from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. A reverent petition made to God, a god, or another object of worship.
- n. The act of making a reverent petition to God, a god, or another object of worship.
- n. An act of communion with God, a god, or another object of worship, such as in devotion, confession, praise, or thanksgiving: One evening a week, the family would join together in prayer.
- n. A specially worded form used to address God, a god, or another object of worship.
- n. A religious observance in which praying predominates: morning prayers.
- n. A fervent request: Her prayer for rain was granted at last.
- n. The thing requested: His safe arrival was their only prayer.
- n. The slightest chance or hope: In a storm the mountain climbers won't have a prayer.
- n. Law The request of a complainant, as stated in a complaint or in equity, that the court grant the aid or relief solicited.
- n. Law The section of the complaint or bill that contains this request.
- n. One who prays.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. A practice of communicating with one's God.
- n. The act of praying.
- n. The specific words or methods used for praying.
- n. A meeting held for the express purpose of praying.
- n. A request; a petition.
- n. One who prays.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- n. One who prays; a supplicant.
- n. The act of praying, or of asking a favor; earnest request or entreaty; hence, a petition or memorial addressed to a court or a legislative body.
- n. The act of addressing supplication to a divinity, especially to the true God; the offering of adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving to the Supreme Being
- n. The form of words used in praying; a formula of supplication; an expressed petition; especially, a supplication addressed to God
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The act of beseeching, entreating, or supplicating; supplication; entreaty; petition; suit.
- n. In religious usage, a devout petition to an object of worship, as God, or a saint or an angel; an orison: confined in Protestant usage to such petitions addressed to God; more generally, any spiritual communion with God, including confession, petition, adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. See dulia.
- n. The practice of praying, or of communing with God.
- n. The form of words used in praying; a formula of worship: as, the Lord's Prayer.
- n. A form of religious service; a religious observance, either public or private, consisting mainly of prayer to God; a liturgy: often in the plural: as, the service of morning prayer; family prayers.
- n. That part of a memorial or petition to a public body, or of a bill of complaint in equity, which specifies the thing desired to be done or granted, as distinct from the recital of facts or reasons for the grant.
- n. See the qualifying words.
- n. One who prays; a suppliant; a petitioner.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. a fixed text used in praying
- n. someone who prays to God
- n. earnest or urgent request
- n. the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
- n. reverent petition to a deity
But prayer, generally considered, embraces all the above-mentioned parts; when, however, we distinguish one part against another, _prayer_, properly speaking, means the uplifting of the mind to God.
But we must notice that when we speak of prayer we can mean either prayer _considered in itself_ or the _cause of prayer_.
The first is the theory of those who hold that there _is the same relation between prayer and the answer to prayer_ as between _cause and effect in any other sequence of Nature_.
The book, whose cover bears a photograph of its subject kneeling in prayer, is titled Francisco Franco: Exemplary Christian.
The term prayer (euche) used at Nicæa, has in this connection always been taken in its strict signification as meaning supplication
Her faith in prayer is equal to her faith in the love of Jesus.
And our business in prayer is not to prescribe, but to subscribe to the wisdom and will of God; to refer our case to him, and then to leave it with him.
This ought to be remembered in prayer, because one great errand we have to the throne of grace, is, to pray for the pardon of our sins: and care about it ought to be our daily care, because prayer is a part of our daily work.
He gives us both instruction and encouragement in prayer from the consideration of our relation to God as a Father.
Note, As prayer is to be made to God only, so it is our duty in prayer to eye him as a Father, and to call him our Father.