the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
<noun.act> the priest sank to his knees in prayer
reverent petition to a deity
<noun.communication>
earnest or urgent request
<noun.communication> an entreaty to stop the fighting an appeal for help an appeal to the public to keep calm
a fixed text used in praying
<noun.communication>
someone who prays to God
<noun.person>
Prayer \Pray"er\, n. One who prays; a supplicant.
Prayer \Prayer\ (?; 277), n. [OE. preiere, OF. preiere, F. pri[`e]re, fr. L. precarius obtained by prayer, fr. precari to pray. See {Pray}, v. i.] 1. The act of praying, or of asking a favor; earnest request or entreaty; hence, a petition or memorial addressed to a court or a legislative body. ``Their meek preyere.'' --Chaucer
2. The act of addressing supplication to a divinity, especially to the true God; the offering of adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving to the Supreme Being; as, public prayer; secret prayer.
As he is famed for mildness, peace, and prayer. --Shak.
3. The form of words used in praying; a formula of supplication; an expressed petition; especially, a supplication addressed to God; as, a written or extemporaneous prayer; to repeat one's prayers.
He made those excellent prayers which were published immediately after his death. --Bp. Fell.
{Prayer book}, a book containing devotional prayers.
{Prayer meeting}, a meeting or gathering for prayer to God.
This might well be the year that the power of prayer is overcome by the power of politics: observers agree that outrage over conditions at Bethel has been so great that the Legislature might be forced to act.
No one was hurt or killed in the blasts, but state authorities later imposed a curfew and banned all public assembly, including Friday prayer services, forcing tens of thousands of Moslem sabbath worshipers to stay indoors.
A restaurant owner recited a Buddhist prayer outside the palace and said: "Japan is not Japan without him.
We did not have - as a matter of fact, we fought - Hitlerism." "First, I'd say a prayer for myself and for the country that I'm about to lead." _ Vice President-elect Dan Quayle, on the campaign trail.
Lewis Hanford Kessler Jr. of Ypsilanti, Mich., believes in "a/the Sun God" and travels annually to the tropics for "worship and prayer."
Woods opened Monday's council meeting and led a silent prayer, then announced his resignation, effective immediately.
A storm during a packed prayer service at a 10,000-seat amphitheater pelted participants with hail and cold rain and sent people scrambling for cover.
"We welcome you, we are pleased you're and if you have an extra minute for a prayer when the going gets a little tough, remember the Congress.
Judge Eduardo Rodriguez told the Ideal newspaper the idea to symbolically overturn Christ's conviction on charges of political rebellion came to him while he was preparing a prayer for traditional Passion Week ceremonies.
But St. John's and its ethos of work, study and prayer left its imprint.
"As believers in almighty God we have faith that prayer is more powerful than armies or contingents of diplomats.
Much of the political agenda of the religious right _ including making abortion illegal, allowing tuition tax credits for private schools and silent prayer in public schools _ remains unfulfilled.
Not from a Church abandoning its time-hallowed prayer book.
Police manned trucks mounted with machine guns at key intersections in several towns today, the Moslem day of prayer when worshipers usually visit mosques.
The family of hostage Terry Waite, who turned 50 today, said it was marking his birthday in quiet prayer for the Church of England envoy.
Though of diverse backgrounds, they are bound together by five principles of Islam: Belief in one God and his prophets; prayer; charity; fasting; and, if possible, pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed.
Prosecutors contended it was murder, saying the girl died after her parents ignored pleas to take her to a doctor and relied instead on prayer to heal her untreated diabetes.
Republican gubernatorial candidate John Andrews has acknowledged that he spent two years working for an organization that performed experiments designed to scientifically prove the power of prayer.
He was one of several speakers in a morning session held following a flag ceremony and prayer songs.
Gun salvos and prayer calls from minarets echoed throughout the Persian Gulf at twilight Wednesday to herald the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, the feast of the fast-breaking.
Bentsen is much more conservative on some issues, including his opposition to gun control, support for aid to the Nicaraguan Contra rebels and school prayer.
I ask that the supporters of this ministry and the ministers of the Assembly of God remember us in prayer.
The prayer shows up in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, which say Jesus taught it to his disciples.
Snyder, 46, said Thursday that he would like to spend some time with "a community of people committed to prayer."
In the eighth grade, he visited St. Joseph's seminary in Grand Rapids, expecting to find young men locked in unending study and prayer.
In addition, Mr. Reagan is likely to repeat his standard appeals in favor of prayer in schools and curbs on abortions.
After Al Aqsa's Friday prayer services, 40 Palestinians gathered outside the mosque and began chanting "With our blood and souls we will redeem you, oh martyrs!" They dispersed peacefully.
Before the storms, more than 75,000 people joined Ershad in a service at the national prayer ground in Dhaka to pray for rain.
Lawrence had spent the night outside Bundy's cell. "Part of the time, they spent in prayer," said Bob Macmaster, prison spokesman.
"We all prayed _ we had our various moments of prayer," Ms. McGrady recalled Friday.