Perceived Prayer Frequency Among Christians
Prayer, defined as converse with God or the intercourse of the soul with God through direct address, is a fundamental practice for Christians [1]. It can manifest in various forms, including oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal [1]. The New Testament uses several terms to describe prayer, such as "beseeching the Lord," "pouring out the soul before the Lord," and "drawing near to God" [1]. It is also described as "bowing the knees" (Ephesians 3:14), "looking up" (Psalm 5:3), and "lifting up the heart" (Lamentations 3:41) [2].
The practice of prayer is commanded in scripture (Isaiah 55:6; Matthew 7:7; Philippians 4:6) and is to be offered to God, to Christ, and to the Holy Spirit through Christ [2]. Christians believe that God hears and answers prayers [2, 3]. John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, emphasizes that prayer confirms God's providence in the minds of believers, as it demonstrates that God not only promises assistance but actively provides it [4]. Calvin also notes that while the necessity to pray may not always feel equal, common sense dictates that individuals, being naturally sluggish, need to be stimulated by God to pray earnestly when occasion requires [7].
Early Christian writers also discussed the frequency and nature of prayer. Tertullian, in ANF Vol 3, noted the extrinsic observance of certain hours for prayer—the third, sixth, and ninth hours—which he found to be more solemn in scripture [6]. Augustine, in his Confessions, Letters, taught that Christians "pray always" when they cherish uninterrupted desire along with faith, hope, and charity. He also stated that it is not wrong to spend much time in verbal prayer if leisure permits, without hindering other duties, though even in those duties, one should pray without ceasing through holy desire [11]. Clement of Alexandria, in ANF Vol 2, described prayer as an inward cry, even when whispered, because God continually hears all inward converse [10].
While prayer is a deeply personal act, it also has a communal dimension. Calvin suggests that when the mind is properly affected, it will express itself externally, especially for common edification, allowing all to confess sin and encourage each other [5]. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, acknowledges that even sincere Christians can sometimes engage in prayer without corresponding feelings of reverence, gratitude, or desire for the blessings they seek [8]. Nevertheless, the expectation is that prayer should be offered with confidence and faith, as the only prayer acceptable to God is that which springs from a "presumption of faith" and is founded on the full assurance of hope [9]. Unbelievers, by not fleeing to God in times of need, are seen as defrauding Him of due honor [12].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer, Answers To — God gives -- Ps 99:6; 118:5; 138:3. Christ gives -- Joh 4:10,14; 14:14. Christ received -- Joh 11:42; Heb 5:7. Granted Through the grace of God. -- Isa 30:19. Sometimes immediately. -- Isa 65:24; Da 9:21,23; 10:12. Sometimes after delay. -- Lu 18:7. Sometimes differently from our desire. -- 2Co 12:8,9. Beyond expectation. -- Jer 33:3; Eph 3:20. Promised -- Isa 58:9; Jer 29:12; Mt 7:7. Promised especially in times of trouble -- Ps 50:15; 91:15. Received by those who Seek God. -- Ps 34:4. Seek God with all the heart. -- Jer 29:12,13. Wait upon God.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: the same time have greater pleasure in welcoming the blessings which we perceive to have been obtained by our prayers. Lastly, use and experience confirm the thought of his providence in our minds in a manner adapted to our weakness, when we understand that he not only promises that he will never fail us, and spontaneously gives us access to approach him in every time of need, 2148 but has his hand always stretched out to assist his people, not amusing them with words, but proving himself to be a present aid. For these reasons, tho”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 94: any one in private, then the same thing is to be done by himself alone, or by his family. The thing, indeed, is properly a feeling of the mind. But when the mind is effected as it ought, it cannot but give vent to itself in external manifestation, especially when it tends to the common edification, that all, by openly confessing their sin, may render praise to the divine justice, and by their example mutually encourage each other. 16. Hence fasting, as it is a sign of humiliation, has a more frequent use in public than among privat”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. XXV.--OF TIME FOR PRAYER.: Touching the time, however, the extrinsic[18] observance of certain hours will not be unprofitable--those common hours, I mean, which mark the intervals of the day--the third, the sixth, the ninth--which we 690 may find in the Scriptures to have been more solemn than the rest. The first infusion of the Holy Spirit into the congregated disciples took place at "the third hour."[1] Peter, on the day on which he experienced the vision of Universal Community,[2] (exhibited) in that small vessel,[3] had ascended into the more lofty parts of th”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: 7. If it is objected, that the necessity which urges us to pray is not always equal, I admit it, and this distinction is profitably taught us by James: “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms,” ( James 5:13 ). Therefore, common sense itself dictates, that as we are too sluggish, we must be stimulated by God to pray earnestly whenever the occasion requires. This David calls a time when God “may be found,” (a seasonable time); because, as he declares in several other passages, that the more hardly”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 73: faces, with no corresponding feelings of reverence; or use the formulas of thanksgiving without gratitude; or those of humility and confession without any due sense of our unworthiness; or those of petition without desire for the blessings we ask. Every one must acknowledge 702 that this is an evil often attending the prayers of sincere Christians; and with regard to the multitudes who, in places of public worship, repeat the solemn forms of devotion or profess to unite with those who utter them, without any corresponding emotions, the se”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: what we ask, a confidence which the Lord commands, and all the saints teach by their example, we must therefore hold fast with both hands, if we would pray to any advantage. The only prayer acceptable to God is that which springs (if I may so express it) from this presumption of faith, and is founded on the full assurance of hope. He might have been contented to use the simple name of faith, but he adds not only confidence, but liberty or boldness, that by this mark he might distinguish us from unbelievers, who indeed like us pray ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 2: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria — CHAP. VII.--WHAT SORT OF PRAYER THE GNOSTIC EMPLOYS, AND HOW IT iS HEARD BY GOD. (part 4): Though whispering, consequently, and not opening the lips, we speak in silence, yet we cry inwardly.[1] For God hears continually all the inward converse. So also we raise the head and lift the hands to heaven, and set the feet in motion[2] at the closing utterance of the prayer, following the eagerness of the spirit directed towards the intellectual essence; and endeavouring to abstract the body from the earth, along with the di”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. IX -- 18. When we cherish uninterrupted desire along with the exercise of faith and hope and charity, we "pray always." But at certain stated hours and seasons we also use. words in prayer to Go: CHAP. X. -- 19. Wherefore it is neither wrong ! nor unprofitable to spend much time in praying, if there be leisure for this without hindering other good and necessary works to which duty' calls us, although even in the doing of these, as I have said, we ought by cherishing holy desire to pray without ceasing. For to spend a long time in prayer is ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: would grant them. But whatever be the pretexts 2161 which unbelievers employ, when they do not flee to God as often as necessity urges, nor seek after him, nor implore his aid, they defraud him of his due honour just as much as if they were fabricating to themselves new gods and idols, since in this way they deny that God is the author of all their blessings. On the contrary, nothing more effectually frees pious minds from every doubt, than to be armed with the thought that no obstacle should impede them while they are obeying the ”