43 Prayers in the Bible
Quick Summary
The Bible is filled with powerful prayers—of thanksgiving, desperation, intercession, confession, and worship. From Abraham’s plea for Sodom to Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, these recorded prayers reveal a full spectrum of human emotion and divine engagement. This list covers nearly every major prayer in Scripture, highlighting who prayed, the situation, and the central theme.
Introduction
Prayer saturates the biblical story. Whether whispered in secret, sung in public, or cried out in the face of death, prayer is one of the most personal and powerful ways humans speak with God. The Bible doesn’t give us just one model for prayer; it gives us many. Each prayer is born from a specific context and carries its own tone: lament, praise, confession, or thanksgiving. This complete list of prayers in the Bible includes some of the most memorable petitions, from Genesis to Revelation.
Rather than limit the list to word-for-word prayers, we also include heartfelt conversations and divine appeals made by prophets, kings, women, and everyday people. This post will give you a sweeping overview of where and how people prayed across Scripture.
Old Testament Prayers
Abraham
Genesis 18:22–33 – Abraham intercedes for Sodom. Abraham boldly negotiates with God, asking if He would spare the city for the sake of the righteous.
Jacob
Genesis 32:9–12 – Jacob prays before meeting Esau. Filled with fear, Jacob pleads for protection and reminds God of His promise.
Moses
Exodus 32:11–14 – Moses intercedes for Israel after the golden calf. Moses pleads with God not to destroy the Israelites, appealing to His promises.
Numbers 14:13–19 – Another intercession by Moses. He again asks God to forgive Israel after their rebellion.
Hannah
1 Samuel 1:10–16 – Hannah prays for a child. Deeply distressed, she pours out her soul to God in the temple.
1 Samuel 2:1–10 – Hannah’s prayer of praise after the birth of Samuel. A beautiful psalm of thanksgiving and theology.
David
2 Samuel 7:18–29 – David’s prayer of thanksgiving for God’s covenant. He acknowledges his unworthiness and marvels at God’s faithfulness.
Psalm 51 – David’s prayer of repentance after sinning with Bathsheba. A raw, honest confession filled with a desire for renewal.
Many Psalms – Nearly all of the Psalms are prayers—some for deliverance, others for joy, justice, or healing.
Solomon
1 Kings 8:22–53 – Solomon’s dedication prayer at the Temple. A grand, formal prayer seeking God’s attention and favor.
Elijah
1 Kings 18:36–37 – Elijah prays on Mount Carmel. He asks God to show Israel that He is the one true God.
1 Kings 19:4 – Elijah’s prayer of despair. After great success, Elijah prays to die under a tree.
Hezekiah
2 Kings 19:15–19 – Hezekiah’s prayer for deliverance from Assyria. A faithful king appeals to God’s power to save Jerusalem.
Ezra
Ezra 9:6–15 – Ezra’s prayer of confession. Mourning the sins of the people, Ezra humbles himself before God.
Nehemiah
Nehemiah 1:5–11 – Nehemiah’s prayer for favor before the king. He confesses national sin and asks for success in rebuilding Jerusalem.
Job
Job 1:20–22 – Job blesses the Lord after loss. While not a petition, it’s a profound expression of worship.
Job 42:10 – Job prays for his friends.
Daniel
Daniel 2:20–23 – Daniel praises God for revealing Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
Daniel 9:3–19 – Daniel’s long confession and intercession for Israel.
Jonah
Jonah 2:1–9 – Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish. A poetic prayer of deliverance and praise.
Habakkuk
Habakkuk 3:1–19 – A prayer set to music. It blends fear, awe, and trust in God's justice.
Prayers in the Gospels
Zechariah
Luke 1:68–79 – The Benedictus. A prophetic prayer of praise after John the Baptist’s birth.
Mary
Luke 1:46–55 – The Magnificat. Mary praises God for lifting the lowly and remembering His promise.
Simeon
Luke 2:29–32 – The Nunc Dimittis. Simeon rejoices after seeing the Christ child.
Jesus
Matthew 6:9–13 – The Lord’s Prayer. Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray.
John 17 – The High Priestly Prayer. Jesus prays for His disciples and future believers.
Matthew 26:36–44 – Gethsemane prayer. Jesus prays in anguish before the crucifixion.
Luke 23:34 – "Father, forgive them…" A prayer of mercy from the cross.
Luke 23:46 – "Into your hands I commit my spirit."
Prayers in Acts and the Epistles
Early Church
Acts 1:24–25 – Prayer to choose a new apostle.
Acts 4:24–30 – Boldness in witness.
Acts 7:59–60 – Stephen’s dying prayer.
Acts 12:5 – The church prays for Peter in prison.
Paul
Romans 11:33–36 – Doxology of praise.
Philippians 1:3–11 – Thanksgiving and intercession.
Ephesians 3:14–21 – Prayer for spiritual strength.
Prayers in Revelation
Revelation 6:10 – The martyrs cry for justice.
Revelation 7:12 – Doxology of praise in heaven.
Revelation 22:20 – "Come, Lord Jesus." The Bible’s final prayer.
Meaning for Today
This list only scratches the surface of how people in the Bible prayed, but it highlights the depth, honesty, and variety of biblical prayers. They range from exalted praise to the most vulnerable cries for help. Many of these prayers were spontaneous. Others were structured. Some were short cries. Others were long laments.
The beauty of Scripture is that it gives voice to the full human condition and allows us to pray from wherever we are. The prayers of the Bible give us a model—not of perfection, but of authenticity. We find in them permission to wrestle, rejoice, and rest in God’s presence.
Whether you’re memorizing the Lord’s Prayer or whispering your own prayer in the dark, you are part of the same long conversation with God.
