Living Water Bible Study
The Prayers of the Bible
Every prayer actually spoken in Scripture — who prayed it, where to
find it, and what kind of prayer it was — arranged book by book.
The Bible is not only a book that teaches us about prayer; it is a
book full of prayers. From Abraham pleading for Sodom to John’s final cry,
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” Scripture preserves the very words God’s people
spoke to Him. Counting only the actual worded prayers — not the many verses that simply
mention that someone prayed — there are 222 in all.
176Old Testament
46New Testament
222Prayers in all
31Books with prayer
They appear across 31 books — 24 in the Old
Testament and 7 in the New — while 35 books
record no worded prayer at all. Use the tables below to explore each book; the
Type column tells you at a glance what kind of prayer it is.
The kinds of prayer you’ll find
- Petition
- Asking God for a need or desire
- Intercession
- Praying on behalf of someone else
- Thanksgiving
- Giving thanks for what God has done
- Praise & Worship
- Adoring God for who He is
- Confession
- Acknowledging sin and seeking mercy
- Repentance
- Turning back to God with a changed heart
- Lament
- Pouring out grief, distress or honest questions
- Guidance
- Seeking God’s direction or revelation
- Dedication
- Setting something apart for God
- Vow
- A promise made to God
- Blessing
- Speaking God’s favour over others
- Imprecation
- Calling on God for justice or judgment
- Submission
- Yielding to God’s will above one’s own
The Old Testament 176 prayers
Genesis 6 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Genesis 15:2-3 | Abraham | For an heir | Petition |
| Genesis 17:18 | Abraham | That Ishmael might be his heir | Petition |
| Genesis 18:23-32 | Abraham | That Sodom be spared for the righteous | Intercession |
| Genesis 24:12-14 | Eliezer, Abraham’s servant | For a bride for Isaac | Guidance |
| Genesis 28:20-22 | Jacob | A vow for God’s blessing and keeping | Vow |
| Genesis 32:9-12 | Jacob | For deliverance from Esau | Petition |
Exodus 4 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Exodus 4:13 | Moses | That another be sent in his place | Petition |
| Exodus 5:22-23 | Moses | Complaint that Israel was not yet delivered | Lament |
| Exodus 32:31-32 | Moses | For the forgiveness of Israel | Intercession |
| Exodus 33:12-16 | Moses | That God’s presence go with Israel | Petition |
Numbers 9 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Numbers 6:24-26 | Aaron | The priestly blessing over the people | Blessing |
| Numbers 10:35-36 | Moses | For God to lead and scatter His enemies | Petition |
| Numbers 11:10-15 | Moses | Complaint that the burden was too heavy | Lament |
| Numbers 11:21-22 | Moses | Questioning how the people would be fed | Lament |
| Numbers 12:13 | Moses | For the healing of Miriam | Intercession |
| Numbers 14:13-19 | Moses | That God spare Israel and uphold His honour | Intercession |
| Numbers 16:15 | Moses | For judgment on rebellion | Imprecation |
| Numbers 21:7 | Israel | For forgiveness from the serpents | Confession |
| Numbers 27:16-17 | Moses | For a new leader over Israel | Petition |
Deuteronomy 2 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Deuteronomy 3:24-25 | Moses | To be allowed into the Promised Land | Petition |
| Deuteronomy 9:26-29 | Moses | That Israel be spared | Intercession |
Joshua 2 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Joshua 7:7-9 | Joshua | Complaint after the defeat at Ai | Lament |
| Joshua 10:12 | Joshua | For the sun and moon to stand still | Petition |
Judges 9 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Judges 1:1 | Israel | For guidance in battle | Guidance |
| Judges 6:13-22 | Gideon | For revelation and a sign | Guidance |
| Judges 10:10-15 | Israel | For deliverance, confessing sin | Confession |
| Judges 11:30-31 | Jephthah | A vow for victory | Vow |
| Judges 13:8-17 | Manoah | For direction in raising his son | Guidance |
| Judges 16:28 | Samson | For strength one final time | Petition |
| Judges 20:23 | Israel | For guidance in battle | Guidance |
| Judges 20:28 | Israel | For guidance in battle | Guidance |
| Judges 21:3 | Israel | Grieving the loss of a tribe | Lament |
1 Samuel 6 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| 1 Samuel 1:11 | Hannah | A vow, asking for a son | Vow |
| 1 Samuel 2:1-10 | Hannah | Thanksgiving for answered prayer | Thanksgiving |
| 1 Samuel 14:37 | Saul | For guidance (unanswered) | Guidance |
| 1 Samuel 23:2 | David | For guidance in battle | Guidance |
| 1 Samuel 23:10-12 | David | For revelation about Keilah | Guidance |
| 1 Samuel 30:8 | David | Whether to pursue the raiders | Guidance |
2 Samuel 4 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| 2 Samuel 2:1 | David | Whether to go up to Judah | Guidance |
| 2 Samuel 5:19 | David | Whether to face the Philistines | Guidance |
| 2 Samuel 7:18-29 | David | Response to the Davidic covenant | Thanksgiving |
| 2 Samuel 24:10 | David | For forgiveness after the census | Confession |
1 Kings 5 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| 1 Kings 3:6-9 | Solomon | For wisdom to govern | Petition |
| 1 Kings 8:23-53 | Solomon | The dedication of the temple | Dedication |
| 1 Kings 17:20-21 | Elijah | For the widow’s son to be raised | Petition |
| 1 Kings 18:36-37 | Elijah | For fire from heaven on Carmel | Petition |
| 1 Kings 19:4 | Elijah | That he might die | Lament |
2 Kings 3 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| 2 Kings 6:17 | Elisha | That his servant’s eyes be opened | Petition |
| 2 Kings 19:15-19 | Hezekiah | For deliverance from Assyria | Petition |
| 2 Kings 20:3 | Hezekiah | For a longer life | Petition |
1 Chronicles 2 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| 1 Chronicles 4:10 | Jabez | For blessing and enlarged borders | Petition |
| 1 Chronicles 29:10-19 | David | Praise at the temple offering | Praise & Worship |
2 Chronicles 2 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| 2 Chronicles 14:11 | Asa | For victory against great odds | Petition |
| 2 Chronicles 20:6-12 | Jehoshaphat | For deliverance from invasion | Petition |
Ezra 2 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Ezra 7:27-28 | Ezra | Thanksgiving for God’s favour | Thanksgiving |
| Ezra 9:5-15 | Ezra | Confession for the people’s sin | Confession |
Nehemiah 9 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Nehemiah 1:5-11 | Nehemiah | Confession and a plea for favour | Confession |
| Nehemiah 4:4-5 | Nehemiah | For judgment on the mockers | Imprecation |
| Nehemiah 6:9 | Nehemiah | For strengthened hands | Petition |
| Nehemiah 6:14 | Nehemiah | That God deal with his enemies | Imprecation |
| Nehemiah 9:5-38 | The Levites & Israel | National confession (the longest prayer) | Confession |
| Nehemiah 13:14 | Nehemiah | That God remember his good deeds | Petition |
| Nehemiah 13:22 | Nehemiah | For mercy according to God’s kindness | Petition |
| Nehemiah 13:29 | Nehemiah | For judgment on the defilers | Imprecation |
| Nehemiah 13:31 | Nehemiah | That God remember him for good | Petition |
Job 7 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Job 1:20-22 | Job | Worship in the midst of loss | Praise & Worship |
| Job 7:17-21 | Job | Complaint and a cry for relief | Lament |
| Job 9:25-10:22 | Job | Pouring out his anguish | Lament |
| Job 14:13-22 | Job | For hope beyond the grave | Lament |
| Job 23:3-5 | Job | For a hearing before God | Petition |
| Job 40:3-5 | Job | Confession of unworthiness | Confession |
| Job 42:1-6 | Job | Repentance before God | Repentance |
Psalms 72 prayers
Seventy-two of the 150 psalms are themselves prayers — direct requests poured out to God. Rather than list each one, here is who prayed them:
- David · about 50 prayer-psalms
- An unnamed psalmist · 15 prayer-psalms
- Asaph · 5 prayer-psalms
- Moses · 1 (Psalm 90)
- Ethan the Ezrahite · 1 (Psalm 89)
Isaiah 3 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Isaiah 6:5 | Isaiah | Confession at the vision of God | Confession |
| Isaiah 37:16-20 | Hezekiah | For deliverance from Assyria | Petition |
| Isaiah 38:3 | Hezekiah | For healing and length of days | Petition |
Jeremiah 11 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Jeremiah 1:6 | Jeremiah | Confessing his inability to speak | Confession |
| Jeremiah 4:10 | Jeremiah | Questioning God over the people | Lament |
| Jeremiah 10:23-25 | Jeremiah | For correction, not in anger | Petition |
| Jeremiah 12:1-4 | Jeremiah | Asking why the wicked prosper | Lament |
| Jeremiah 14:7-9 | Jeremiah | For help in the drought | Intercession |
| Jeremiah 14:20-22 | Jeremiah | Confessing sin, pleading for Judah | Intercession |
| Jeremiah 15:15-18 | Jeremiah | His complaint and weariness | Lament |
| Jeremiah 17:13-18 | Jeremiah | For vindication against persecutors | Imprecation |
| Jeremiah 18:19-23 | Jeremiah | For judgment on his enemies | Imprecation |
| Jeremiah 20:7-12 | Jeremiah | Anguish, yet trust in the Lord | Lament |
| Jeremiah 32:17-25 | Jeremiah | On buying a field amid the siege | Petition |
Lamentations 4 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Lamentations 1:20-22 | Jeremiah | Distress over fallen Jerusalem | Lament |
| Lamentations 2:20-22 | Jeremiah | Pleading for God to see the ruin | Lament |
| Lamentations 3:55-66 | Jeremiah | A cry from the depths for justice | Lament |
| Lamentations 5:1-22 | Jeremiah | For the restoration of the people | Intercession |
Ezekiel 3 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Ezekiel 4:14 | Ezekiel | Objection to a hard command | Lament |
| Ezekiel 9:8 | Ezekiel | For the remnant to be spared | Intercession |
| Ezekiel 11:13 | Ezekiel | For the remnant of Israel | Intercession |
Daniel 2 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Daniel 9:1-19 | Daniel | Confession and plea for Jerusalem | Confession |
| Daniel 12:8 | Daniel | For understanding of the vision | Petition |
Amos 2 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Amos 7:2 | Amos | That Jacob be forgiven | Intercession |
| Amos 7:5 | Amos | That the judgment cease | Intercession |
Jonah 3 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Jonah 1:14 | The sailors | For mercy before casting Jonah out | Petition |
| Jonah 2:1-9 | Jonah | Thanksgiving from the fish | Thanksgiving |
| Jonah 4:2-3 | Jonah | That he might die | Lament |
Habakkuk 3 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Habakkuk 1:2-4 | Habakkuk | Asking how long the wrong will stand | Lament |
| Habakkuk 1:12-17 | Habakkuk | Questioning God’s use of the wicked | Lament |
| Habakkuk 3:2-19 | Habakkuk | For revival, ending in praise | Praise & Worship |
The New Testament 46 prayers
Matthew 17 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Matthew 6:9-13 | Jesus | The Lord’s Prayer (the model prayer) | Petition |
| Matthew 8:2 | A leper | For cleansing | Petition |
| Matthew 8:6-9 | A centurion | For his servant’s healing | Intercession |
| Matthew 8:25 | The disciples | To be saved from the storm | Petition |
| Matthew 8:29-31 | Demons | For temporary liberty | Petition |
| Matthew 9:18 | Jairus, a ruler | For his daughter to be raised | Intercession |
| Matthew 9:21 | A suffering woman | To be made whole | Petition |
| Matthew 9:27 | Two blind men | For mercy and sight | Petition |
| Matthew 11:25 | Jesus | Thanksgiving to the Father | Thanksgiving |
| Matthew 14:28 | Peter | To walk on the water | Petition |
| Matthew 14:30 | Peter | To be saved from sinking | Petition |
| Matthew 15:22-27 | A Canaanite woman | For her daughter’s deliverance | Intercession |
| Matthew 17:15-16 | A father | For his son’s healing | Intercession |
| Matthew 20:21 | The mother of James & John | For her sons’ honour (denied) | Petition |
| Matthew 20:30-33 | Two blind men | For their eyes to be opened | Petition |
| Matthew 26:39-44 | Jesus | In Gethsemane: ‘not my will’ | Submission |
| Matthew 27:46 | Jesus | The cry from the cross | Lament |
Mark 2 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Mark 1:23-24 | An unclean spirit | For temporary freedom | Petition |
| Mark 7:34 | Jesus | ‘Ephphatha’ — the shortest prayer | Petition |
Luke 7 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Luke 2:29-32 | Simeon | Blessing God over the infant Jesus | Praise & Worship |
| Luke 16:24-31 | The rich man (in torment) | For relief and for his brothers | Petition |
| Luke 17:13 | Ten lepers | For mercy and cleansing | Petition |
| Luke 18:11-12 | A Pharisee | Boasting of his own merit (unjustified) | Praise & Worship |
| Luke 18:13 | A tax collector | ‘God be merciful to me a sinner’ | Confession |
| Luke 23:34 | Jesus | ‘Father, forgive them’ | Intercession |
| Luke 23:46 | Jesus | ‘Into thy hands I commit my spirit’ | Submission |
John 5 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| John 4:49 | A nobleman | For his dying child | Intercession |
| John 6:34 | The crowd | For the living bread | Petition |
| John 11:41-43 | Jesus | Thanksgiving before raising Lazarus | Thanksgiving |
| John 12:27-28 | Jesus | ‘Father, glorify thy name’ | Submission |
| John 17:1-26 | Jesus | The High Priestly Prayer | Intercession |
Acts 6 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Acts 1:24-25 | The disciples | To choose Judas’ successor | Guidance |
| Acts 3:6 | Peter | For the healing of the lame man | Petition |
| Acts 4:24-30 | The early church | For boldness and power | Petition |
| Acts 7:59-60 | Stephen | For himself and his killers | Intercession |
| Acts 9:5-6 | Saul (Paul) | Surrender on the Damascus road | Submission |
| Acts 9:40 | Peter | For Tabitha to be raised | Petition |
3 John 1 prayer
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| 3 John 2 | John the Elder | That the reader prosper and be in health | Blessing |
Revelation 8 prayers
| Passage | Who Prayed | Subject of the Prayer | Type |
|---|
| Revelation 4:11 | The twenty-four elders | Worship of the Creator | Praise & Worship |
| Revelation 5:12 | The angels | Worship of the Lamb | Praise & Worship |
| Revelation 5:13 | Every creature | Worship of God and the Lamb | Praise & Worship |
| Revelation 6:10 | The martyrs | ‘How long?’ — for vindication | Imprecation |
| Revelation 7:10 | A great multitude | Salvation belongs to our God | Praise & Worship |
| Revelation 7:12 | The angels | Sevenfold worship of God | Praise & Worship |
| Revelation 19:1-6 | The glorified saints | ‘Hallelujah!’ at God’s reign | Praise & Worship |
| Revelation 22:20 | John | ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus’ | Petition |
Books with no recorded prayer (35)
Old Testament (15): Leviticus · Ruth · Esther · Proverbs · Ecclesiastes · Song of Solomon · Hosea · Joel · Obadiah · Micah · Nahum · Zephaniah · Haggai · Zechariah · Malachi
New Testament (20): Romans · 1 Corinthians · 2 Corinthians · Galatians · Ephesians · Philippians · Colossians · 1 Thessalonians · 2 Thessalonians · 1 Timothy · 2 Timothy · Titus · Philemon · Hebrews · James · 1 Peter · 2 Peter · 1 John · 2 John · Jude
Counts follow the tally in the Dake Annotated Reference Bible (KJV), which
identified 176 worded prayers in the Old Testament and 46 in the New. The
Psalms are grouped as 72 prayer-psalms; in Dake’s running numbering of the
individual prayers, that section is what brings the Old Testament total to 176. Subject
summaries and the type labels above are our own, written for easy reference.
“Lord, teach us to pray.” — Luke 11:1
