Guide
Biblical Prayers
Biblical Period
Many biblical prayers can be found interspersed in narrative contexts.
Restricted
Many biblical prayers—both prose and verse—are set within narratives. Some, however, appear within other genres. For example, the prayer of Habakkuk constitutes the last chapter of the book of the prophet Habakkuk (see A Complaint to God and Babylon for selections from earlier in Habakkuk ), and the fifth chapter of the book of Lamentations is part of a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem in 586 BCE (see Lamentations for other selections from that book).
Download the full introduction to
Volume 1.
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
Jacob’s Prayer before His Reunion with Esau
Genesis 32:10–13
Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Return to your native land and I will deal bountifully with you’! I am unworthy of all the…
Primary Source
Moses’ Prayer after the Golden Calf Incident
Exodus 32:11–13
Moses appeals to God for mercy and forgiveness on behalf of the Israelites after the golden calf incident.
Primary Source
Hannah’s Prayer after Giving Birth to Samuel
1 Samuel 2:1–10
And Hannah prayed:
My heart exults in the Lord;
I have triumphed through the Lord.
I gloat over my enemies;
I rejoice in Your deliverance.
There is no holy one like the Lord,
Truly, there is none…
Primary Source
David’s Thanksgiving Prayer for God’s Promise of a Dynasty
2 Samuel 7:18–29
Then King David came and sat before the Lord, and he said, “What am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that You have brought me thus far? Yet even this, O Lord God, has seemed too little to You…
Primary Source
David’s Thanksgiving Prayer on Completing Preparations for the Temple
1 Chronicles 29:10–19
King David's prayer of thanksgiving expresses gratitude after finishing preparations for the future Temple in Jerusalem.
Primary Source
Solomon's Temple-Dedication Prayer
1 Kings 8:14–53
King Solomon offers a prayer for the dedication of the Temple, contextualized within the narrative of its construction.
Primary Source
Hezekiah’s Prayer upon Recovery from Illness
Isaiah 38:9–20
A poem by King Hezekiah of Judah when he recovered from the illness he had suffered:
I had thought:
I must depart in the middle of my days;
I have been consigned to the gates of Sheol
For the rest…
Primary Source
Jonah’s Prayer from within the Fish
Jonah 2:2–11
The biblical prophet Jonah prays for deliverance while he is trapped inside a large fish.
Primary Source
Habakkuk’s Prayer for God to Manifest His Power
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk appeals for divine intervention in a prayer that evokes Canaanite mythological themes.
Primary Source
A Prayer for the Restoration of Judah
Lamentations 5
The book of Lamentations is a collection of laments over the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and calls to restore the nation of Judah.
Primary Source
Daniel’s Prayer upon Learning the Secret of Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Daniel 2:19–23
Daniel expresses his gratitude for the divine revelation that allowed him to interpret the king's dream.
Primary Source
The People’s Penitential Prayer after Hearing the Teaching
Nehemiah 9
The Israelites respond with penitence and commitment following Ezra's reading of the Teaching of God.