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Praying Hands — Albrecht Dürer, c. 1508
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Bible Verses About Prayer

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”

— 1 Chronicles 16:11

Praying Hands — Albrecht Dürer, c. 1508 · public domain

When the disciples asked Jesus for instruction, they did not ask how to preach or how to lead — they asked "Lord, teach us to pray." His answer (Matthew 6:9-13) became the most-prayed text in human history, and the verses below orbit it: the asking promises (Matthew 7:7, "ask, and it shall be given you"), the abiding condition (John 15:7), the anxiety exchange (Philippians 4:6), the confidence clause (1 John 5:14 — "if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us"), and the practice verses — pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), watch and pray (Matthew 26:41), pray for one another (James 5:16). Fifteen verses in full KJV text, for beginners and for the pray-without-ceasing veterans alike.

Quick answer: Matthew 6:9 opens the Lord's Prayer — "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name" — and Matthew 7:7 gives the standing invitation: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." 1 John 5:14 states the confidence rule: prayer answered is prayer aligned — "if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us."

The 15 verses, in full text

01 · King James Version

Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

1 Chronicles 16:11

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02 · King James Version

But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

Psalms 66:19

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03 · King James Version

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Psalms 145:18

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04 · King James Version

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

Jeremiah 29:12

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05 · King James Version

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Matthew 6:9

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06 · King James Version

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Matthew 7:7

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07 · King James Version

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 18:19

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08 · King James Version

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:20

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09 · King James Version

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Matthew 21:22

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10 · King James Version

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:13

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11 · King James Version

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

John 14:14

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12 · King James Version

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 15:7

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13 · King James Version

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Colossians 4:2

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14 · King James Version

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

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15 · King James Version

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1 John 5:14

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When to read these verses

These verses are read at the beginning of a prayer life (Matthew 6:9 is the starter text), in anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7 — it sits here and on the anxiety page because it serves both), before decisions (James 1:5 is the wisdom ask), in intercession for others (James 5:16, Matthew 18:19), and in the silence after an unanswered prayer, where Romans 8:26 does its strange work: "the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." The daily verse tool on this site exists for exactly the habit these verses describe — one verse, every day, read slowly.

How to use this list

Copy the verse that fits the hour — Matthew 6:9-13 for the framework (pray it once as written, then again in your own words), Matthew 7:7 for permission to keep asking, 1 John 5:14 for the alignment check that keeps prayer honest. Each card toggles between the King James Version and the World English Bible; "Our Father which art in heaven" reads nearly identically in both, but "supplication" becomes simply "asking," which lowers the entrance barrier this page exists to lower. If you are starting from zero: one verse, read aloud, once a day, is a complete prayer practice — the daily verse tool above can supply the verse.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Bible verse about prayer?
Matthew 6:9 — "After this manner therefore pray ye" — introduces the Lord's Prayer, which is the Bible's own model prayer and the natural first verse. Matthew 7:7 is the most quoted promise ("Ask, and it shall be given you"), and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ("Pray without ceasing") is the shortest instruction with the longest implications.
What does "pray without ceasing" mean?
1 Thessalonians 5:17. The verse cannot mean nonstop formal prayer — the same letter commands working quietly (4:11), which takes hands. It describes a standing disposition: the heart's line to God stays open between formal prayers the way a musician's instrument stays in tune between performances. The surrounding verses (5:16-18) frame it with "rejoice evermore" and "in every thing give thanks" — three continuous practices, not three impossible ones.
Why do some prayers go unanswered?
The Bible names several causes without reducing them to one: asking amiss to spend it on desires (James 4:3), asking against God's will (1 John 5:14 defines prayer's confidence as alignment), unconfessed sin's static (Psalm 66:18), and timing whose ledger only God sees (Luke 18's persistence parable exists because delay is normal). The verses on this page hold the tension honestly: bold asking, submissive alignment, and a Spirit who interprets the groanings (Romans 8:26).
How do I start praying if I have never prayed?
The Bible's own starting point is the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) — read it as written, slowly; it is short enough to finish and long enough to mean something. Then say one honest sentence to God in your own words; the Psalms model this constantly (Psalm 3:1 — "LORD, how are they increased that trouble me" — is a prayer that begins with a complaint). This site's daily verse tool gives one verse a day to read and respond to, which is the smallest complete practice there is.

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