Prayers: meaning, definitions and examples

Typically used in religious contexts where people communicate with a deity, often for help, guidance, or to give thanks.

• She offered prayers for her family every night
• During the service, the congregation said their prayers together

Used when someone is making a humble and earnest request, often in a desperate or intense situation, typically in a religious context.

• He knelt in supplication, begging for mercy
• Her supplication for forgiveness was deeply moving

Often used in formal or ceremonial settings, particularly at the beginning of events to call upon a higher power for assistance or presence. Can also be used in a more general sense to refer to calling forth something.

• The ceremony began with an invocation by the priest
• The magician's invocation brought forth a mysterious spirit

Usually refers to a formal request, often in a secular setting, directed toward an authority or public entity. It can also mean a plea in a religious context, though less commonly.

• The community signed a petition to stop the construction project
• In her prayer, she made a heartfelt petition for her son's safety