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A Brief History of Prayer

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the practice of daily, set prayer goes back to the Old Testament. The Psalms speaks of prayer in the morning (5:3), early hours (130:6), evening (141:2), and day and night (92:2).

Psalm 119:164a says, "Seven times a day I praise you" Scripture also mentions thrice-daily prayers (Ps. 5:17, Dan. 6:10). Jews repeated the Shema (a Scripture-based on prayer praising God's greatness) two or three times a day.

Emulating Jewish prayer, early Christians prayed often. The Gospels and Acts report that Jesus and the disciples prayed alone, in synagogues, and in the Temple. We find shared daily prayer as early as Acts 1:14 and 2:42-47.

Prayers had set times (Acts 3:1) and set content (though parts were also extemporaneous). A persistent New Testament phrase inspired all prayer: "pray without ceasing" (5:16-18; cf. Mt. 7:7-12, Lk. 11:5-13, 18:1; Col 4:2; Eph. 6:18, 1 Thess. 1:2).