prayer 
prayer (prer)
noun
- the act or practice of praying, as to God
- an earnest request; entreaty; supplication
- a humble and sincere request, as to God
- an utterance, as to God, in praise, thanksgiving, confession, etc.
- any set formula for praying, as to God
- in some religions, a devotional service consisting chiefly of prayers
- any spiritual communion, as with God
- something prayed for or requested
- ☆ Slang a chance to succeed I don't have a prayer
Etymology: ME preiere < OFr < ML precaria < L precarius, obtained by begging < precari, to entreat: see pray
prayer (prā′ər)
noun
a person who prays
prayer
n.
An earnest request
entreaty, request, intercession, thanksgiving, praise, petition; see also appeal 1.An address to the deity
orison, invocation, act of devotion, supplication, devotions, benediction, litany, rogation, brocho, berakah (Hebrew). Prayers, sense 2, include: Lord's Prayer, Pater Noster, Our Father, Hail Mary, Doxology, the Jesus prayer, Trisagion, Glory Be, Ave Maria, grace at meals, Kiddush, Kaddish, shma Yisroel, amidah (all Hebrew); matins, vespers, Angelus, Miserère, Kyrie eleison, Te Deum, collects, hours, rosary, novena, devotions, stations of the cross, evensong, compline.
n
Converse of object
- pray: Would you like to pray that prayer very solemnly to God just now?
- recite: The Mishnah attributes to Ezra a decree that each male should immerse himself before reciting the morning prayer or studying.
- answer: Had He answered prayer by sending His invisible army?
Adjective modifier
- fervent: Whenever the people assembled for worship, fervent prayer was offered up to God in their behalf.
- intercessory: Cell groups and intercessory prayer have since been key features of the continuing success of the Korean church.
- contemplative: The house is an ecumenical house for contemplative prayer.
- earnest: In earnest prayer, he did not peer back through the trees in the dark to try to see if their eyes were shut.
- silent: Let us now spend a few moments in silent prayer for our own needs and for the needs of the world.
- obligatory: My father, who before had often read the Koran and never missed his obligatory prayers, became an atheist after this search.
Modifies a noun
- vigil: In a letter to all the parishes of Westminster, the Cardinal has called for similar prayer vigils.
- mat: Now Cusack will get out the prayer mat and hope he recovers to make Saturday's home League curtain raiser with Rushden & Diamonds.
- ministry: A prayer box and prayer ministry members will be present and an area within a tent to give privacy.
- bead: Old men with long beards sit beneath trees, fingering prayer beads, their skin brown and wrinkled.
- flag: We walked for about an hour to reach a large wheel festooned with prayer flags fluttering in the wind.
- triplet: We want to encourage prayer triplets, prayer in small groups, using Ebe prayer diary, prayer ministry, etc.
Noun used with modifier
- bidding: Mike Beal read the bidding prayers in a week of horror in London and in many places around the world.
- midday: The time of Zuhr, the midday prayer, begins after the sun has crossed the zenith point and has begun to decline.
Preposition: of
- thanksgiving: The cardinals make an act of homage and obedience to the new pope and join in a prayer of thanksgiving.
- saint: And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God.
Preposition: for
- healing: I would welcome prayer for healing or other needs We hold a service of prayer for healing once a month.
The Church of England should no longer be satisfied to represent only the Conservative Party at prayer.
Man, her last work, who seemed so fair, Such splendid purpose in his eyes, Who rolled the psalm to wintry skies, Who built him fanes of fruitless prayer, Who trusted God was love indeed And love Creation's final lawö Though Nature, red in tooth and claw With ravine, shrieked against his creed.
Wherever God erects a house of prayer, The Devil always builds a chapel there; And 'twill be found, upon examination, The latter hast the largest congregation.
Her eyes are homes of silent prayer.
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
If thou shouldst never see my face again, Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of.Wherefore, let thy voice Rise like a fountain for me night and day. For what are men better than sheep or goats That nourish a blind life within the brain, If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer Both for themselves and those who call them friend? For so the whole round earth is every way Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.
Ein einziger dankbarer Gedanke gen Himmel ist das vollkommenste Gebet. One single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer.
The people's prayer, the glad diviner's theme, The young men's vision and the old men's dream! See Bible106:5.
He still had his glorious sense of words drawn from the special reservoir from which Lincoln also drew, fed by Shakespeare and thoseTudor critics who wrote the first Prayer Book of Edward VI and their Jacobean successors who translated the Bible.
These are only hints and guesses, Hints followed by guesses; and the rest Is prayer, observance, discipline, thought and action. The hint half guessed, the gift half understood, is Incarnation.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
The vital accessories to my work are my reference books, such as the complete Shakespeare and a prayer book, and a large refuse bin.
The skin and shell of things Though fair are not Thy wish nor prayer but got My meer despair of wings.
Comin' in on a wing and a prayer.
Le de¤ s ir de la prie' re est de¤ j a' une prie' re. The wish for prayer is already a prayer.
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking wareThat jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu'prayer, Gie her a Haggis!
Browse dictionary entries near prayer
- ‹ pray for
- ‹ pray
- ‹ Praxiteles
- ‹ praxis
- ‹ prawn
- ‹ prau
- ‹ prattle
- ‹ Prato
- ‹ pratique
- ‹ pratincole
- prayer beads ›
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- prayer meeting ›
- Prayer of Manasses ›
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- prayer shawl ›
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- prayerful ›
- praying mantis ›
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