The Doctrine Of Prayer
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, December 3, 2025 (Donate)
In Scripture, prayer is presented as a vital expression of
dependence on God, communion with Him, and obedience to His revealed will in Scripture.
From Genesis onward, God’s people “called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis
4:26), showing that prayer is an ancient doctrine acknowledging God’s character
and seeking His guidance.
The Image Of God And Prayer
Man, being “made in the image of God” (Genesis 1:26–27), uniquely equips us for prayer and personal communication with the Creator.
Unlike animals, plants, or the inanimate world, mankind possess a God-given rationality,
moral awareness, and spiritual capacity—traits reflecting God’s own nature.
Scripture teaches that God is personal and communicative,
and therefore He created mankind with corresponding abilities to know Him,
understand His words, communicate with Him and respond in meaningful
fellowship. Due to man’s sin in Genesis 3, there is a separation from the direct
communication (with few exceptions until the incarnation) and prayer fills that
void.
Because man bears God’s image, he can engage in reason His
Creator, express worship, seek forgiveness, and offer petition and thanksgiving—activities
impossible for non-image bearers. Animals act by no more than instinct,
biology, and trained response, plants respond by biology, and rocks, like animals
and plants, have no image bearing consciousness; none can commune with God or
grasp His commandments.
Only humans can receive divine revelation and speak back to
Him in prayers with understanding. This is why God commands people, not
animals, to “call upon Me” (Psalm 50:15) and to love Him with heart, soul,
mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
Prayer flows directly from man’s design. The image of God
includes the ability to have and develop language, think abstractly, and enter
covenant relationships—all necessary for genuine prayer. Through these
God-given capacities, man can adore God, confess sin, intercede for others when
they are having difficult times, and align our will to His revealed purposes.
Thus, prayer is not an evolutionary development but a direct
result of mankind’s unique creation. Being made in God’s image sets humans
apart from all other creatures and enables the highest privilege: conscious,
relational communication with the living God.
Prayer
God invites us to draw near: “Call to Me, and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3). Prayer is commanded and expected. Believers are told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to pray “in everything” (Philippians 4:6).
Jesus, the Son of God who took on flesh and became a man,
teaches that prayer is directed to the God, in sincerity, without hypocrisy
(Matthew 6:5–8), and according to His will (Matthew 6:9–13). Prayer is an act
of faith, for “whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive
them” (Mark 11:24), yet Scripture clarifies that God answers according to His
sovereign wisdom (1 John 5:14–15).
Prayer includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and
supplication, as demonstrated in numerous prayers throughout the Bible (e.g.,
Daniel 9:3–19; Psalm 51; Psalm 103). The Psalms especially reveal the full
range of godly prayer—praise, lament (i.e., sad brokenness), appeal for
justice, repentance, and trust.
Because Christ became a man (while remaining fully God) His
mediation is central to prayer in the New Testament. He did it perfectly and as
examples to us. Believers approach God “through Him” (Hebrews 7:25) and pray
“in My name,” as Jesus commanded (John 14:13–14).
The Holy Spirit helps believers in prayer, interceding “with
groanings which cannot be uttered” and aiding in weakness when we “do not know
what we should pray for” (Romans 8:26–27).
Prayer is also corporate, as the church continued
“steadfastly in … prayers” (Acts 2:42) and gathered to seek God’s intervention
(Acts 4:24–31; Acts 12:5). We should also have a spiritual alertness and
holiness when we are praying: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation”
(Matthew 26:41), and “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails
much” (James 5:16).
Examples of Popular Prayers in Scripture
The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13)
Jesus model prayer teaches us how to pray. It is centered on
worship, submission to God’s will, daily dependence, forgiveness, and spiritual
protection. This is the most widely recognized and popular prayer in Scripture.
Iti soften memorized and attached to
back of many corporate prayers today in church services or special events.
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication (1 Kings 8:22–53)
At the dedication of the first Temple, Solomon prays a long
and profound prayer asking God to hear the prayers of His people, forgive sin,
show mercy, and dwell among Israel.
Daniel’s Prayer of Confession (Daniel 9:3–19)
Toward his later years, Daniel humbly prays on behalf of
Israel confessing sin and dependence on God’s mercy. He was appealing to God’s
righteousness and covenant faithfulness in time when Israel was in captivity
and Babylon had fallen to the Medes and Persians—and things were quite bleak.
Hannah’s Prayer for a Son (1 Samuel 1:9–18; 2:1–10)
Hannah prays in grief for a child, and the Lord answers her.
Her follow-up prayer (1 Samuel 2:1–10) is a song of praise that highlights
God’s sovereignty and deliverance.
Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer (John 17)
Before His arrest, Jesus prays for Himself, for His
disciples, and for all future believers—including you and me! This popular prayer
reveals much about the nature of who Christ is and about God’s glory. It also
appeals to unity among believers, sanctification (becoming more holy and pure by
the power of the Holy Spirit), and eternal life with Christ.
Do Angels “Pray”?
In Scripture, angels do communicate with God, but the Bible
does not describe this communication as “prayer” in the same sense that
humans pray. Prayer, as taught in Scripture, is an act of worship, dependence,
petition, confession, and fellowship flowing from mankind’s unique position as
image-bearers and covenant creatures.
Angels certainly speak to God, respond to His
commands, and praise Him (Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Psalm 148:2; Luke 1:19). However,
this is more like direct conversing as opposed to prayers. Angels also inquire
about God’s works and submit to His will. However, nowhere does Scripture say
that angels “pray.”
Here are the key distinctions:
- Prayer
involves need, dependence, and redemption.
Humans pray out of weakness, sinfulness, and reliance on God’s grace (Psalm 50:15; Hebrews 4:16). Angels are not redeemed sinners and do not approach God the way man does. - Prayer
is for those in a covenant relationship.
God commands people to call on His name (Psalm 105:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). While angels serve God, they are not described as entering covenant prayer. - Angels
communicate as servants, not as worshipers seeking grace.
Angels “hearken to the voice of His word” (Psalm 103:20). Their communication is obedience and praise, not supplication. - Prayer
is tied to Christ’s mediation.
Humans pray “in Jesus’ name” (John 14:13–14) and through Christ as High Priest (Hebrews 7:25). Angels do not use Christ as mediator, for they are not a “redeemed people” (Hebrews 2:16).
So, while angelic communication resembles prayer in that it
is directed to God, Scripture reserves the term and the theological act of
“prayer” for man, who are image-bearers, approaching God in worship,
dependence, and covenant fellowship in a sin-cursed and broken world.
Why Prayer To False Gods, Saints, Or Any Other Entities
Is Biblically Wrong?
Scripture teaches that prayer is an act of worship, and
worship belongs to God alone. Because prayer involves calling upon Him for
help, trust, forgiveness, or intervention, directing prayer to anyone other
than the living God violates the first commandment: “You shall have no other
gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).
Throughout the Bible, God condemns calling upon idols or
false gods (Deuteronomy 32:16–17; Psalm 115:4–8; Jeremiah 10:5). Such prayers
are classified as idolatry because they place trust in a false created being or
object other than the infinite Creator.
The Bible also forbids attempting to contact or appeal to
spiritual beings apart from God (consider Saul seeking a medium/pagan spiritualist).
Seeking communication with the dead or any spirit realm outside of God’s
direction is called an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:10–12). God alone is
to be sought, approached, and trusted.
Prayer to saints is forbidden for the same reason. Scripture
never presents departed believers as mediators, intercessors, or recipients of
prayer. Instead, the Bible teaches: “There is one God and one Mediator between
God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Directing prayer to saints or spiritual heroes undermines
Christ’s exclusive role as High Priest (Hebrews 7:25). Furthermore, prayer is
always directed to God the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit—not to
created beings (Matthew 6:9; John 14:13–14; Romans 8:26–27).
In every biblical example, angels refuse worship or prayer
(Revelation 19:10; 22:8–9). Even holy angels reject being addressed as
mediators, insisting that only God be worshiped and sought.
Jesus repeatedly affirms that prayer belongs to God alone:
“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew
4:10). Prayer to any other entity—false gods, spirits, ancestors, or saints—is
therefore a violation of God’s revealed will and sinfully redirects glory away
from Him.
Conclusion
Prayer should come with the honesty of the believer’s heart
with God’s purposes in mind. As fallible sinners in need of God and His grace
and mercy we should be humbled every time we speak with God.
We should express our sincere thanks and what He has done to
make salvation possible and giving us eternal life to enjoy Him and His
goodness forever. Prayer should be humbling and sincere, glorifying God while
kindly asking for His intercession as we plead for our petitions in
thankfulness.
Our prayer should also expresses trust in His power,
promises, and providence. By God’s design, the fellowshipping of prayer is a
demonstration of faith-filled obedience within the life of God’s people.
In our busy culture with many distractions, don’t forget to
take time with God. I don’t say this lightly—even my own prayer life could
always be better.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various
churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers
in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding
news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight
Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
