WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PRAYER

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association offers the following:

Prayer is spiritual communication between man and God, a two-way relationship in which man should not only talk to God but also listen to Him. Prayer to God is like a child’s conversation with his father. It is natural for a child to ask his father for the things he needs.

There are many promises in God’s Word to encourage us to pray, such as: “He shall call upon me and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him ” (Psalm 91:15); “And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24); “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). The Scriptures tell us that we are to pray for one another and also assure us that God hears and answers prayer.

When you receive Christ into your heart, you become a child of God and have the privilege of talking to Him in prayer at any time about anything. The Christian life is a personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ. And best of all, it is a relationship that will last for all eternity.
 

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE "RULES"

OR

HOW MANY WORDS ARE INCLUDED IN THE PRAYER

Isaiah 29:13 (referenced by Jesus Christ in Matthew 15:1-11)

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught."

Matthew 6:7

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
 

JESUS TEACHES ON PRAYER
(Matthew 6:5-15 and Luke 11:1-13)

Matthew 6:5-15

 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
 

This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

SCRIPTURE VERSES ON PRAYER

Listed below are multiple publications of the Holy Bible and their respective links listing verses on Prayer. By using the Bible Gateway navigation bar found on the respective links below, you can easily scroll to other Bibles of your choosing; then click "SEARCH."

English Standard Version Bible (ESV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=prayer&qs_version=ESV

King James Version Bible (KJV)

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Prayer_KJV/

New American Bible (NAB)

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=prayer&qs_version=NABRE

New International Version Bible (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/topical/Prayer/Nave

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/dictionary-of-bible-themes/8600-Prayer-worship-believer

New King James Version Bible (NKJV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=prayer&qs_version=NKJV

New Living Translation Bible (NLT)

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=prayer&qs_version=NLT