Topical Bible: Prayer is Described as Beseeching the Lord

Bible > Topical > Prayer is Described as Beseeching the Lord

◄ Prayer is Described as Beseeching the Lord ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Prayer, in the Christian tradition, is a fundamental practice that involves communicating with God. One of the ways prayer is described in the Bible is as "beseeching the Lord." This term conveys a sense of earnest pleading or supplication, reflecting a deep dependence on God's mercy and intervention.

The concept of beseeching the Lord is rooted in the understanding of God's sovereignty and the believer's reliance on His grace. Throughout the Scriptures, individuals and communities are depicted as turning to God in times of need, expressing their requests with humility and fervor.

In the Old Testament, the act of beseeching is often associated with the Hebrew word "chanan," which means to implore or seek favor. For instance, in Exodus 32:11, Moses beseeches the Lord on behalf of the Israelites after they have sinned by worshiping the golden calf: "But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, 'O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?'" . Here, Moses' intercession is a powerful example of beseeching, as he appeals to God's covenantal faithfulness and mercy.

The Psalms frequently illustrate the practice of beseeching the Lord, capturing the raw emotions of the psalmists as they cry out for help, deliverance, and forgiveness. Psalm 30:8 states, "To You, O LORD, I called, and I begged my Lord for mercy" . This verse highlights the personal and direct nature of beseeching, as the psalmist turns to God with a heartfelt plea.

In the New Testament, the Greek word "parakaleo" is often used to describe the act of beseeching. It carries the connotation of calling upon someone for aid or comfort. In Romans 12:1, the Apostle Paul uses this term to urge believers to live in a manner worthy of their calling: "Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" . Here, the act of beseeching is not only a request for divine assistance but also an exhortation to align one's life with God's will.

The Gospels provide numerous examples of individuals beseeching Jesus for healing and deliverance. In Mark 5:22-23, Jairus, a synagogue leader, falls at Jesus' feet and earnestly pleads for the healing of his daughter: "Seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet and pleaded with Him urgently, 'My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live'" . This narrative underscores the faith and desperation that often accompany the act of beseeching.

Beseeching the Lord is an expression of faith, acknowledging God's power and willingness to intervene in human affairs. It is a practice that reflects the believer's trust in God's character and promises. Through beseeching, Christians are invited to approach God with confidence, knowing that He hears and responds to the cries of His people.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 32:11
And Moses sought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why does your wrath wax hot against your people, which you have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Prayer Perfumed with Praise
... in the Canticles where the king is described as coming ... of it is rather praise than
prayer""Our Father ... he cannot pen the last word without beseeching the Lord ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 25 1879/prayer perfumed with praise.htm

The Power of Prayer in Relation to Outward Circumstances.
... is no true prayer but that which I described in the ... Those who boast that they can
persist in prayer, that they do not grow weary in beseeching God to ...
/.../schleiermacher/selected sermons of schleiermacher/i the power of prayer.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... In the preceding chapter our Lord has described inward religion ... this are those awful
words in the prayer at the burial of the dead: "Beseeching thee, that ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 26 upon our lords.htm

The Lord and the Leper
... "And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and ... reading, that our Lord had been
engaged in special prayer. ... As it exists even now, it is described by those ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/the lord and the leper.htm

The Trial by Fire
... which humbles rather than puffs up; its beseeching for an ... The short prayer of faith
does in a moment ... The language in which the answer is described emulates the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the trial by fire.htm

Relation viii. Addressed to F. Rodrigo Alvarez.
... thought, and offers its life to Him, beseeching Him that ... and so fine that they cannot
be described and when ... This prayer I had before the raptures and the great ...
/.../teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/relation viii addressed to f.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... from the nature of God, as described by an ... in asking, entreating, and earnestly
beseeching him to ... absurd, therefore, to dissuade men from prayer, by pretending ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm

Jesus Heals a Leper and Creates Much Excitement.
... in the only two cases where lepers are described"Numbers 12 ... hope]: and when he saw
Jesus, ^b beseeching him, and ... Lord's answer is an echo of the man's prayer. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxiv jesus heals a leper.htm

The Man that Stopped Jesus
... that last journey to Jerusalem is described in the ... opposition could have stopped
Him, no beseeching on the ... which Christ puts into the hand of believing prayer. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the man that stopped jesus.htm

Anti-Methodistic Attitude.
... Fanatics Described."At the time of the organization of ... moved to pray and cry anxiously,
beseeching the Holy ... by their own exercises in prayer, and especially ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bente/american lutheranism/anti-methodistic attitude.htm