Bible Lexicons

Berry's Synonyms of the New TestamentBerry's NT Synonyms

Prayer

εὐχή, προσευχή, δέησις, ἔντευξις, εὐχαριστία, αἴτημα, ἱκετηρία.

εὐχή, when it means prayer, has apparently a general signification. προσευχή and δέησις are often used together. προσευχή is restricted to prayer to God, while δέησις has no such restriction. δέησις also refers chiefly to prayer for particular benefits, while προσευχή is more general. The prominent thought in ἔντευξις is that of boldness and freedom in approach to God. εὐχαριστία is thanksgiving, the grateful acknowledgment of God's mercies, chiefly in prayer. αἴτημα, much like δέησις, denotes a specific petition for a particular thing. In ἱκετηρία the attitude of humility and deprecation in prayer is specially emphasized. All these words may indicate at times not different kinds of prayer, but the same prayer viewed from different stand-points.