What does the Bible say about the right time to pray?
2 Corinthians 6:2 – (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Hebrews 3:7-8 – Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness …
Luke 22:44 – And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Remark: The best time to pray is now—when we need it and are able to think about it, regardless of how we feel! See also Isaiah 55:6.
At the break of day
When did Jesus pray habitually?
Mark 1:35 – And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Is it a coincidence that Jesus prayed in the morning?
Psalm 5:3 – My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
Why are mornings so suitable for prayer?
Lamentations 3:22-23 – It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Remark: The early morning is especially suitable for prayer. The mind is at its best—refreshed and renewed after sleep. Memories and negative thoughts have faded overnight, allowing for a fresh start with the rising sun and the beginning of a new day.
Does it matter at which time of the day we pray?
Psalm 143:8 – Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Matthew 6:33 – But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Remark: Yes! Since prayer is not only how we ask God for guidance but also how we consciously entrust our plans into His hands, the morning is the perfect time for it—right at the start of the day. If we want to avoid asking God for forgiveness later for something we did wrong, we should ask him in the morning how to act right! If we want to experience God during the day, we should let him into our lives before that!
How often
How often should we pray?
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
What does “without ceasing” mean?
Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer …
Colossians 4:2 – Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving …
Luke 18:1 – And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint …
Remark: It means that we should pray without giving up. It does not mean praying non-stop at every moment.
What are the examples of how often people in the Bible prayed?
Psalm 55:17-18 – Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
Daniel 6:10 – Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Setting the scene
Where should we pray?
Matthew 6:5-6 – And when thou prayest, 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 seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Remark: The majority of prayers are private occurrences. A closet used to be the only room in a simple house without windows, symbolizing that prayer in its most basic form is a quiet time with God, free from distractions. While prayer can be silent, praying aloud also offers benefits (Psalm 77:1), such as increased awareness, focus, and clearer formulation of thoughts.
Are we being hypocrites when praying not in the “closet”?
Matthew 23:28 – Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Galatians 1:10 – For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Remark: To be a hypocrite means to do something outwardly in front of others that is not truly practiced in private when no one is watching. Hypocrites seek to please people with behavior that does not reflect their real nature. In Jesus’ time, in an outwardly very religious society, people prayed publicly to appear righteous. Today, however, such behavior might have the opposite effect—people may consider you insane, foolish, or backward. If you normally pray before eating but avoid doing so in a restaurant, you might seem to be following Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:5–6—avoiding the hypocritical behavior common in His time. But if we look deeper, you may actually be acting hypocritically by trying to appear ‘normal’ in today’s secular society! While prayer is usually private, our faith should not be hidden. As Christians, upright behavior, visible blessings (see Matthew 6:6; our Father rewards us openly) and maybe even occasional prayer at the right moment testifies that Jesus lives in us.
How do non-hypocrites pray?
Daniel 6:10-11 – Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
Remark: In Daniel’s situation, it would have seemed wiser to avoid or at least hide his regular habit of prayer—not to appear righteous before others, but to preserve his life. Yet Daniel was not a hypocrite—he continued to do what he had always done, without concerning himself with whether it was acceptable to others. Of course, Daniel was not drawing attention to himself on purpose, nor did he impose his faith on others or act in an intentionally provocative way.
Should we pray only for ourselves individually?
Acts 2:42 – And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Matthew 18:20 – For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Ezra 9:5, 10:1 – And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God … / [10:1] Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
