Prayer For Physical Attractiveness And Self Esteem
Prayer is understood as the soul's converse with God, expressing reverence, gratitude, penitence, hope, submission, and desires for divine favor and blessings for oneself and others [10]. While the Bible contains prayers for health and prosperity, such as in 3 John 1:2 where the author prays for the recipient to "prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers" [3, 4], direct prayers for physical attractiveness or self-esteem are not explicitly detailed.
Instead, biblical texts and theological traditions emphasize a different focus for prayer and personal adornment. For instance, 1 Timothy 2:9-10 instructs women "to be modest in their appearance" and to "do good deeds for others, not focus on enhancing their appearance or being sexually seductive" [5]. This passage suggests that Christian women should prioritize praising God through their actions rather than seeking praise from people through their outward appearance [5]. Similarly, John Chrysostom, in his homilies on 1 Timothy, interprets this passage as advocating for women to adorn themselves "in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works" [12]. This perspective highlights an emphasis on inner godliness and good works over external embellishment.
The patristic writer Clement of Alexandria also discusses physical appearance, noting that God created men with "shaggy breasts" as a sign of strength and rule, and adorned cocks with combs for defense, suggesting a divine design for natural appearance [8]. This view implies that physical attributes are given by God and should be appreciated as such, rather than being a primary subject for alteration through prayer.
Calvin emphasizes that the primary seat of prayer is in the mind and heart, an "effusion and manifestation of internal feeling before Him who is the searcher of hearts" [9]. He also notes that while prayer can involve outward expressions, the most important aspect is the internal feeling [11]. The focus of prayer, according to Calvin, should be on God's glory and will, even to the extent of being "blind" to one's own private advantage [6]. He also states that the Spirit instructs believers on how to pray correctly, relieving hesitation [7].
While the Bible does not explicitly forbid prayers for physical attractiveness or self-esteem, the emphasis in Christian teaching leans towards cultivating inner virtues, modesty, and seeking God's glory, rather than focusing on external appearance or personal vanity [5, 6, 12]. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, as Jesus taught his disciples to "watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation" [1, 2].
Sources
- Mark “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” -- Mark 14:38”
- Matthew “Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” -- Matthew 26:41”
- 3 John “3 John 1:2 (NASB) — Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.”
- III John “III John 1:2 (ASV) — Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
- 1 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Timothy 2:9: 2:9-10 The subject is still community prayer. • to be modest in their appearance: Christian women must praise God rather than seek to be praised by people (cp. 1 Pet 3:3-5). They are to do good deeds for others, not focus on enhancing their appearance or being sexually seductive. Jewelry and expensive clothes imply wealth (see 1 Tim 6:5-10, 17-19), which might have played into the power struggles Timothy had to combat (2:11-15).”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: ought to be affected. It is true, that in this way our own interest is greatly promoted, because, when the name of God is hallowed in the way we ask, our own sanctification also is thereby promoted. But in regard to this advantage, we must, as I have said, shut our eyes, and be in a manner blind, so as not even to see it; and hence were all hope of our private advantage cut off, we still should never cease to wish and pray for this hallowing, and every thing else which pertains to the glory of God. We have examples in Moses and Pau”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: same time, he reminds us of our unhappy condition in not being able to open our lips before God without dangers unless his Spirit instruct us how to pray aright ( Rom. 8:26 ). The higher value, therefore, ought we to set on the privilege, when the only begotten Son of God puts words into our lips, and thus relieves our minds of all hesitation. 35. This form or rule of prayer is composed of six petitions . For I am prevented from agreeing with those who divide it into seven by the adversative mode of diction used by the Evangelist, ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 2: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria — CHAP. III.--AGAINST MEN WHO EMBELLISH THEMSELVES. (part 3): him, as an attribute of manhood, with shaggy breasts,--a sign this of strength and rule. So also cocks, which fight in defence of the hens, he has decked with combs, as it were helmets; and so high a value does God set on these locks, that He orders them to make their appearance on men simultaneously with discretion, and delighted with a venerable look, has honoured gravity of countenance with grey hairs. But wisdom, and discriminating judgments that are hoary”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: Saviour also condemns, namely, when hypocrites for the sake of ostentation court the presence of many witnesses, and would sooner pray in the market-place than pray without applause. The true object of prayer being, as we have already said (sec. 4, 5), to carry our thoughts directly to God, whether to celebrate his praise or implore his aid, we can easily see that its primary seat is in the mind and heart, or rather that prayer itself is properly an effusion and manifestation of internal feeling before Him who is the searcher of he”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 73: § 20. Prayer. Prayer is the converse of the soul with God. Therein we manifest or express to Him our reverence, and love for his divine perfection, our gratitude for all his mercies, our penitence for our sins, our hope in his forgiving love, our submission to his authority, our confidence in his care, our desires for his favour, and for the providential and spiritual blessings needed for ourselves and others. As religion, in the subjective sense of the word, is the state of mind induced by the due apprehension of the character of God and”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: feeling is insufficient for incitement, or the vehemence of the incitement carries the utterance of the tongue along with it. For although the best prayers are sometimes without utterance, yet when the feeling of the mind is overpowering, the tongue spontaneously breaks forth into utterance, and our other members into gesture. Hence that dubious muttering of Hannah ( 1 Sam. 1:13 ), something similar to which is experienced by all the saints when concise and abrupt expressions escape from them. The bodily gestures usually observed i”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: Homily VIII. 1 Timothy ii. 8–10 “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” “ When thou prayest,” saith Christ, “thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be”