38 Bible Verses about Prayer, Advice For Effective

But your misdeeds have separated you from your God, and your sins hide his face from you, that he heareth you not.

If I incline unto wickedness with my heart, the LORD will not hear me.

Then spake the LORD, concerning this people that have pleasure to go so nimbly with their feet, and leave not off, and therefore displease the LORD; insomuch that he will now bring again to remembrance all their misdeeds, and punish all their sins. Yea, even thus said the LORD unto me, "Thou shalt not pray to do this people good. For though they fast, I will not hear their prayers. And though they offer burnt offerings and sacrifices, yet will not I accept them. For I will destroy them with the sword, hunger, and pestilence."

We have been dissemblers, and have offended; will thou therefore not be intreated? {Samekh} Thou hast covered us in thy wrath, and persecuted us, thou hast slain us, without any favour. Thou hast hid thyself in a cloud, that our prayer should not go through.

Now the time shall come, that when they call unto the LORD, he shall not hear them, but hide his face from them, because that through their own Imaginations they have dealt so wickedly.

And thus is it come to pass, that like as he spake and they would not hear: "Even so, they cried and I would not hear, sayeth the LORD of Hosts,

And when I told you, ye would not hear: but disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hills. Then the Amorites, which dwelt in those hills, came out against you and chased you as bees do, and hewed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. And ye came again and wept before the LORD: but the LORD would not hear your voice nor give you audience.

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not hear: they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. And that because they hated knowledge, and received not the fear of the LORD, but abhorred my counsel, and despised my correction.read more.
Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and be filled with their own counsels:

Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, even to consume it upon your voluptuousness.

When ye hold out your hands, I will turn my eyes from you. And though ye make many prayers, yet will I hear nothing at all; for your hands are full of blood. Thus saith the LORD God: Wash and be clean; put away the wickedness of your imaginations out of my sight. Cease to do evil and learn to do well. Study to do righteously, and help the oppressed. Avenge the fatherless and defend the cause of widows. Come, let us show each his grief to other and make an atonement, saith the LORD.

Whoso stoppeth his ear at the crying of the poor; he shall cry himself and not be heard.

Cry with the throat and spare not. Lift up thy voice as a trumpet, and tell my people their offences and the house of Jacob their sins. For me they seek day by day; and will know my ways, as a people that doth righteousness, and hath not forsaken the equity of their God. They seek of me righteous judgments, and will draw nigh unto God. Why have we fasted and thou hast not looked upon it? Have humbled our souls, and thou wouldest not wit it?read more.
Behold when ye fast, ye can find your own lusts, and can call cruelly on all your debtors. Ye fast to law and strive and to smite with fist wickedly. Fast not as ye now do, to make your voice to be heard upon high. Should it be such a manner of fast that I should chose? A day that a man should hurt his soul in? Or to bow down his head like a bulrush? Or to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Shouldest thou call this a fast, and a day acceptable unto the LORD? Or is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? To loose wicked bonds, and to unbind bundles of oppression? And to let the bruised go free? And that ye should break all manner yokes? Yea, and to break the bread to the hungry; and to bring the poor that are harborless unto house; and when thou seest a naked, that thou clothe him and that thou shouldest withdraw thyself from helping thine own flesh?

But let him ask in faith, and waver not. For he that doubteth is like the waves of the sea, tossed of the wind, and carried with violence. Neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

And he put forth this similitude, unto certain which trusted in themselves, that they were perfect, and despised others. "Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or as this publican.read more.
I fast twice in the week. I give tithe of all that I possess.' And the publican stood afar off, and would not lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me, a sinner.' I tell you, This man departed home to his house justified more than the other. For every man that exalteth himself, shall be brought low: And he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted."

then went King David and set him down before the LORD and said, "What am I, Lord Jehovah, and what is my kin, that thou shouldest have brought me this far forth?

Yet if my people that are named after my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my presence, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and be merciful to their sins, and will heal their land.

For if thou hadst pleasure in sacrifice, I would give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.

For thus sayeth the high and excellent, even he that dwelleth in everlastingness, whose name is the holy one: I dwell high above and in the sanctuary, and with him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit: that I may heal a troubled mind, and a contrite heart.

The Centurion answered and said, "Sir, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

And Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the Centurion sent to him his friends, saying unto him, "Lord trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof.

Dearly beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then have we trust to God ward; and whatsoever we ask, that we shall receive of him: because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.

Then said Samuel, "Hath the LORD as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offerings, as he hath that thou shouldest obey his voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to give heed is better than the fat of rams.

But when I brought your fathers out of Egypt, I spake no word unto them of burnt offerings and sacrifices: but this I commanded them, saying, 'Hearken and obey my voice, and I shall be your God, and ye shall be my people: so that ye walk in all the ways, which I have commanded you, that ye may prosper.'

The LORD is far from the ungodly; but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Wherefore God said unto him, "Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked long life, neither hast asked riches, nor the lives of thine enemies, but hast asked the discretion to understand equity: see, I have done according to thy petition. And behold, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

For the eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.

Ye shall seek me, and find me: Yea, if so be that ye seek me with your whole heart,

Neverthelater, ye shall seek the LORD your God even there, and shalt find him if thou seek him with all thine heart and with all thy soul.

And thou, Solomon my son: know God thy father and serve him with a pure heart and lust of soul. For the LORD searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of thoughts. If thou shalt seek him, he will be found of thee: But and if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.

Jesus answered, and said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, if ye shall have faith, and shall not doubt, ye shall not only do that which I have done to the fig tree: but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, take thyself away, and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done. And whatsoever thing ye shall ask in your prayers if ye believe, ye shall receive it."

And Jesus answered, and said unto them, "Have confidence in God. Verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, 'Take away thyself, and cast thyself into the sea'; and shall not waver in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he sayeth shall come to pass, whatsoever he sayeth shall be done to him. Therefore I say unto you, Whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye shall have it and it shall be done unto you.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For whosoever asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Is there any man among you which, if his son asked him bread, would offer him a stone?read more.
Or if he asked fish, would he proffer him a serpent? If ye then, which are evil, can give to your children good gifts, how much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask of him?

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh shall it be opened. If the son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father: will he give him a stone? Or if he ask fish, will he for a fish, give him a serpent?read more.
Or if he ask an egg: will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then which are evil, can give good gifts unto your children: How much more shall the father of heaven give a holy spirit to them, that desire it of him?"

When Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a certain Centurion, and besought him, saying, "Master, my servant lieth sick at home of the palsy, and is grievously pained." And Jesus said unto him, "I will come and heal him."read more.
The Centurion answered and said, "Sir, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I also myself am a man under power, and have soldiers under me: and I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it." When Jesus heard that, he marveled, and said to them that followed him, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith: no, not in Israel. I say therefore unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall rest with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; And the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into the utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said unto the Centurion, "Go thy way; and as thou believest, so be it unto thee." And his servant was healed the selfsame hour.

When he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And the servant of a certain Centurion was sick, and ready to die, whom he made much of. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.read more.
And they came to Jesus and besought him instantly, saying, "He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him. For he loveth our nation, and hath built us a synagogue." And Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the Centurion sent to him his friends, saying unto him, "Lord trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. Wherefore I thought not myself worthy to come unto thee: but say the word and my servant shall be whole. For I likewise am a man under power, and have under me soldiers, and I say unto one, 'Go': and he goeth. And to another, 'Come': and he cometh. And to my servant, 'Do this': and he doeth it." When Jesus heard this, he marveled at him, and turned him about and said to the people that followed him, "I say unto you, I have not found so great faith: No, not in Israel, certainly." And they that were sent, turned back home again, and found the servant that was sick whole.

And Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman which was a Canaanite came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, "Have mercy on me Lord, thou son of David, my daughter is piteously vexed with a devil." And he gave her never a word to answer. Then came to him his disciples, and besought him saying, "Send her away, for she followeth us crying."read more.
He answered, and said, "I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then she came and worshipped him, saying, "Master, help me." He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread, and to cast it to whelps." She answered and said, "It is truth, nevertheless the whelps eat of the crumbs, which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered, and said unto her, "O woman great is thy faith, be it to thee, even as thou desirest." And her daughter was made whole even at that same hour.

And from thence he rose and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would that no man should have known of him: But he could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose daughter had a foul spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. The woman was a Greek out of Syrophoenicia, and she besought him that he would cast out the devil out of her daughter.read more.
And Jesus said unto her, "Let the children first be fed. For it is not meet, to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto whelps." She answered and said unto him, "Even so, Master. Nevertheless, the whelps also eat under the table of the children's crumbs." And he said unto her, "For this saying, go thy way, the devil is gone out of thy daughter." And when she was come home to her house she found the devil departed, and her daughter lying on the bed.

"Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do: the same shall he do; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my father. And whatsoever ye ask in my name, that will I do, that the father might be glorified by the son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.