11 Bible Verses about Unwise Prayers

And Abraham draweth nigh and saith, 'Dost Thou also consume righteous with wicked? peradventure there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city; dost Thou also consume, and not bear with the place for the sake of the fifty -- the righteous who are in its midst? Far be it from Thee to do according to this thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked; that it hath been -- as the righteous so the wicked -- far be it from Thee; doth the Judge of all the earth not do justice?'read more.
And Jehovah saith, 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then have I borne with all the place for their sake.' And Abraham answereth and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord, and I -- dust and ashes; peradventure there are lacking five of the fifty righteous -- dost Thou destroy for five the whole of the city?' and He saith, 'I destroy it not, if I find there forty and five.' And he addeth again to speak unto Him and saith, 'Peradventure there are found there forty?' and He saith, 'I do it not, because of the forty.' And he saith, 'Let it not be, I Pray thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak: peradventure there are found there thirty?' and He saith, 'I do it not, if I find there thirty.' And he saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there are found there twenty?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy it, because of the twenty.' And he saith, 'Let it not be, I pray Thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak only this time: peradventure there are found there ten?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy it, because of the ten.'

And Jacob is left alone, and one wrestleth with him till the ascending of the dawn; and he seeth that he is not able for him, and he cometh against the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh is disjointed in his wrestling with him; and he saith, 'Send me away, for the dawn hath ascended:' and he saith, 'I send thee not away, except thou hast blessed me.'read more.
And he saith unto him, 'What is thy name?' and he saith, 'Jacob.' And he saith, 'Thy name is no more called Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast been a prince with God and with men, and dost prevail.' And Jacob asketh, and saith, 'Declare, I pray thee, thy name;' and he saith, 'Why is this, thou askest for My name?' and He blesseth him there. And Jacob calleth the name of the place Peniel: for 'I have seen God face unto face, and my life is delivered;'

And king David cometh in and sitteth before Jehovah, and saith, 'Who am I, Lord Jehovah? and what my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto? And yet this is little in Thine eyes, Lord Jehovah, and Thou dost speak also concerning the house of Thy servant afar off; and this is the law of the Man, Lord Jehovah. And what doth David add more to speak unto Thee? and Thou, Thou hast known Thy servant, Lord Jehovah.read more.
Because of Thy word, and according to Thy heart, Thou hast done all this greatness, to cause Thy servant to know it. Therefore Thou hast been great, Jehovah God, for there is none like Thee, and there is no God save Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is as Thy people, as Israel -- one nation in the earth, whom God hath gone to redeem to Him for a people, and to make for Him a name -- and to do for you the greatness -- even fearful things for Thy land, at the presence of Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed to Thee out of Egypt -- among the nations and their gods? Yea, Thou dost establish to Thee Thy people Israel, to Thee for a people unto the age, and Thou, Jehovah, hast been to them for God. 'And now, Jehovah God, the word which Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish unto the age, and do as Thou hast spoken; And Thy Name is great unto the age, saying, Jehovah of Hosts is God over Israel, and the house of Thy servant David is established before Thee, For Thou, Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Thou hast uncovered the ear of Thy servant, saying, A house I build for thee, therefore hath Thy servant found his heart to pray unto Thee this prayer; And now, Lord Jehovah, Thou art God Himself, and Thy words are truth, and Thou speakest unto Thy servant this goodness, And now, begin and bless the house of Thy servant, to be unto the age before Thee, for Thou, Lord Jehovah, hast spoken, and by Thy blessing is the house of Thy servant blessed -- to the age.'

And Solomon standeth before the altar of Jehovah, over-against all the assembly of Israel, and spreadeth his hands towards the heavens, and saith, 'Jehovah, God of Israel, there is not a God like Thee, in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath, keeping the covenant and the kindness for Thy servants, those walking before Thee with all their heart, who hast kept for Thy servant David my father that which Thou spakest to him; yea, Thou speakest with Thy mouth, and with Thy hand hast fulfilled it, as at this day.read more.
And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, keep for Thy servant David my father that which Thou spakest to him, saying, There is not cut off to thee a man from before Me, sitting on the throne of Israel -- only, if thy sons watch their way, to walk before Me as thou hast walked before Me. 'And now, O God of Israel, let it be established, I pray Thee, Thy word which Thou hast spoken to Thy servant, David my father. But, is it true? -- God dwelleth on the earth! lo, the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens do not contain Thee, how much less this house which I have builded! 'Then thou hast turned unto the prayer of Thy servant, and unto his supplication, O Jehovah my God, to hearken unto the cry and unto the prayer which Thy servant is praying before Thee to-day, for Thine eyes being open towards this house night and day, towards the place of which Thou hast said, My Name is there; to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant prayeth towards this place. Then Thou hast hearkened unto the supplication of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, which they pray towards this place; yea, Thou dost hearken in the place of Thy dwelling, in the heavens -- and Thou hast hearkened, and hast forgiven, that which a man sinneth against his neighbour, and he hath lifted up upon him an oath to cause him to swear, and the oath hath come in before Thine altar in this house, then Thou dost hear in the heavens, and hast done, and hast judged Thy servants, to declare wicked the wicked, to put his way on his head, and to declare righteous the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. 'In Thy people Israel being smitten before an enemy, because they sin against Thee, and they have turned back unto Thee, and have confessed Thy name, and prayed, and made supplication unto Thee in this house, then thou dost hear in the heavens, and hast forgiven the sin of Thy people Israel, and brought them back unto the ground that Thou gavest to their fathers. 'In the heavens being restrained, and there is no rain, because they sin against Thee, and they have prayed towards this place, and confessed Thy name, and from their sin turn back, for Thou dost afflict them, then Thou dost hear in the heavens, and hast forgiven the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, for Thou directest them the good way in which they go, and hast given rain on Thy land which Thou hast given to Thy people for inheritance. Famine -- when it is in the land; pestilence -- when it is; blasting, mildew, locust; caterpillar -- when it is; when its enemy hath distressed it in the land in its gates, any plague, any sickness, -- any prayer, any supplication that is of any man of all Thy people Israel, who know each the plague of his own heart, and hath spread his hands towards this house, then Thou dost hear in the heavens, the settled place of Thy dwelling, and hast forgiven, and hast done, and hast given to each according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest, (for Thou hast known -- Thyself alone -- the heart of all the sons of man), so that they fear Thee all the days that they are living on the face of the ground that Thou hast given to our fathers. And also, unto the stranger who is not of Thy people Israel, and hath come from a land afar off for Thy name's sake -- (for they hear of Thy great name, and of Thy strong hand, and of Thy stretched-out arm) -- and he hath come in and prayed towards this house, Thou dost hear in the heavens, the settled place of Thy dwelling, and hast done according to all that the stranger calleth unto Thee for, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name, to fear Thee like Thy people Israel, and to know that Thy name hath been called on this house which I have builded. 'When Thy people doth go out to battle against its enemy, in the way that Thou dost send them, and they have prayed unto Jehovah the way of the city which thou hast fixed on, and of the house which I have builded for Thy name; then Thou hast heard in the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and hast maintained their cause. 'When they sin against Thee (for there is not a man who sinneth not), and Thou hast been angry with them, and hast given them up before an enemy, and they have taken captive their captivity unto the land of the enemy far off or near; and they have turned it back unto their heart in the land whither they have been taken captive, and have turned back, and made supplication unto Thee, in the land of their captors, saying, We have sinned and done perversely -- we have done wickedly; yea, they have turned back unto Thee, with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and have prayed unto Thee the way of their land, which Thou gavest to their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have builded for Thy name: 'Then Thou hast heard in the heavens, the settled place of Thy dwelling, their prayer and their supplication, and hast maintained their cause, and hast forgiven Thy people who have sinned against Thee, even all their transgressions which they have transgressed against Thee, and hast given them mercies before their captors, and they have had mercy on them -- (for Thy people and Thy inheritance are they, whom Thou didst bring out of Egypt, out of the midst of the furnace of iron) -- for Thine eyes being open unto the supplication of Thy servant, and unto the supplication of Thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all they call unto Thee for; for Thou hast separated them to Thyself for an inheritance, out of all the peoples of the earth, as Thou didst speak by the hand of Moses Thy servant, in Thy bringing out our fathers from Egypt, O Lord Jehovah.' And it cometh to pass, at Solomon's finishing to pray unto Jehovah all this prayer and supplication, he hath risen from before the altar of Jehovah, from bending on his knees, and his hands spread out to the heavens, and he standeth and blesseth all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed is Jehovah who hath given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He hath spoken; there hath not fallen one word of all His good word, which He spake by the hand of Moses his servant. 'Jehovah our God is with us as He hath been with our fathers; He doth not forsake us nor leave us; to incline our heart unto Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commands, and His statutes, and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers; and these my words with which I have made supplication before Jehovah, are near unto Jehovah our God by day and by night, to maintain the cause of His servant, and the cause of His people Israel, the matter of a day in its day; for all the peoples of the earth knowing that Jehovah, He is God; there is none else; and your heart hath been perfect with Jehovah our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commands, as at this day.'

And it came to pass, in his being in a certain place praying, as he ceased, a certain one of his disciples said unto him, 'Sir, teach us to pray, as also John taught his disciples.' And he said to them, 'When ye may pray, say ye: Our Father who art in the heavens; hallowed be Thy name: Thy reign come; Thy will come to pass, as in heaven also on earth; our appointed bread be giving us daily;read more.
and forgive us our sins, for also we ourselves forgive every one indebted to us; and mayest Thou not bring us into temptation; but do Thou deliver us from the evil.' And he said unto them, 'Who of you shall have a friend, and shall go on unto him at midnight, and may say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, seeing a friend of mine came out of the way unto me, and I have not what I shall set before him, and he from within answering may say, Do not give me trouble, already the door hath been shut, and my children with me are in the bed, I am not able, having risen, to give to thee. 'I say to you, even if he will not give to him, having risen, because of his being his friend, yet because of his importunity, having risen, he will give him as many as he doth need; and I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you; for every one who is asking doth receive; and he who is seeking doth find; and to him who is knocking it shall be opened. And of which of you -- the father -- if the son shall ask a loaf, a stone will he present to him? and if a fish, will he instead of a fish, a serpent present to him? and if he may ask an egg, will he present to him a scorpion? If, then, ye, being evil, have known good gifts to be giving to your children, how much more shall the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those asking Him!'

And he spake also a simile to them, that it behoveth us always to pray, and not to faint, saying, 'A certain judge was in a certain city -- God he is not fearing, and man he is not regarding -- and a widow was in that city, and she was coming unto him, saying, Do me justice on my opponent,read more.
and he would not for a time, but after these things he said in himself, Even if God I do not fear, and man do not regard, yet because this widow doth give me trouble, I will do her justice, lest, perpetually coming, she may plague me.' And the Lord said, 'Hear ye what the unrighteous judge saith: and shall not God execute the justice to His choice ones, who are crying unto Him day and night -- bearing long in regard to them? I say to you, that He will execute the justice to them quickly; but the Son of Man having come, shall he find the faith upon the earth?'

These things spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to the heaven, and said -- 'Father, the hour hath come, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee, according as Thou didst give to him authority over all flesh, that -- all that Thou hast given to him -- he may give to them life age-during; and this is the life age-during, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and him whom Thou didst send -- Jesus Christ;read more.
I did glorify Thee on the earth, the work I did finish that Thou hast given me, that I may do it. 'And now, glorify me, Thou Father, with Thyself, with the glory that I had before the world was, with Thee; I did manifest Thy name to the men whom Thou hast given to me out of the world; Thine they were, and to me Thou hast given them, and Thy word they have kept; now they have known that all things, as many as Thou hast given to me, are from Thee, because the sayings that Thou hast given to me, I have given to them, and they themselves received, and have known truly, that from Thee I came forth, and they did believe that Thou didst send me. 'I ask in regard to them; not in regard to the world do I ask, but in regard to those whom Thou hast given to me, because Thine they are, and all mine are Thine, and Thine are mine, and I have been glorified in them; and no more am I in the world, and these are in the world, and I come unto Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, whom Thou hast given to me, that they may be one as we; when I was with them in the world, I was keeping them in Thy name; those whom Thou hast given to me I did guard, and none of them was destroyed, except the son of the destruction, that the Writing may be fulfilled. 'And now unto Thee I come, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves; I have given to them Thy word, and the world did hate them, because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world; I do not ask that Thou mayest take them out of the world, but that Thou mayest keep them out of the evil. 'Of the world they are not, as I of the world am not; sanctify them in Thy truth, Thy word is truth; as Thou didst send me to the world, I also did send them to the world; and for them do I sanctify myself, that they also themselves may be sanctified in truth. 'And not in regard to these alone do I ask, but also in regard to those who shall be believing, through their word, in me; that they all may be one, as Thou Father art in me, and I in Thee; that they also in us may be one, that the world may believe that Thou didst send me. 'And I, the glory that thou hast given to me, have given to them, that they may be one as we are one; I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be perfected into one, and that the world may know that Thou didst send me, and didst love them as Thou didst love me. 'Father, those whom Thou hast given to me, I will that where I am they also may be with me, that they may behold my glory that Thou didst give to me, because Thou didst love me before the foundation of the world. 'Righteous Father, also the world did not know Thee, and I knew Thee, and these have known that Thou didst send me, and I made known to them Thy name, and will make known, that the love with which Thou lovedst me in them may be, and I in them.'

and if thus Thou art doing to me -- slay me, I pray Thee; slay, if I have found grace in thine eyes, and let me not look on mine affliction.'

and he himself hath gone into the wilderness a day's Journey, and cometh and sitteth under a certain retem-tree, and desireth his soul to die, and saith, 'Enough, now, O Jehovah, take my soul, for I am not better than my fathers.'

And now, O Jehovah, take, I pray Thee, my soul from me, for better is my death than my life.'

and he said to her, 'What wilt thou?' She saith to him, 'Say, that they may sit -- these my two sons -- one on thy right hand, and one on the left, in thy reign.'