Seven Types of Prayer
- Lori Joy
- Feb 4
- 2 min read
Most folks think of prayer as something we do when we need or want something from God. But, did you know that of all the prayers recorded in the Bible, that there are SEVEN different types of prayers? The seven types of prayers are:
1) ADORATION: Adoration is praising God for who He is. (ie: Psalm 99:5, Psalm 104:1-4, 1 Kings 8:22-24 just to name a few examples)
2) LAMENT: God wants us to bring our fears, doubts, and despair to Him. In 1 Peter 5:7, we are told to cast all our anxieties on Him. (Also read: Psalm 88:1-7, Lamentations 5:1-5)
3) THANKSGIVING: Similar to adoration when one is praising God, thanksgiving is showing gratitude and "thanking" God for what He has done. (ie: Luke 1:46-55, 1 Samuel 2:1–10)
4) PETITION: Petition is what many people imagine when they think about prayer. It means asking God for something, whether for yourself or someone else. And we are encouraged to do this, and more, in 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
5) DELIVERANCE: Similar to prayers of petition, "Prayers of Deliverance" are requests made to God to save us or others from challenging or dangerous situations. But they also acknowledge that we can do nothing apart from God and that He has the power to save according to His will. (Psalm 3, Luke 22:39-42)
6) CONTRITION: Contrition is the feeling of remorse and the desire to repent of sin. In other words, asking God for forgiveness for sinful things we have done. (ie: Psalm 51:1-4, Luke 18:9-14, Psalm 32:1-5)
7) GUIDANCE: When we pray for guidance, these conversations with God allow us to acknowledge God’s sovereignty. We express that He knows what is best and that we are trusting Him to direct our lives. (ie: Psalm 25:4-5, 1 Kings 3:4-9)
A strong, healthy prayer life will regularly incorporate these seven different types of prayer in your conversations with God. By identifying these different types of prayer and putting them into your own words based on your own circumstances you are facing, you will be able to strengthen your prayer life and help to deepen your prayer time with the Lord.
Take the time to speak to the Lord every day, as often as possible, and watch your relationship with Jesus grow!
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