proseuchomai · pray

What it means

proseuchomai (προσεύχομαι) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “pray”.

Speak with God.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To talk with God, ask and thank him.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

To pray: to speak with God, to ask him. It is a compound of πρός, “toward”, and εὔχομαι, “pray, wish”. Thayer: to offer prayers, to pray. From it comes προσευχή, “prayer”.

• Jesus' teaching on praying Matthew 6:6Matthew 6:9Luke 11:1
• “Pray for those who persecute you” Matthew 5:44
• Jesus prays Mark 14:35
• “Pray unceasingly” 1 Thessalonians 5:17Luke 18:1
• “Pray long {prayers}”: prayer for show Mark 12:40

How we translate it

“Pray” 43 times, “praying” 31, “prayed” 8. In Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47 the Greek says they pray at length, and the translation supplies the object: “pray long {prayers}”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• pray ×43
• praying ×31
• prayed ×8
• who prays ×2
• prays ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×15
• Mark×10
• Luke×19
• Acts×16
• Romans×1
• 1 Corinthians×8
• Ephesians×1
• Philippians×1
• Colossians×3
• 1 Thessalonians×2
• 2 Thessalonians×2
• 1 Timothy×1
• Hebrews×1
• James×4
• Jude×1

• Matthew 5:44

  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

• Matthew 6:5

  “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they are fond of praying standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the main streets, so that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have received in full their reward.

• Matthew 6:6

  But you, when you pray, go into your inner room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

• Matthew 6:7

  And when praying, do not babble like the Gentiles, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.

• Matthew 6:9

  So you pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be sanctified;

• Matthew 14:23

  And after sending the crowds away, he went up onto the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

• Matthew 19:13

  Then children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them.

• Matthew 24:20

  And pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath.

• Matthew 26:36

  Then Jesus comes with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he says to the disciples, “Sit here while I go away there and pray.”

• Matthew 26:39

  And going forward a little, he fell on his face praying and saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I want, but as you want.”

• Matthew 26:41

  Keep watch and pray, so that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh weak.”

• Matthew 26:42

  Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, let your will be done.”

• Matthew 26:44

  And leaving them again, he went away and prayed a third time, saying the same words again.

• Mark 1:35

  And very early, while it was still night, he got up and went out and went away to a deserted place, and there he was praying.

• Mark 6:46

  And after taking leave of them, he went away to the mountain to pray.

• Mark 11:24

  Therefore I tell you, everything that you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

• Mark 11:25

  And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

• Mark 12:40

  who devour the houses of widows and as a pretext pray long prayers. These will receive the greater condemnation.”

• Mark 13:18

  And pray that it may not happen in winter.

• Mark 14:32

  And they come to a place whose name is Gethsemane, and he says to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

• Mark 14:35

  And going forward a little, he was falling on the ground and praying that if it is possible, the hour might pass from him.

• Mark 14:38

  Keep watch and pray, so that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh weak.”

• Mark 14:39

  And again going away, he prayed, saying the same words.

• Luke 1:10

  And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.

• Luke 3:21

  Now it happened, when all the people were being immersed, and Jesus too had been immersed and was praying, that heaven was opened,

• Luke 5:16

  But he would withdraw to the deserted places and pray.

• Luke 6:12

  Now it happened in these days that he went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God.

• Luke 6:28

  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

• Luke 9:18

  And it happened while he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

• Luke 9:28

  Now it happened, about eight days after these words, that taking along Peter and John and James, he went up onto the mountain to pray.

• Luke 9:29

  And it happened, while he was praying, that the appearance of his face became different, and his clothing became white, flashing like lightning.

• Luke 11:1

  And it happened, while he was praying in a certain place, that when he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

• Luke 11:2

  And he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be sanctified; may your kingdom come;

• Luke 18:1

  And he was telling them a parable about the need for them to pray always and not lose heart,

• Luke 18:10

  “Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

• Luke 18:11

  The Pharisee, standing, was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: robbers, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

• Luke 20:47

  who devour the houses of widows and as a pretext pray long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

• Luke 22:40

  And when he arrived at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

• Luke 22:41

  And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and kneeling down he was praying,

• Luke 22:44

  And being in anguish, he was praying more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

And 45 more times.