Brief Overview of προσεύχομαι (Strong’s G4336: proseuchomai)

Strong’s G4336: A compound verb combining pros (toward) with euchomai (to pray, wish), meaning “to pray to, to offer prayer.” Used exclusively for prayer directed to God, emphasizing reverent communication and worship. The most common New Testament word for prayer, appearing in various contexts of spiritual devotion.

U- Unveiling the Word

Προσεύχομαι represents the act of praying specifically to God, distinguished from other prayer words by its exclusive use in addressing deity. In the New Testament, it appears in diverse contexts: Jesus’ own prayer life, his teaching on prayer, and the early church’s prayer practices. The compound structure emphasizes directed, intentional communication with God. Early church fathers used this term to describe both personal devotion and corporate worship. Today, it remains the fundamental word for Christian prayer, emphasizing both the privilege and practice of divine communion.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: προσεύχομαι, proseuchomai, pros-YEW-kho-mai
• Pronunciation: Emphasis on ‘YEW’, with ‘pros’ quickly spoken, ‘mai’ unstressed
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• πρός (pros) – prefix meaning “toward”
• εὔχομαι (euchomai) – root verb meaning “to pray, vow”
  The combination emphasizes directed prayer to deity.

D – Defining Meanings

• To pray to God
• To worship through prayer
• To communicate with deity

For compound words:
The prefix πρός indicates direction toward God, while εὔχομαι provides the basic meaning of prayer or vowing. Together, they create the concept of directed, reverent prayer to God.

Translation Options:

• “to pray” – captures the basic meaning
• “to offer prayer” – emphasizes the worship aspect
• “to commune with God” – reflects the relational aspect

E – Exploring Similar Words

• δέομαι (deomai, DEH-oh-mai) – to request, beseech
  See G1189
• αἰτέω (aiteō, ai-TEH-oh) – to ask, petition
  See G154
• ἐντυγχάνω (entugchanō, en-toog-KHAN-oh) – to intercede
  See G1793

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, προσεύχομαι shows these morphological features:

• Tense: Present, Aorist, Perfect
• Voice: Middle/Deponent
• Mood: Indicative, Imperative, Participle
• Person: All
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Continuous, Punctiliar, State

The middle/deponent form indicates personal involvement in prayer, while various tenses and moods express different aspects of prayer life.

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its exclusive use for prayer to God. Thayer’s notes its comprehensive nature in prayer contexts. LSJ provides evidence of its sacred usage. Vine’s connects it to spiritual communion. Strong’s highlights its directional aspect toward God. LEH notes its frequent use in worship. Moulton and Milligan cite its consistent religious usage in papyri.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
But I say to you, Love your enemies and [προσεύχεσθε] pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44

Additional References:
Matthew 6:5
Matthew 14:23
Mark 1:35
Luke 6:28
Acts 6:4
Romans 8:26
Ephesians 6:18

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Προσεύχομαι beautifully captures the essence of genuine prayer – direct, personal communion with God. Through Christ’s work, we have been granted access to approach God freely in prayer. The good news is that prayer is not a religious duty but a relationship privilege, made possible through Jesus’ mediation.

D – Did You Know?

1. This is the most frequently used word for prayer in the New Testament
2. Its first appearance is in Jesus’ teaching about praying for enemies
3. The word never appears in contexts of prayer to anyone other than God

Strong’s G4336: A compound verb combining pros (toward) with euchomai (to pray, wish), meaning “to pray to, to offer prayer.” Used exclusively for prayer directed to God, emphasizing reverent communication and worship. The most common New Testament word for prayer, appearing in various contexts of spiritual devotion.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: prayer, worship, communion-with-God, devotion, spiritual-discipline, Jesus-teaching, prayer-life, intercession, compound-verb, divine-communication, spiritual-practice, Christian-living, early-church, worship-practice, meditation​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​