There is no “one right way to pray.

” We see several different types of prayer on

7 Types of Prayer

1. Adoration
The first of these seven types of prayer is adoration. Adoration is praising God
for who He is. God is the Lord of all and deserves our praise because of that
alone. Psalm 99:5 encourages us to exalt the Lord because he is holy. It is good to
recognize the Lord for who He is in your prayer life — His power, mercy, love, and
more. Check out these three prayers from the Bible for examples of adoration:

Psalm 104:1-4
"Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed
with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent. He lays the beams of his chambers on the
waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; he
makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire."
1 Kings 8:22-24
“Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the
assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, ‘O Lord,
God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath,
keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before
you with all their heart; you have kept with your servant David my father what you
declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it
this day.'”
Nehemiah 9:5b-6
“Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be
your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. You are the
Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their
host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you
preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”
2. Lament
The next prayer type is lament. God wants us to bring our fears, doubts, and
despair to Him. In 1 Peter 5:7, we are told to cast all our anxieties on Him. We see
countless examples of lament in the Bible, where faithful followers of God wrestled
with doubts, difficulty, and even depression. An entire book of the Bible is called
Lamentations, after all! Check out these three prayers from the Bible for examples
of lament or sorrow and how we can approach the Lord while feeling this way.
Psalm 88:1-7
"O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer
come before you; incline your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles, and my
life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a
man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie
in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from
your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves."
Lamentations 5:1-5
“Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace! Our
inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We have
become orphans, fatherless; our mothers are like widows. We must pay for the
water we drink; the wood we get must be bought. Our pursuers are at our necks;
we are weary; we are given no rest.”
Psalm 13:2-3
“How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord
my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death…”
3. Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the next of the types of prayer. Similar to adoration, but
thanksgiving is giving God praise for what He has done. God has done so much
for each of us, not the least of which is sending Christ to save us from our sins.
When praying, think of the things that God has done in your life and recognize Him
for that by giving thanks. This will also help you build an attitude of gratitude in
your daily life. Check out these three prayers from the Bible for examples of
thanksgiving.

Daniel 2:20-23
“Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to
whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes
kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who
have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the
darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks
and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known
to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.'”
Luke 1:46-55
“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from
now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great
things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from
generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered
the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from
their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with
good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant
Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and
to his offspring forever.'”
1 Samuel 2:1–10
“And Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in
the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like
our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of
the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have
hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to
hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.
The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord
makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor
from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them
he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall
be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the
Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord
will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn
of his anointed.'”
4. Petition
The fourth of the types of prayer is petition. Petition is what many people imagine
when they think about prayer. It means asking God for something, whether for
yourself or someone else. And God certainly wants us to do this! Philippians
4:6 tells us to let our requests be known to God. But prayer is not just about asking
God to do things for us — it’s just one of the many ways that He wants us to
communicate with Him. Check out these three prayers from the Bible for examples
of petition.

Ephesians 3:14-21
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in
heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may
grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the
breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that
surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to
him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according
to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Timothy 2:1-4
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions,
that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is
good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Genesis 18:22-33
“Then Abraham drew near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous
with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then
sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it
from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that
the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do what is just?’ And the Lord said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in
the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’ Abraham answered and said,
‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.
Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for
lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.’ Again he
spoke to him and said, ‘Suppose forty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the
sake of forty I will not do it.’ Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will
speak. Suppose thirty are found there.’ He answered, ‘I will not do it, if I find thirty
there.’ He said, ‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty
are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.’ Then
he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once.
Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy
it.’ And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and
Abraham returned to his place.”
5. Deliverance
The next prayer type is deliverance. Prayers of deliverance are similar to prayers
of petition. They are requests made to God to save us or others from difficult or
even dangerous situations. But they are also an acknowledgement that we can do
nothing apart from God, and that He has the power to save. These prayers are all
over the Bible — especially in King David’s Psalms. Check out these three prayers
from the Bible for examples of prayers for deliverance.

Psalm 3
“O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of
my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’ But you, O Lord, are a shield about
me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered
me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against
me all around. Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies
on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people!”
Luke 22:39-42
“And [Jesus] came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and
the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, ‘Pray
that you may not enter into temptation.’ And he withdrew from them about a
stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing,
remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.'”
Jonah 2
“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I called
out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I
cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the
seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over
me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your
holy temple.’ The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded
me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went
down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life
from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away, remembered the
Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to
vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!’
And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.”
6. Contrition
The sixth type of prayer is contrition. Contrition is the feeling of remorse and the
desire to repent of sin. You are probably familiar with prayers like this, ones that
ask God for forgiveness for things we have done. They are important prayers that
allow us to confess our wrongdoing and reconnect with our forgiving Heavenly
Father. Psalm 51 tells us that when we mess up, God desires “a broken and
contrite heart” from us. Check out these three prayers from the Bible for examples
of prayers of contrition or asking for forgiveness.

Psalm 51:1-4
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your
abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever
before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your
sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.”
Luke 18:9-14
“[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and treated others with contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to
pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by
himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of
all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes
to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who
exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Psalm 32:1-5
“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit
there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my
groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my
strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
7. Guidance
The last of the types of prayer that we will cover are prayers for guidance. Similar
to prayers for deliverance, these conversations with God allow us to acknowledge
God’s sovereignty. We can express that He knows best and that we trust him to
direct our lives when we ask Him for guidance. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us that we
should not lean on our own understanding, but instead trust in the Lord with all our
heart. Check out these three prayers from the Bible for examples of prayers for
guidance.

1 Kings 3:4-9
“And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place.
Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord
appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask what I shall give
you.’ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant
David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness,
and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and
steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O
Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father,
although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your
servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too
many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an
understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and
evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?'”
Psalm 25:4-5
“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth
and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”
Jeremiah 10:23-24
“I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who
walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest
you bring me to nothing.”

The Lord's Prayer

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his
disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And he
said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom
come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves
forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
Can you identify the different types of prayer included in that single prayer?

Hopefully, by identifying these different types of prayer, you will be able to