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Definition: Prayer |
PrayerNoun1. The act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving). 2. Reverent petition to a deity. 3. Earnest or urgent request; "an entreaty to stop the fighting"; "an appeal for help"; "an appeal to the public to keep calm". 4. A fixed text used in praying. 5. Someone who prays to God. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "prayer" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Bible | Prayer is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold intercourse with us, his personal control of all things and of all his creatures and all their actions. Acceptable prayer must be sincere (Heb. 10:22), offered with reverence and godly fear, with a humble sense of our own insignificance as creatures and of our own unworthiness as sinners, with earnest importunity, and with unhesitating submission to the divine will. Prayer must also be offered in the faith that God is, and is the hearer and answerer of prayer, and that he will fulfil his word, "Ask, and ye shall receive" (Matt. 7:7, 8; 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13, 14), and in the name of Christ (16:23, 24; 15:16; Eph. 2:18; 5:20; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 2:5). Prayer is of different kinds, secret (Matt. 6:6); social, as family prayers, and in social worship; and public, in the service of the sanctuary. Intercessory prayer is enjoined (Num. 6:23; Job 42:8; Isa. 62:6; Ps. 122:6; 1 Tim. 2:1; James 5:14), and there are many instances on record of answers having been given to such prayers, e.g., of Abraham (Gen. 17:18, 20; 18:23-32; 20:7, 17, 18), of Moses for Pharaoh (Ex. 8:12, 13, 30, 31; Ex. 9:33), for the Israelites (Ex. 17:11, 13; 32:11-14, 31-34; Num. 21:7, 8; Deut. 9:18, 19, 25), for Miriam (Num. 12:13), for Aaron (Deut. 9:20), of Samuel (1 Sam. 7:5-12), of Solomon (1 Kings 8; 2 Chr. 6), Elijah (1 Kings 17:20-23), Elisha (2 Kings 4:33-36), Isaiah (2 Kings 19), Jeremiah (42:2-10), Peter (Acts 9:40), the church (12:5-12), Paul (28:8). No rules are anywhere in Scripture laid down for the manner of prayer or the attitude to be assumed by the suppliant. There is mention made of kneeling in prayer (1 Kings 8:54; 2 Chr. 6:13; Ps. 95:6; Isa. 45:23; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; 9:40; Eph. 3:14, etc.); of bowing and falling prostrate (Gen. 24:26, 52; Ex. 4:31; 12:27; Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:35, etc.); of spreading out the hands (1 Kings 8:22, 38, 54; Ps. 28:2; 63:4; 88:9; 1 Tim. 2:8, etc.); and of standing (1 Sam. 1:26; 1 Kings 8:14, 55; 2 Chr. 20:9; Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11, 13). If we except the "Lord's Prayer" (Matt. 6:9-13), which is, however, rather a model or pattern of prayer than a set prayer to be offered up, we have no special form of prayer for general use given us in Scripture. Prayer is frequently enjoined in Scripture (Ex. 22:23, 27; 1 Kings 3:5; 2 Chr. 7:14; Ps. 37:4; Isa. 55:6; Joel 2:32; Ezek. 36:37, etc.), and we have very many testimonies that it has been answered (Ps. 3:4; 4:1; 6:8; 18:6; 28:6; 30:2; 34:4; 118:5; James 5:16-18, etc.). "Abraham's servant prayed to God, and God directed him to the person who should be wife to his master's son and heir (Gen. 24:10-20). "Jacob prayed to God, and God inclined the heart of his irritated brother, so that they met in peace and friendship (Gen. 32:24-30; 33:1-4). "Samson prayed to God, and God showed him a well where he quenched his burning thirst, and so lived to judge Israel (Judg. 15:18-20). "David prayed, and God defeated the counsel of Ahithophel (2 Sam. 15:31; 16:20-23; 17:14-23). "Daniel prayed, and God enabled him both to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream and to give the interpretation of it (Dan. 2: 16-23). "Nehemiah prayed, and God inclined the heart of the king of Persia to grant him leave of absence to visit and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 1:11; 2:1-6). "Esther and Mordecai prayed, and God defeated the purpose of Haman, and saved the Jews from destruction (Esther 4:15-17; 6:7, 8). "The believers in Jerusalem prayed, and God opened the prison doors and set Peter at liberty, when Herod had resolved upon his death (Acts 12:1-12). "Paul prayed that the thorn in the flesh might be removed, and his prayer brought a large increase of spiritual strength, while the thorn perhaps remained (2 Cor. 12:7-10). "Prayer is like the dove that Noah sent forth, which blessed him not only when it returned with an olive-leaf in its mouth, but when it never returned at all.", Robinson's Job. Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. |
Dream Interpretation | To dream of saying prayers, or seeing others doing so, foretells you will be threatened with failure, which will take strenuous efforts to avert. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
This entry is about the series of Jewish prayers said regularly by Jews. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book.There are three prayer services each day on weekdays. A fourth additional prayer service, called Musaf, is added on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and on major holidays.
Many synagogues have a Hazzan (cantor) who is a professional or lay-professional singer employed for the purpose of leading the congregation in prayer.
Quorum
Jewish law and custom requires Jews over the age of majority (13 for males, 12 for females) to pray three times a day. Prayer alone is considered acceptable, but prayer with a quorum of ten adults (a minyan) is considered prayer with the community, and this is the most highly recommended form of prayer.
According to traditional Jewish law, the smallest congregation which is permitted to hold public worship is one made up of ten men over the age of majority (13 years).
The rule comes from the Mishnah (Megillah 4:3): "They do not divide over the Shema Yisrael (Hear, O Israel), nor pass before the Ark, nor lift their hands, nor read from the Law, nor conclude with the Prophets, nor arrange the standing and sitting, nor say the benedictions of the mourners or the consolation of the mourners, nor the benedictions of the bridegrooms, nor use God's name in preparing for grace after meals, with less than ten."
The Babylonian Talmud, in commenting on this section of the Mishnah, finds the Biblical authority for ten men constituting a congregation in the words (Numbers 14:27): "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?" which it refers to the scouts who were sent to spy out the land of Canaan, twelve in all, two of whom, Caleb and Joshua, were faithful, and only ten "evil."
All male Jews over 13, unless they have openly severed their connection with their brethren by converting to another religion, are counted in the minyan. (Shulkhan Arukh, Orah Hayyim, 55, 12).
Traditional codes of Jewish law do not forbid women from counting in a minyan, and a small number of classical rabbinic responsa mention this as a theoretical possibility. However this seems never to have been the practice of the Jewish community; women being allowed to count in the minyan on a regular basis is a new development in Jewish law. Rabbis within Conservative Judaism have published responsa justifying the counting of women within a minyan. Reform Judaism does not follow Jewish law as normative, so its leaders do not feel the need to justify their practice within the system of Jewish law.
The language of prayer
Prayer is done almost exclusively in Hebrew, but Jewish law allows for prayers to be said in any language that the person praying understands. Orthodox synagogues use almost exclusively Hebrew, and use the local language only for sermons and directions; Conservative synagogues use Hebrew for about 75% to 95% of the service (depending on the local custom), and the rest is in the local language. Reform synagogues (usually called Temples) use anywhere from 10% to 40% Hebrew; most of the service is in the local language.
The prayer services
Shacharit: morning prayers
Prayers said upon arising; donning tzitzit and the tallit; prayers for putting on tefillin; and readings from Exodus. Next follows a section called the morning blessings, followed by blessings for the Torah and readings from Biblical and rabbinic writings. This is followed by a reading of Genesis 22, with prayers on the subject. Next comes the Shema Yisrael. In Orthodox services this is followed by a series of readings from Biblical and rabbinic writings recalling the offerings made in the Temple in Jerusalem. The section concludes with the Rabbi's Kaddish.
The next section of morning prayers is called Pesukei D'Zimrah, veses of praise, containing many psalms, and prayers made from a tapestry of biblical verses, followed by the Song at the Sea (Exodus 14, 15)
Now begins the Barchu, the formal public call to prayer, and an expanded series of prayers relating to the Shema Yisrael. This is followed by the core of the prayer service, the Shemonah Esrah, also called the Amidah. this is a series of 19 prayers. The next part of the service, is Tachanun, supplications. Reform services usually omit tachanun entirely.
On Mondays and Thursdays a Torah reading service is inserted. Concluding prayers then follow.
Mincha: afternoon prayers
Prayers start with Psalm 145, immediately followed by the Shemoneh Esrah (Amidah). This is followed by a shortened version of Tachanun, supplications, and then the full Kaddish. After this is the Aleinu, and then the Mourner's Kaddish.
Ma'ariv (also: Arvit): evening prayers
This service begins with the Barchu, the formal public call to prayer, and an expanded series of prayers relating to the Shema Yisrael. This is followed by the Hashkiveinu ("Lay us down to sleep, Adonai, our God, in peace, raise us erect, our King, to life, and spread over us the shelter of Your peace.") A series of other blessings are added, which are made from a tapestry of biblical verses. This is followed by the Half-Kaddish, and the Shemoneh Esrah (Amidah), bracketed with the full Kaddish. Then the Aleinu and Mourner's Kaddish.
In many congregations, the afternoon and evening prayers are recited back-to-back on a working day, to save people having to walk to the synagogue twice.
Musaf - the additional service
The Musaf service starts with the silent recitation of the Amidah. It is followed by a second public recitation that includes an additional reading known as the Kedushah. This is followed by the Tikanta Shabbat reading on the holiness of Shabbat, and then by a reading from the biblical book of Numbers about the sacrifices that used to be performed in the Temple in Jerusalem. Next comes Yishmichu, "They shall rejoice in Your soverignty"; Eloheynu, "Our God and God of our Ancestors, may you be pleased with our rest"; Ritzey, "Be favorable, our God, toward your people Israel and their prayer, and restore services to your Temple";
After the Amidah comes the Yihi ratzon, then the full Kaddish. In Orthodox Judaism this is followed by a reading from the Talmud on the sacrifices that used to be peformed in the Temple in Jerusalem. These readings are usually omitted by Conservative Jews, and are always omitted by Reform Jews.
The Musaf service culminates with the Rabbi's Kaddish, the Aleinu, and then the Mourner's Kaddish. Some synagogues conclude with the reading of Aniem Zemirot, "The Hymm of Glory".
American Reform Jews omit the entire Musaf service.
Friday night Shabbat services
Shabbat services begin on Friday evening with Kabbalat Shabbat, the mystical prelude to Shabbat services composed by 17th century Kabbalists. This Hebrew term literally means "Receiving the Sabbath".
It is composed of of six psalms, xcv. to xcix., and xxix., representing the six week-days. Next comes the poem Lekha Dodi. Composed by Solomon ha-Levi Alkabi (1529), it is based on the words of Hanina, "Come, let us go out to meet the Queen Sabbath" (Talmud Shabbat 119a). Kabbalat Shabbat is concluded by Psalms xcii. and xciii., and is then followed by the Maariv service.
The reading VeShameru (Ex. xxx. 16, 17) is recited before the Amidah. The Amidah on Shabbat is abbreviated, and is read in full once. This is then followed by the hazzan's mini-repetition of the Amidah, Magen Avot, a digest of the seven benedictions. In Orthodox synagogues the second chapter of Mishna tractate Shabbat, Bameh Madlikin, is read. The service then follows with the Alenu. Kiddush is recited in the synagogue. Many synagogues end with the singing of Yigdal.
Saturday morning and evening Shabbat services
Shabbat morning prayers commence as on week-days. Of the hymns, Ps. c. is omitted, its place being taken by Ps. xix., xxxiv., xc., xci., cxxxv., cxxxvi., xxxiii., xcii., xciii. Nishmat is recited, also El Adon.
The seventh intermediary benediction of the Shaharit Amidah begins with Yismah Mosheh. Berik Shemeh (before taking out the Scroll from the Ark) is from the Zohar, and contains the sentence: "We depend not on a man nor do we trust in a Son-God, but in the God of heaven, who is the true God." The Yekum Purkan, composed in Babylon in Aramaic, is similar to the Mi sheberakh, a blessing for the leaders and patrons of the synagogue. The Sephardim omit much of the Yekum Purkan. Prayers are then recited for the government of the country that the prayer lives in; and also for the State of Israel.
The main benediction of Musaf, Tikanta Shabbat, is recited,
After Minhah, during the winter Sabbaths (from Sukkot to Passover), Bareki Nafshi (Ps. civ., cxx.-cxxxiv.) is recited. During the summer Sabbaths (from Passover to Rosh Hashanah) chapters from the Avot, one every Sabbath in consecutive order, are recited instead of Bareki Nafshi. The week-day Maariv is recited on Sabbath evening, concluding with Vihi No'am, Ve-Yitten Leka, and Havdalah.
Services on Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot
The services for the three festivals of Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot are alike, except for interpolated references and readings for each individual festival. The preliminaries and conclusions of the prayers are the same as on Sabbath. The Amidah on these festivals only contains seven benedictions, with Attah Beḥartanu as the main one.
Except in Reform Judaism, the Musaf service includes Mi-Pene Hata'enu, with reference to the special festival and Temple sacrifices on the occasion. A blessing on the pulpit ("Dukan") is pronounced by the "kohanim" during the Amidah. On week-days and Sabbath the priestly blessing is recited by the hazzan after the Modim ("Thanksgiving") prayer.
Guide on etiquette for visitors
In most synagogues [also called Temples] it is considered a symbol of respect for all male attendees to wear a head covering, usually a dress hat or kipa (yarmulke). Kipa is a Hebrew word; yarmulke is the Yiddish word for the same head covering. Kipot (plural) are usually provided near the front door; just take one and put one on as you go in. Return it to the same area on your way out of synagogue. Conservative (also called Masorti) and Orthodox synagogues ask that all male attendees cover their heads, whether they are Jewish or gentile. Most Reform (also called Progressive) Temples do not require people to cover their heads (neither Jew or gentile). Nonetheless, many Reform Jews now choose to wear a kipa.
As you might expect, there are some things that a gentile visitor should do during a Jewish religious service, and there are some things not to do.
See also: Siddur, Prayer
- When the congregants stand, you should stand as well. This is merely a sign of respect, done when something important is happening during the service, such as the opening of the ark where the Torah is kept.
- When people bow at certain points during some prayers, do not bow. To follow the bowing and rising would indicate that you are actually a Jew following the halakha (Jewish law) of prayer. Since you aren't Jewish, this is not necessary.
- Wear modest, nice clothes. It's a house of worship.
- If you are male, wear a kipa (Hebrew), also called a yarmulke (Yiddish). The wearing of this does not signify that one is a Jew; it only signifies that one is showing respect. Note that the wearing of a kipa in most Reform temples is considered optional; it is mandatory for Jewish men in both Orthodox and Conservative synagogues.
- Do not wear a tallit (also: tallis) (prayer shawl). This is only worn by Jews over the age of majority (13 for men, 12 for women.)
References
''To Pray As a Jew', Hayim Halevy Donin
Entering Jewish Prayer, Reuven Hammer
External links
- Introduction to synagogue services
- Outline of prayer services
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Jewish services."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Prayer is an attempt to communicate with a deity or deities; prayer in western civilization is usually directed to God.
The existence of prayer is attested in written sources as early as 5000 years ago, and anthropologists believe that the earliest intelligent humans practised something that we would recognize today as prayer.
There are many types of prayer. Four of the most basic types of prayer are thanksgiving, confession of one's sins, praise of the divine, and petitioning for help or fulfilment of need.
Biblical views of prayer
The Bible contains many examples of prayer and various instructions and teachings about prayer. The book of Psalms is composed of prayers, song verses and poems by various authors, and some of its prayers in particular have been used by Jews and Christians for years, in corporate prayer and individual prayer, and used both verbatim and as inspiration for new prayers and songs.
In the Tanach (Hebrew Bible, Old Testament) various forms of prayer appear; the most common form is petition. This in many ways is the simplest form of prayer. Some have termed this the "social approach" to prayer. In this view, a person directly confronts God in prayer, and asks for their needs to be fulfilled; God really does listen to prayer, and may or may not choose to answer. This is the primary approach to prayer found in the Tanach (or Old Testament), the New Testament, most of the Church writings, and the Talmud.
This "petition approach" to prayer is supported for example by Matthew 21:22, where Jesus is reported as saying "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Also "the way to my father is through me"
Most modern day prayerbooks by monotheistic religions contain many prayers that were originally written as petitions. However, many modern believers may recite the same prayers with a different understanding of prayer (see below) in mind.
Prayer in Eastern Religions
The religion of Buddhism, well known for being non-theistic, utterly discards worship and places devotional emphasis on the practice of meditation alongside scriptural study. Although God and deities are recognized as present, Gautama Buddha claims it is mankind who by their own free will, possess the greatest capacity and potential to liberate themselves and are urged to do so without exterior assistance. Therefore, prayer is not as central to devotion as in its neighbouring asiatic faiths.
In religions such as Hinduism and Jainism, prayer has a greater significance and role for salvation. Hindus in India have numerous devotional movements. Stemming from the highest Creator God called Brahma, prayer is focused on His many manifestations, including the most popular deities Shiva, Vishnu, Rama and Krishna. Although Jains believe that no spirit or divine being can assist them on their path, they do hold some influence, and on special occasions, Jains will pray and meditate for right knowledge to the twenty-four Tirthankaras (saintly teachers).
Prayer in Paganism
In Graeco-Roman paganism, ceremonial prayer was highly formulaic and ritualized. The Iguvine Tables contain a supplication that can be translated, "If anything was said improperly, if anything was done improperly, let it be as if it were done correctly."
The formalism and formulaic nature of these prayers led them to be written down in language that may have only been partially understood by the writer, and our texts of these prayers may in fact be garbled. Prayers in Etruscan were used in the Roman world by augurs and other oracles long after Etruscan became a dead language. The Carmen Arvale and the Carmen Saliare are two specimens of partially preserved prayers that seem to have been unintelligible to their scribes, and whose language is full of archaisms and difficult passages.
Roman prayers and sacrifices were often envisioned as legal bargains between deity and worshipper. The Roman formula was do ut des: "I give, so that you may give in return." Cato the Elder's treatise on agriculture contains many examples of preserved traditional prayers; in one, a farmer addresses the unknown deity of a possibly sacred grove, and sacrifices a pig in order to placate the god or goddess of the place and beseech his or her permission to cut down some trees from the grove.
Philosophical re-interpretations of prayer
Post-Biblical theologians considered the philosophical problems involved in prayer (see below). Over time a number of re-interpretations of prayer evolved. These were developed in great detail by the medieval neo-Platonic and neo-Aristotelian philosophers, and have influenced how many people still pray today. At the moment, the descriptions below list some Jewish sources, but each of these views of prayers also has Christian and Muslim proponents as well; there was much intellectual cross-fertilization between Jews, Christians and Muslims during parts of the middle-ages, and so there appears to be some convergence among the philosophers of that era.
The educational approach
In this view, prayer is not a conversation with God. Rather, it is meant to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, but not to influence God. Among Jews, this has been the approach of Rabbenu Bachya, Yehuda Halevy, Joseph Albo, Samson Raphael Hirsch, and Joseph Dov Soloveitchik. This view is expressed by Rabbi Nosson Scherman in the overview to the Artscroll Siddur (p.XIII); note that Scherman goes on to also affirm the Kabbalistic view (see below). Among Christian theologians...(please add examples here) Among Muslim theologians....(please add examples here).
The Kabbalistic view of prayer
People involved with kabbalah (esoteric Jewish mysticism) often reject rationalist reinterpreations of prayer outright, but they also reject the social approach, in which prayer is viewed as a dialogue with God. Instead, this approach ascribes a higher meaning to the purpose of prayer, which is no less than affecting the very fabric of reality itself, restructuring and repairing the universe in a real fashion. For Kabbalists, every prayer, every word of every prayer, and indeed, even every letter of every word of every prayer, has a precise meaning and a precise effect. In Kabbalah and related mystical belief systems, adherents claim intimate knowledge about the way in which God relates to us and the physical universe in which we live. For people with this view, prayers can literally affect the mystical forces of the universe and repair the fabric of creation.
Among Jews, this approach has been taken by the Hassidei Ashkenaz, the Zohar, the Kabbalist school of though created by the Ari, the Ramchal, most of Hassidism, the Vilna Gaon, and rabbis such as Yaakov Emden and Kalonimus Shapira. In the 1800s some European Christians were influenced by Kabbalah...(please add information here)
The rationalist approach
In this view, ultimate goal of prayer is to help train a person to focus on God through philosophy and intellectual contemplation. This approach was taken by Maimonides and the other medieval rationalists; it became popular in Jewish, Christian and Islamic intellectual circles, but never became the most popular understanding of prayer among the laity in any of these faiths. In all three of these faiths today a significant minority of people still hold to this approach.
The experiential approach
In this approach, the purpose of prayer is to enable the person praying to gain a direct experience of God. This approach is very significant in Christianity and widespread in Judaism (although less popular theologically). In Eastern Orthodoxy, this approach is known as hesychasm. It is also widespread in Sufi Islam, and in some forms of mysticism. It has some similarities with the rationalist approach, since it can also involve contemplation, although the contemplation is not generally viewed as being as rational or intellectual. It also has some similarities with the Kabbalistic view, but it lacks the Kabbalistic emphasis on the importance of individual words and letters.
Prayer practices
The actual act of praying can take on many different outward forms. Most religions or religious subgroups have certain forms that they recommend, usually more than one; occasionally, there may be specific forms that are forbidden. Prayer may be done privately and individually, or it may be done corporately in the presence of fellow believers. Some outward acts that sometimes accompany prayer are: ringing a bell; burning incense or paper; lighting a candle or candles; facing a specific direction, i.e. towards Mecca or towards the East.
A variety of body postures may be assumed, often with specific meaning associated with them: standing; sitting; kneeling; prostrate on the floor; eyes opened; eyes closed; hands folded or clasped; hands upraised; and others. Prayers may be recited from memory, read from a book of prayers, or composed spontaneously as they are prayed. They may be said, chanted, or sung. They may be with musical accompaniment or not. There may be a time of outward silence while prayers are offered mentally. Often, there are prayers to fit specific occasions, such as the blessing of a meal, the birth or death of a loved one, other significant events in the life of a believer, or days of the year that have special religious significance.
Jewish prayer
Prayers said by Jews are described in the entry on Jewish services. The prayers of the Jewish services are collected in a prayerbook called the Siddur. The entry on the siddur describes the different types of Jewish prayerbooks and how they have evolved over time.
The most imporant Jewish prayers are the Shema Yisrael ("Hear O Israel") and the Amidah ("the standing prayer").
Christian prayer
Orthodox Christianity, Catholic Christianity and the many branches of Protestant Christianity each have distinctive liturgies. Some of the more commonly recited Christian prayers include the following:
- Lord's Prayer -- Psalms -- Book of Common Prayer -- Jesus Prayer
- Traditional prayer aids include the rosary and the prayer rope.
- Prayer to saints: in Catholic and Orthodox tradition, prayers of petition may be addressed to saints. It is understood that the saints answer such prayers by means of their own prayers to God on behalf of the petitioner.
Islamic Prayer
Muslims pray a brief prayer service in Arabic, facing Mecca, five times a day. (More to be written.)
Bahá'í Prayer
Baha'is are required to recite each day one of three obligatory prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah. The believers have been enjoined to face in the direction of the Qiblih when reciting their Obligatory Prayers.
One, the longest obligatory prayer, may be recited at any time of day; another, of medium length, is recited once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening; and the shortest is recited at noon. This is the text of the short prayer:
Baha'is also read from and meditate on the scriptures every morning and evening. There are also many other revealed prayers in the Baha'i scriptures, most for general use at the choice of the individual and some for specific occasions.
- I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
In the past 200 years a new form of prayer has emerged among Christians, called praying in tongue (see Glossolalia). According to adherents of this practice, the Holy Spirit comes into the body of the prayer and speaks on the Christian's behalf in a celestial language. The person praying will later deny any knowledge of what they said while praying.
Philosophical paradoxes of prayer
There are a number of philosophical paradoxes involving prayer to an omnipotent God, namely:
These questions have been discussed in Jewish, Christian and Muslim writings from the medieval period onward. The 900s to 1200s saw some of the most fertile discussion on these questions, during the period of Neo-Platonic and Neo-Aristotelian philosophy. Discussion of these problems never ceased entirely, but they did fall mostly from the public view for several centuries, until The Enlightenment reignited philosophical inquiry into theological issues. (More to be written.)
- If a person deserves God to give him the thing he prays for, why doesn't God give it to him, even without prayer? And if a person is not deserving of it, then even if that person does pray and request it, should it be given just because of his prayer?
- Why should it be necessary to pray with speech? Doesn't God know the thoughts of all people?
- If God is omniscient (all-knowing) then doesn't God know what we are going to ask Him for even before we pray?
- How can a human being hope to change God's mind? Why should human prayers affect God's decisions?
- Do human beings actually have the ability to praise an omniscient and omnipotent God? Praising God is difficult to do without describing God, yet how can a finite human being know anything about God's ultimate nature? This question was the subject of heated debate among many religious philosophers; one such debate took place in the 14th century between Gregory Palamas and Barlaam of Calabria.
All of these questions have been discussed in many Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious texts. Many of these texts offer proposed resolutions to some or all of these paradoxes.
Prayer and Medicine
Several studies have claimed that patients who pray for their health or are being prayed for recover faster. Critics have attributed this to the placebo effect. Typically, the scientific establishment ignores studies of the occult and esoteric, but in 1999, media reports on prayer studies prompted a comprehensive review of such studies in The Lancet. The result: "Even in the best studies, the evidence of an association between religion, spirituality, and health is weak and inconsistent." A 2001 double-blind study of the Mayo clinic found no significant difference in the recovery rates between people who were (unbeknownst to them) assigned to a group that prayed for them (five people praying once a week for 26 weeks), and those who were not. In 2003, a second MANTRA study by Duke University contradicted the first MANTRA study's findings that intercessory prayer improved recovery rates in heart patients.
See also: Qi, Qigong, public prayer, prayer in school and moment of silence
External links
- Faith-Medicine Connection Challenged
- Proponents and Skeptics in "The Atlantic" magazine article"
- Avilles et.al.: Intercessory prayer and cardiovascular disease progression in a coronary care unit population: a randomized trial, Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2001, vol 76, pp. 1192 - 1198, online: http://www.mayo.edu/proceedings/2001/dec/7612a1.pdf
- Second MANTRA study finds that prayer has no medical benefit
- R.P. Sloan, E. Bagiella, T. Powell: Religion, spirituality, and medicine. Lancet 1999: 353, no 9153. Online: http://www.eatingbythebook.com/connect/0007.html
References
Moshe Greenberg, Biblical Prose Prayer as a Window to the Popular Religion of Ancient Israel
Abraham Joshua Heschel, Man's Quest for God Scribner, NY, 1954
Seth Kadish, Kavvana: Directing the Heart in Jewish Prayer, Jason Aronson Inc., 1997
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Prayer."
Synonyms: PrayerSynonyms: appeal (n), communion (n), entreaty (n), orison (n), petition (n), supplicant (n), supplication (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Request | Verb: request, ask; beg, crave, sue, pray, solicit, invite, pop the question, make bold to ask; beg leave, beg a boon; apply to, call to, put to; call upon, call for; make a request, address a request, prefer a request, put up a request, make a prayer, address a prayer, prefer a prayer, put up a prayer, make a petition, address a petition, prefer a petition, put up a petition; make application, make a requisition; ask trouble, ask one for; claim; (demand); offer up prayers; (worship); whistle for. |
Noun: request, requisition; claim; (demand); suit, prayer; begging letter, round robin. | |
Rite | Relics, rosary, beads, reliquary, host, cross, rood, crucifix, pax, pyx, agnus Dei, censer, thurible, patera; eileton, Holy Grail; prayer machine, prayer wheel; Sangraal, urceus. |
Temple | Noun: place of worship; house of God, house of prayer. |
Worship | Prayer, invocation, supplication, rogation, intercession, orison, holy breathing; (request); collect, litany, Lord's prayer, paternoster; beadroll; latria, dulia, hyperdulia, vigils; revival; cult; anxious meeting, camp meeting; ebenezer, virginal. |
Divine service, office, duty; exercises; morning prayer; mass, matins, evensong, vespers; undernsong, tierce; holyday; (rites). | |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Prayer |
| English words defined with "prayer": Bidding prayer ♦ Commendatory prayer, Common prayer ♦ Evening Prayer ♦ house of prayer ♦ Lord's Prayer ♦ Prayer meeting, prayer shawl ♦ The Lord's Prayer. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "prayer": Age hoc, APRIL 19 ♦ Backward Blessing ♦ CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PRACTITIONER, Clapping the Prayer Books ♦ Days set apart as Sabbaths ♦ Editor, Effectual prayer, En-hakkore ♦ faith healer, FOREORDINATION ♦ Gourmand's Prayer ♦ Hampton Court Conference, Hook, Hooks ♦ Lion Sermon, Lord's Prayer, Lose the Horse or win the Saddle ♦ Mazikeen ♦ National Anthems, Nonconformists ♦ Past, Phyllising the Fair, Psalm cv. 28 ♦ Quiet time ♦ RELIGIOUS HORSE, Rising in the Air, Rodrigo ♦ Save the Mark, Seraiah, sheriff, Smec, Stations, Sternhold ♦ Wicked Prayer Book, Witness of the Spirit. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "prayer": Precarious. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Someone to say a little prayer with (The Green Mile; writing credit: Frank Darabont) These are your last words, so make them a prayer. (Snatch.; writing credit: Guy Ritchie) You better say every prayer you ever heard, kid (Home Alone 2: Lost in New York; writing credit: John Hughes) Which does not include prayer time, meal time, or any time I'm outnumbered six to one (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves; writing credit: Pen Densham and John Watson.) Ancient enemy make prayer about these people you wish to hear (Rambo III; writing credit: Sylvester Stallone) | |
Lyrics | It's just a prayer for the dying (Prayer For The Dying; performing artist: Seal) I think you need some prayer, Better call the deacon, Girl (We Need A Resolution; performing artist: Aaliyah) And say another prayer (Fly Away From Here; performing artist: Aerosmith) I fell to my knees as I whispered the prayer (The Village Of St. Bernadette; performing artist: Andy Williams; writing credit: Eula Parker) Each night I say a little prayer for (Just One More Chance; performing artist: Bing Crosby) | |
Clever | Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer. (references; author: Mark Twain) Life is fragile, handle with prayer. (references; author: unknown) People in power need the power of prayer. (references; author: unknown) Seven days without prayer makes one weak. (references; author: unknown) As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Crusade for Prayer (1952) Wing and a Prayer (1944) The Eternal Prayer (1929) Elizabeth's Prayer (1914) The Availing Prayer (1914) | |
Song Titles | Like A Prayer (performing artist: Madonna) Prayer For The Dying (performing artist: Seal) The Lord's Prayer (performing artist: Sister Janet Mead) Water Prayer (performing artist: The Tokens) Prayer (performing artist: World Entertainment War) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
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Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | A Christmas prayer of wartime. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Crow Indian, kneeling, wearing prayer shawl and holding a feather fan and staff, sings as he shakes a traditional peyote rattle during ceremony; two other young men sit or kneel on either side of him, Crow Indian Reservation, Montana. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | O-Koma-San had the toothache last night so she tries a prayer on the toothache shrine, Japan. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Prayer meeting house. Hale County, Alabama. Frank Tengle's farm. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Prayer, or grace, at Sunday school picnic in abandoned mining town of Jere, West Virginia. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | National Cathedral. Book of Common Prayer of America, closed, 1892 copy. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Prayer. Man's prayer I. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | All hope for president's returning healthy. Rev. Henry N. Couden, chaplain of the House of Representatives, offering prayer in the House for the speedy recovery of President Wilson. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | General view, opening prayer of the Republican Nat'l Convention. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | The Prayer at Valley Forge / painted by H. Brueckner ; engd. by John C. McRae. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Prayer plant Leaf" by Eve Friday Commentary: "The pattern and structure of this leave is lovely - I thought the simplist presentation of it would bring it out in the best way." | "Kung fu prayer" by Joe Earley Commentary: "Me being weird." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
(Decimus Junius Juvenalis) Juvenal | Your prayer must be for a sound mind in a sound body. |
Author Unknown | Seven days without prayer makes one weak. |
Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley | The Lord's prayer contains the sum total of religion and morals. |
Lord Alfred Tennyson | Battering the gates of heaven with the storms of prayer. |
Luther | The fewer the words, the better the prayer. |
Ralph Waldo Emerson | Coffee is good for talent, but genius wants prayer. |
Soren Kierkegaard | Prayer does not change God, but changes him who prays. |
St. Jerome | Prayer is a groan. |
William James | The sovereign cure for worry is prayer. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | It is a fall, but a fall upon the knees, which may end in prayer. |
Absalom and Achitophel | John Dryden | The people's prayer, the glad diviner's theme, The young men's vision, and the old men's dream |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | He heard the voice of the prefect of the chapel saying the last prayer. |
King Richard III | Shakespeare, William | The Countess Richmond, good my Lord of Derby, To your good prayer will scarcely say amen |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Children | Zimbabwe | Indigenous African churches that combine elements of established Christian beliefs with some beliefs based on traditional African culture and religion generally accept polygyny and the marriage of girls at young ages; they also generally approve of healing only through prayer and oppose science-based medicine including the vaccination of children. (references) |
Civil Liberties | Turkmenistan | The Protestants were told that they were not allowed to meet for prayer because their church was not registered. (references) |
Pakistan | The Sunni Muslim extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan arranged prayer gatherings throughout the NWFP for SSP activist Haq Nawaz, who was executed on February 28, for the 1990 killing of the leader of the Iranian cultural center in Lahore. (references) | |
Human Rights | Pakistan | Prior to the riots, the Sunni Muslim extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) had arranged prayer gatherings throughout the NWFP for SSP activist Haq Nawaz, who was executed on February 28 for the 1990 killing of the leader of the Iranian cultural center in Lahore. (references) |
Saudi Arabia | Mutawwa'in enforcement of strict standards of social behavior included the closing of commercial establishments during the five daily prayer observances, insisting upon compliance with strict norms of public dress, and dispersing gatherings of women in public places designated for men, as well as preventing men from entering public places designated for families. (references) | |
Minorities | Cote d'Ivoire | Some non-Muslims also object to having to hear the muezzins' calls to prayer. (references) |
Travel | Saudi Arabia | When staging promotional events or product demonstrations, one must anticipate these prayer breaks. (references) |
Saudi Arabia | The prayer times are published in the newspaper and come at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. (references) | |
Saudi Arabia | Retail stores close for the noon prayer and reopen around 4:00 P.M. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | EDITOR, n. A person who combines the judicial functions of Minos, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus, but is placable with an obolus; a severely virtuous censor, but so charitable withal that he tolerates the virtues of others and the vices of himself; who flings about him the splintering lightning and sturdy thunders of admonition till he resembles a bunch of firecrackers petulantly uttering his mind at the tail of a dog; then straightway murmurs a mild, melodious lay, soft as the cooing of a donkey intoning its prayer to the evening star. Master of mysteries and lord of law, high-pinnacled upon the throne of thought, his face suffused with the dim splendors of the Transfiguration, his legs intertwisted and his tongue a-cheek, the editor spills his will along the paper and cuts it off in lengths to suit. And at intervals from behind the veil of the temple is heard the voice of the foreman demanding three inches of wit and six lines of religious meditation, or bidding him turn off the wisdom and whack up some pathos. O, the Lord of Law on the Throne of Thought, A gilded impostor is he. Of shreds and patches his robes are wrought, His crown is brass, Himself an ass, And his power is fiddle-dee-dee. Prankily, crankily prating of naught, Silly old quilly old Monarch of Thought. Public opinion's camp-follower he, Thundering, blundering, plundering free. Affected, Ungracious, Suspected, Mendacious, Respected contemporaree! J.H. Bumbleshook |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
James Dobson | We are very flawed individuals. I want to tell you my prayer for myself is that I will finish strong and not make one of those stupid mistakes that will embarrass the cause of Christ. That's my passion. |
Rush Limbaugh | The Supreme Court opens to this very day with a prayer to God. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Andrew Jackson | 1829-1837 | That the Almighty Ruler of the Universe may so direct our deliberations and over-rule our acts as to make us instrumental in securing a result so dear to mankind is my most earnest and sincere prayer. |
Dwight Eisenhower | 1953-1961 | This is the work that awaits us all, to be done with bravery, with charity, and with prayer to Almighty God. |
Ronald Reagan | 1981-1989 | I am told that tens of thousands of prayer meetings are being held on this day, and for that I am deeply grateful. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Prayer" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 99.76% of the time. "Prayer" is used about 2,096 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 99.76% | 2,091 | 4,159 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.24% | 5 | 157,705 |
| Total | 100.00% | 2,096 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "prayer" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Prayer | Last name | 300 | 28,471 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "prayer". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| Pagiel | N/A | Biblical | Prayer |
| Parshandatha | N/A | Biblical | Given by prayer |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references.
| |||
Expressions using "prayer": additional prayer ♦ Aid prayer ♦ Bidding prayer ♦ book of Common Prayer ♦ Commendatory prayer ♦ Common prayer ♦ dominical prayer ♦ effectual prayer ♦ ejaculatory prayer ♦ evening prayer ♦ Formative prayer ♦ grant a prayer ♦ hearing of prayer ♦ hour of prayer ♦ house of prayer ♦ in prayer ♦ indulgenced prayer ♦ Intercessory prayer ♦ lords prayer ♦ lord's prayer ♦ memorial prayer ♦ morning prayer ♦ offer a prayer ♦ passive prayer ♦ prayer beads ♦ prayer book ♦ prayer desk ♦ prayer mat ♦ prayer meeting ♦ prayer rug ♦ prayer service ♦ prayer shawl ♦ prayer stool ♦ prayer wheel ♦ private prayer ♦ Receptive prayer ♦ say a prayer ♦ say one's prayer ♦ Shamanic prayer ♦ the lord's prayer ♦ Therapeutic Prayer ♦ unite in prayer. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "prayer": prayer-answering, prayer-beads, prayer-book, prayer-books, prayer-desk, prayer-filled, prayer-folded, prayer-framed, prayer-gift, prayer-hearing, prayer-leader, prayer-like, prayer-meeting, prayer-ridden, prayer-rug, prayer-stool, prayer-stools, prayer-wheel, prayer-wheel-spinning, prayer-words. | |
Ending with "prayer": salutation-prayer. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
prayer | 5,422 | school prayer | 134 |
prayer flag | 1,219 | francis prayer st | 132 |
lord prayer | 718 | sinner prayer | 123 |
serenity prayer | 700 | graduation prayer | 122 |
catholic prayer | 675 | intercessory prayer | 108 |
prayer request | 650 | prayer line | 101 |
the prayer of jabez | 460 | prayer and fasting | 96 |
wedding prayer | 288 | prayer chain | 94 |
day father prayer | 268 | teacher prayer | 92 |
prayer for child | 243 | meditation prayer | 89 |
prayer in school | 212 | irish prayer | 85 |
the book of common prayer | 200 | prayer box | 83 |
daily prayer | 194 | prayer shawl | 83 |
christian prayer | 175 | my father prayer | 83 |
lyrics prayer | 174 | dinner prayer | 82 |
healing prayer | 174 | disturbed lyrics prayer | 79 |
prayer time | 166 | prayer presidential team | 79 |
power of prayer | 137 | marriage prayer | 78 |
like a prayer | 137 | catholic prayer request | 76 |
prayer to st jude | 135 | st joseph prayer | 75 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "prayer"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | gebed. (various references) | |
Albanian | urim (congratulation, felicitation, wish), shans (chance, fortuity, hap, hazard, hit, look in, luck, odds, opening, opportunity, possibility), lutje (appeal, application, claim, cry, demand, desire, devotion, devotions, entreaty, obsecration, obtestation, orison, paternoster, petition, plea, pleading, praying, request, rogation, supplication, wish), formula e betimit, dëshirë (aim, appetite, craving, desire, hunger, liking, looking for, love, notion, penchant, pleasure, want, wish). (various references) | |
Arabic | مصل (plasma), تضرع (beg, beseech, entreat, entreaty, invocation, plead, pleading, pray, supplicate, supplication), صلاة (litany, service), المتوسل (petitioner, suppliant), المصلي, الصلاة الربانية, إبتهال (invocation, litany, supplication). (various references) | |
Basque | otoitz. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | най-малък шанс за успех, молещ се, молба (adjuration, appeal, application, boon, desire, obsecration, obtestation, petition, plea, request, solicitation, suit, supplication), молитвен, молитва (intercession, invocation, litany, orison), молител (pleader, supplicant). (various references) | |
Chinese | 祷告, 祈禱 (to pray, to say one's prayers), 禱告 , 禱 (pray, supplication). (various references) | |
Czech | prosba (appeal, entreaty, obsecration, obtestation, plea, request, wish), modlitba (rogation), žádost (appeal, application, demand, plea, request, requisition, suit, wish). (various references) | |
Danish | Store bededag (General Prayer Day), boennebog (prayer book), bønnebog (prayer book). (various references) | |
Dutch | gebed. (various references) | |
Esperanto | preĝo. (various references) | |
Farsi | نماز, تقاضا (Importance, Plea, Postulate, Request, Requirement, Solicitation, Suit), دعا (Devotion, Vote). (various references) | |
Finnish | rukous (supplication). (various references) | |
French | prière. (various references) | |
Frisian | gebed, bea. (various references) | |
German | Gebet (devotion, supplication). (various references) | |
Greek | προσευχή (collect, orison). (various references) | |
Hebrew | תפלה (hymn, invocation, litany, orison, psalm, service, supplication), פלל (entreaty), פלול (plea, supplication), עתירה (entreaty, petition, plea, request, supplication), עתרה (entreaty), בקוש (demand, search, want), רננה (chant, exultation, song), צלות. ( |
