What Does The Word "Prayer" Mean? 

Prayer, as used in the present-day Christian environment, is a word with a wide range of nuances covering many other words with associated meanings. Often, these other words are used interchangeably. Unlike this ambiguity of the English versions, however. there is better differentiation in the Greek texts. The list given below shows some of these related words. In the texts these words are, of course, adjusted in structure to suit Greek grammatical requirements. 

To pray comes from proseuchomai = TOWARD-WELL-HAVE
   1Cor.14:15  … Should I be praying in the spirit, yet I will be praying with the mind also…. 

Prayer from proseuchê = TOWARD-WELL-HAVing 
   Col.4:12  … always struggling for you in prayers, 
               that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 

Vow is from the root euchê = WELL-HAVE
   Act.18:18    Now Paul, remaining still a considerable number of days with the brethren, … 
               having shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow. 

Petition comes from deêsis = BINDing 
   Rom.10:1   Indeed, brethren, the delight of my heart and my petition to God for their sake 
               is for salvation. 

Plead for is from entu(n)gch(an)ö = IN-HAPPEN[-UP] 
   Rom.8:27   Now He Who is searching the hearts is aware what is the disposition of the spirit, 
               for in accord with God is it pleading for the saints 

To plead for comes from huper entu(n)gch(an)ö = OVER-IN-HAPPEN [-UP]
   Rom.8:26 …for what we should be praying for, to accord with what must be, we are not aware, 
               but the spirit itself is pleading for us with inarticulate groanings. 

A pleading from enteuxis = IN-HAPPENing 
   1Tim.2:1   I am entreating, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, pleadings, thanksgiving 
               be made for all mankind,… 

To request is from aiteö = REQUEST
   Eph.3:20    … Who is able to do superexcessively above all that we are requesting
               or apprehending,… 

Request from aitêma = REQUEST-effect 
   Phil.4:6    Do not worry about anything, but in everything, 
               by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, 

To thank or give thanks is from eucharisteö = WELL-JOY
   2Tim.1:3    We ought to be thanking God always concerning you, brethren, 
               according as it is meet; seeing that your faith is flourishing 
               and the love of each one of you all for one another is increasing, 

Thanksgiving or thankfulness from eucharistia = WELL-JOY
   2Cor.4:15  … that the grace, increasing through the majority, 
               should be superabounding in thanksgiving to the glory of God. 

To be thankful comes from euchariston = WELL-JOYed 
   Col.3:15  And let the peace of Christ be arbitrating in your hearts, 
               for which you were called also in one body; and become thankful. 

To praise comes from aineö = PRAISE
   Lk.19:37,38   the entire multitude of the disciples begins rejoicing, praising God 
               with a loud voice concerning all the powerful deeds which they perceived, 
               saying, "Blessed be the King coming in the name of the Lord! In heaven peace, 
               and glory among the highest!" 

Praise from ainos = PRAISE
   Lk.18:43  And instantly he receives sight and followed Him, glorifying God. 
               And the entire people, perceiving it, give praise to God. 

Glorify comes from doxazö = SEEMize 
   Rom.1:21  …knowing God, not as God do they glorify or thank Him, 
               but vain were they made in their reasonings,… 

In the citations given above we have examples where a number of these words are used together indicating that they should be differentiated in nuance from one another. 
 

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