Study: Pray
Pray – proseuchomai
- euchomai – a speaking out, uttering aloud; prayer; hence to pray, wish strongly
- proseuchomai – No. 1, towards: speaking out to, prayer towards prefixed; to pray to God, offer prayer (restricted to prayer towards God)
- erōtaō – to interrogate, to ask, implying familiarity, if not equality; hence never used of our prayers to God, while it is used of Christ’s prayers to the Father
- deomai – to need, to want, then, to make known one’s need, urgently request, supplicate, beseech.
- parakaleō – to call beside, call near, to call some one hither, that he may do something; to call on an one, to call him near in order to say something to him, to use persuasion with him
1st usage: Pray (proseuchomai – pray – a speaking out, uttering aloud; to pray to God, offer prayer) for your enemy’s
Matthew 5:43-44
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Luke 6:27-28
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Do not pray (proseuchomai – pray – a speaking out, uttering aloud; to pray to God, offer prayer) in repetition
Matthew 6:5-8
5 And when thou prayest (proseuchomai – pray – a speaking out, uttering aloud; prayer towards God) thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Praying (proseuchomai – pray – a speaking out, uttering aloud; to pray to God, offer prayer) to God asking yet always being mindful of God’s will… God’s will be done
Matthew 26:36-39
36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray (proseuchomai – pray – a speaking out, uttering aloud; to pray to God, offer prayer) yonder.
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed (proseuchomai – pray – a speaking out, uttering aloud; to pray to God, offer prayer) , saying (it denotes a collecting of words in a sentence or oration), O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Ask
- aiteō – to entreat, beg, supplicate (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior. Never used by Christ to the father)
- erōtaō – To ask for information, to question as well as supplicate; implies familiarity if not equality, never used of our prayer to the Father)
- eperōtaō – to consult, inquire of, question; to ask about a thing
- pynthanomai – to ask for information, to inquire, to learn by asking or inquiry; to hear, lear, understand
- exetazō – to examine well or closely, to scrutinize, review of persons, hence, to question; of things, to inquire into or sift
- legō – to lay, to lay together, to collect, to read, hence, to speak or say. (legō is never used for , which means simply to speak, to employ the organ of utterance; while legō is referred to the sediment of what is spoken. legō therefore is always rational and intelligent, while may be mere sound, either of the sane or insane)
Ask aiteō – to entreat, beg, supplicate (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior.) and it shall be given you
Matthew 7:7-11
7 Ask (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior) and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior) receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior) bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior) a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior) him?
Ask (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior) mixed with believing and it will be done wording to God’s will
Matthew 21:21-22
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior) in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (lambano – take or receive what’s given) (ellipsis: “it, if it be His will).
Ask “in my” (in the name of Jesus Christ) name and it shall be given
John 15:12-17
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask (implies a distinction in position and circumstances between the parties, and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior) of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Jesus speaking about when he is risen and is brought into heaven, they are to ask in his name
22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.