Original Word: προσευχή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: proseuché
Pronunciation: pros-yoo-khay'
Phonetic Spelling: (pros-yoo-khay')
KJV: X pray earnestly, prayer
NASB: prayer, prayers, place of prayer, earnestly
Word Origin: [from G4336 (προσεύχομαι - pray)]

1. prayer
2. (by implication) an oratory (chapel)

earnest prayer.

From proseuchomai; prayer (worship); by implication, an oratory (chapel) -- X pray earnestly, prayer.

see GREEK proseuchomai

Cognate: 4335 proseux (from 4314 /prós, "towards, exchange" and 2171/euxe, "a wish, prayer") – properly, exchange of wishes; prayer. See 4335 (proseuxomai).

Word Origin
from proseuchomai
Definition
prayer
NASB Translation
earnestly (1), place of prayer (2), prayer (20), prayers (14).

STRONGS NT 4335: προσευχή

προσευχή, προσευχῆς, ἡ (προσεύχομαι), the Sept. for תְּפִלָּה, equivalent to εὐχή πρός τόν Θεόν (cf. πρός, IV.

1. prayer addressed to God: Matthew 17:21 (T WH omit; Tr brackets the verse); Matthew 21:22; Mark 9:29; Luke 22:45; Acts 3:1; Acts 6:4; Acts 10:31; Romans 12:12; 1 Corinthians 7:5; Colossians 4:2; plural, Acts 2:42; Acts 10:4; Romans 1:10 (9); Ephesians 1:16; Colossians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; Philemon 1:4, 22; 1 Peter 3:7; 1 Peter 4:7; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3, 4 (where ταῖς προσευχαῖς is a dative commodi, for, in aid of, the prayers (Winers Grammar, § 31, 6 c.; cf. Green, p. 101f)); οἶκος προσευχῆς, a house devoted to the offering of prayer to God, Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46 (Isaiah 56:7; 1 Macc. 7:37); προσευχή καί δέησις, Acts 1:14 Rec.; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6 (1 Kings 8:38; 2 Chronicles 6:29; 1 Macc. 7:37; on the distinction between the two words see δέησις); plural, 1 Timothy 2:1; 1 Timothy 5:5; ἡ προσευχή τοῦ Θεοῦ, prayer to God, Luke 6:12 (εὐχαριστία Θεοῦ, Wis. 16:28; cf. references in πίστις, 1 a.); πρός τόν Θεόν ὑπέρ (L T Tr WH περί) τίνος, Acts 12:5; plural Romans 15:30; προσευχή προσεύχεσθαι, a Hebraistic expression (cf. Winers Grammar, § 54, 3; (Buttmann, § 133, 22 a.)), to pray fervently, James 5:17.

2. a place set apart or suited for the offering of prayer; i. e.

a. a synagogue (see συναγωγή, 2 b.): 3Macc. 7:20 (according to the reading προσευχήν; see Grimm's Commentary at the passage); Philo in Flaccum § 6 (also § 14); leg. ad Gaium §§ 20, 43, 46; Juvenal, sat. 1, 3, 296; συνάγονται πάντες εἰς τήν προσευχήν, μέγιστον οἴκημα πολύν ὄχλον ἐπιδέξασθαι δυνάμενον, Josephus, Vita §54.

b. a place in the open air where the Jews were accustomed to pray, outside of those cities where they had no synagogue; such places were situated upon the bank of a stream or the shore of the sea, where there was a supply of water for washing the hands before prayer: Acts 16:13, 16; Josephus, Antiquities 14, 10, 23, cf. Epiphanius haer. 80, 1. Tertullian in his ad nationes 1, 13: makes mention of the orationes litorales of the Jews, and in his de jejuniis c. 16 says "Judaicum certe jejunium ubique celebratur, cure omissis templis per omne litus quocunque in aperto aliquando jam preces ad carlurn mittunt." (Josephus (c. Apion. 2, 2, 2) quotes Apion as representing Moses as offering αἴθριοι προσευχαί.) Cf. DeWette, Archäologie, § 242; (Schürer, Zeitgesch. § 27 vol. ii., p. 369ff). Not used by secular authors except in the passages cited above from Philo, Josephus, and Juvenal (to which add Cleomedes 71, 16; cf. Boeckh, Corpus inscriptions 2:1004 no. 2114 b. and 1005 no. 2114 bb. (A.D. 81), see Index under the word).

Definition and Essence

The New Testament term most frequently rendered “prayer” describes personal and corporate communion with the living God—adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession, petition, and surrender. It is neither magical incantation nor mere ritual; it is relational conversation grounded in faith, offered through the Son, and enabled by the Holy Spirit.

Old Covenant Background

First-century believers inherited fixed hours of prayer at the Temple (Acts 3:1) and the synagogue practice of communal petitions. Yet they now prayed “in the name of Jesus Christ,” acknowledging the once-for-all sacrifice that granted confident access to the Father (Hebrews 10:19–22, though the noun under study is not used there). Thus, the Church reoriented Israel’s heritage toward the risen Messiah.

Patterns in the Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Jesus rose “to spend the night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).
• He affirmed that “whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22).
• He cleansed the Temple with the declaration, “My house will be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).
• In Gethsemane He rebuked the drowsy disciples, revealing that watchfulness sustains prayer in the hour of trial (Luke 22:45).
• Concerning spiritual conflict He taught, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (Mark 9:29).

Prayer in the Apostolic Church

Devotion and Community

“They devoted themselves…to prayer” (Acts 2:42). From Pentecost onward, prayer marked the rhythm of church life: united supplication in the upper room (Acts 1:14), earnest intercession for imprisoned apostles (Acts 12:5), and steadfast dependence when appointing servants of the Word (Acts 6:4). Gatherings at riversides or homes were called “places of prayer” (Acts 16:13, 16), showing how mission expanded beyond Jerusalem’s precincts.

Prayer and Mission

Cornelius’ prayers prompted angelic visitation and opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 10:4, 31). Paul enlisted congregations: “I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ…to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (Romans 15:30). Evangelistic advance and apostolic boldness were inseparable from intercession (Ephesians 6:18–20).

Prayer in Suffering and Spiritual Warfare

“Be joyful in hope, patient in tribulation, persistent in prayer” (Romans 12:12). The imprisoned church viewed hardship as a summons to pray rather than despair. James highlighted Elijah: “He prayed earnestly that it would not rain…and it did not rain” (James 5:17), proving that righteous prayer alters history.

Prayer and Thanksgiving

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Thanksgiving transforms requests from self-centered demands into God-centered worship.

Prayer as Incense before God

Revelation lifts the curtain of heaven: golden bowls are “full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8). An angel adds incense to those prayers so that they “rose before God” (Revelation 8:3–4). Every whispered plea is treasured, fragrant, and effectual in God’s throne room.

Conditions and Promises

• Faith: “Believe that you have received it” (Mark 11:24).
• Righteous relationships: Husbands must honor wives “so that your prayers will not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).
• Vigilance: “The end of all things is near; therefore be clear-minded and sober, so you can pray” (1 Peter 4:7).
• Unity: Paul thanked God “constantly mentioning you in our prayers” (1 Thessalonians 1:2), underscoring fellowship.

Impediments to Effective Prayer

Unforgiveness, marital discord, wavering faith, and self-indulgence disrupt communion (cf. 1 Peter 3:7; James 4:3). The widow “left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day in her prayers” (1 Timothy 5:5), whereas one “living for pleasure is dead even while she lives.”

Forms and Times of Prayer

Scripture records silent reflection (Nehemiah 2:4), aloud petitions, liturgical hours (Acts 3:1), all-night vigils (Luke 6:12), fasting-accompanied seasons (Matthew 17:21), and unbroken inward dialogue: “Pray without ceasing” (implied in Ephesians 6:18’s “on every occasion”).

Prayer and the House of God

Jesus’ Temple declaration and the apostolic gathering in homes reveal continuity: wherever God’s people assemble around His word, that space becomes a house of prayer. The Church’s worship, discipline, sending of missionaries, and care for the needy all emerge from prayerful consensus (Acts 13:1–3).

Prayer in Pastoral Instruction

• “I urge…that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1).
• Married couples may abstain from intimacy “by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer” (1 Corinthians 7:5).
• Epaphras “is always wrestling for you in his prayers” (Colossians 4:12), modeling shepherd-like labor.

Eschatological Dimensions of Prayer

The prayers of saints participate in the unfolding of God’s judgments (Revelation 8:4–5). Awaiting Christ’s return, believers are exhorted to be “alert in prayer” (1 Peter 4:7), knowing the consummation of all things draws near.

Practical Implications for Ministry Today

1. Corporate gatherings should allocate deliberate, fervent time for prayer.
2. Leadership selection, evangelistic outreach, and crisis response must spring from united intercession, not mere strategy.
3. Personal disciplines—fasting, watchfulness, thanksgiving, and Scripture meditation—fuel effective prayer.
4. Teaching on prayer must integrate Christ’s promises with pastoral warnings about hindrances.
5. Global mission is sustained when churches, like early believers, “strive together” in prayerful partnership.

Summary

Across the New Testament, prayer is revealed as the lifebreath of faith, the engine of mission, and the incense of worship. Whether voiced by Jesus on a lonely mountain, offered by a Gentile centurion, or poured into golden bowls before the throne, prayer unites earth with heaven and advances the unstoppable purposes of God.

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