Acts 2:42 (ESV)

The story of Peter in prison is an amazing example of the power of group prayer.

Peter, a leader of the early church, was imprisoned because he was preaching
about Jesus. As he awaited execution, his church family gathered together and
prayed. Acts 12:5 tells us, “Constant prayer was offered to God for him by the
church.”

The night before his scheduled execution, an angel appeared in his prison cell.
Unseen by the guards that were standing on either side of him, the angel called to
Peter. “Arise quickly!” he said (Acts 12:7, NKJV).

Peter’s chains fell off, and he followed the angel through the prison gates. Once
they were on the street the Bible tells us that “immediately the angel departed
from him”  (Acts 12:10, NKJV).

Peter walked to the home of a friend. The Bible tells us that at this home “many
were gathered together praying” (Acts 12:7, NKJV). Peter knocked on the door, and
a young girl answered. When she heard Peter’s voice, she ran back to tell
everyone that Peter was outside.

“You are beside yourself!”  (Acts 12:15, NKJV), the others said.

As they were trying to make sense of what she said, they heard knocking on the
door.  “Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him,
they were astonished”  (Acts 12:16, NKJV). God had answered their prayers!

Paul tells us that God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or
think”  (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV). He delights to answer prayers. When people gather
together to pray, His ear is open to our voices. His heart is ready to pour out
blessings upon us.

In his book, Peter tells us, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears
are open to their prayers”  (1 Peter 3:12, NKJV).

PERSONAL PRAYER

Personal prayer is the most intimate type of prayer. Because it’s just us and God,
we can be bold. We can tell God everything we’re feeling.

Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You.
Psalm 38:9 (NKJV)

So when should we have personal prayer? 

Well, there’s never a bad time! But it can be especially beneficial to start our day
with prayer.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct
it to You, and I will look up.
Psalm 5:3 (NKJV)

When Jesus was on earth, He would spend entire nights in prayer talking to His
Father in heaven. The Bible says, “He went out to the mountain to pray, and
continued all night in prayer to God”  (Luke 6:12, NKJV).

Personal prayer helps our hearts to grow, and to be more alert to God’s guidance.
And by confiding in Him, we deepen our relationship with Him.

The Bible tells us,  “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!”  (1
Chronicles 16:11, NKJV).
JUST PRAY. THAT’S ALL YOU NEED TO DO!

There is a type of prayer that is best suited for every circumstance of life. 

Do we feel like we’re on top of the world? We can praise God with our friends
through prayers of worship, or prayers of thanksgiving. 

Do we have a burden we can’t tell anyone? We can pour out our souls to Him in
private prayer. 

Are we suffering from sickness or injury? We can mobilize the power of group
prayer as we call for the elders to anoint us and pray for us.
Prayer is a powerful tool. With it, we can become in harmony with God Himself.
Humanity can touch divinity, and we can change for the better. 

God tells us,  “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall
glorify Me”  (Psalm 50:15, NKJV).

But overall, there is never a wrong time or a wrong way to reach out to God. Any
time our thoughts are directed toward God, He hears us.

Requests, praises, pleadings, confession—all are welcome at God’s throne.

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