How many times does the Bible mention prayer?

The count

The English word “prayer” and the verb “pray” together appear approximately 110 to 130 times across most major English translations of the Bible. The exact figure depends on the translation:

• KJV: approximately 110 occurrences of “prayer” or “pray” in religious senses (excluding the older English usage of “pray” meaning “please”).
• BSB: similar range.
• NIV, ESV, NRSV: comparable ranges, with minor variation.

The underlying Hebrew and Greek vocabulary is broader than the English count suggests. The most common terms include:

• Hebrew tefillah (תְּפִלָּה, “prayer”): about 77 occurrences.
• Hebrew palal (פָּלַל, “to pray, to intercede”): about 84 occurrences.
• Greek proseuchē (προσευχή, “prayer”): about 37 occurrences in the NT.
• Greek deēsis (δέησις, “supplication, petition”): about 18 occurrences.
• Greek proseuchomai (προσεύχομαι, “to pray”): about 86 occurrences.

A note on counting

English translations sometimes render the same Hebrew or Greek verb with different English words (“entreat,” “beseech,” “implore,” “ask”). Counting only “prayer” and “pray” therefore undercounts the underlying vocabulary. The figure of “more than 600 prayers in the Bible” sometimes cited in devotional literature refers to identified prayer-passages (specific spoken or written prayers), not word occurrences.

Where prayer concentrates

The book of Psalms is the largest single body of prayer-text in the Bible — 150 psalms, most of which are themselves prayers. The Pauline epistles open and close with prayer-formulae. The Gospel of Luke uses prayer vocabulary more often than the other Synoptic Gospels.