PROSEUCHEI (Prayer)

What is the Word?

Prayer is everywhere in the New Testament. Jesus and the apostles devote much of their time to prayer. Much of his ministry is devoted to teaching about the nature of prayer and how we should pray. In fact, this word for prayer shows up 37 times in the scriptures, and that’s not including the various other forms of the word. It is used in the gospels and extensively by Paul. 

How does the Bible use this word?

It is interesting to note that Proseuchei denotes prayer to a deity but is actually a compound word. The compound consists of the words pros and euchei. Pros (προσ) is a preposition that carries the idea of “toward” or “with.” It also may carry the idea of closeness and intimacy such as that of the closeness between the members of the Holy Trinity (cf. John 1: 1). Euchei (ευχῇ) on the other hand carries the idea of a wish or vow, particularly before God. Taken together, one can see these to meaning converging to denote the idea of intimate closeness or conversation with God.  

Where in the Bible?

Prayer had an enormous role to play in the life of the early church. In the beginning chapter of Acts, the twelve returned to Jerusalem after Jesus ascended into heaven:

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer (proseuchei), together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Acts 1:12-14

There are a couple of significant things to note here. When Jesus was crucified, his disciples fled and scattered. They hid themselves for fear of the Jews, afraid that they too might become victims of their persecution. They were discouraged and demoralized. However, after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, his disciples as well as the women were radically changed. Suddenly, by the spirit of God, they were once again united, praying together. The description “with one accord” carries the idea of intimate closeness and harmony that is descriptive of the word for prayer. This testifies to the unifying and intimate power of prayer, but also to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection which had the power to transform the disciples and re-unify them under the headship of Christ.

How Should We Then Pray?

When Jesus teaches us to pray, he tells us to ask that God’s will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Thus, we should strive for same harmony and unity that is defined within the relations of the Holy Trinity. When we understand that Proseuchei entails this holy intimacy, we are able to reflect this holiness out into the world. 

WRITTEN BY DREW MATZ