Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, a petition is a form of prayer where an individual makes a request or plea to God. It is an expression of one's needs, desires, or concerns, presented with humility and faith. The act of petitioning God is a fundamental aspect of the believer's relationship with Him, reflecting trust in His power, wisdom, and benevolence.
Biblical Basis for PetitionThe practice of petitioning God is deeply rooted in Scripture.
Philippians 4:6 instructs believers, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." This verse highlights the importance of bringing one's needs before God while maintaining a heart of gratitude.
In the Old Testament, the Psalms are replete with examples of petitions. David, in particular, frequently cried out to God for help, guidance, and deliverance.
Psalm 86:6-7 states, "Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer, and attend to my plea for mercy. In the day of my distress I call on You, because You answer me."
Jesus and PetitionJesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, emphasized the importance of petitionary prayer. In the Lord's Prayer, He taught His disciples to ask for their daily needs: "Give us this day our daily bread" (
Matthew 6:11). This model prayer underscores the legitimacy and necessity of bringing personal and communal needs before God.
Moreover, Jesus encouraged persistent petitioning. In
Luke 18:1-8, He shared the parable of the persistent widow to illustrate the value of continual prayer and not losing heart. The widow's relentless pursuit of justice from an unjust judge serves as a metaphor for the believer's need to persist in prayer, trusting in God's righteous character.
The Role of Faith in PetitionFaith is a crucial component of effective petitionary prayer.
Hebrews 11:6 declares, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Petitioning God requires a confident belief in His ability and willingness to respond.
James 1:5-6 further emphasizes this, stating, "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."
Petition and God's WillWhile believers are encouraged to present their requests to God, it is essential to align these petitions with His will. 1
John 5:14-15 assures, "And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him."
Jesus Himself modeled this submission to God's will in the Garden of Gethsemane. Facing imminent crucifixion, He prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will" (
Matthew 26:39). This demonstrates the balance between earnest petition and humble submission to God's sovereign plan.
Petition in the Early ChurchThe early church exemplified the practice of petitionary prayer.
Acts 4:29-31 records a collective prayer for boldness in the face of persecution: "And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." Their petitions were met with a powerful response, as they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to proclaim the word of God boldly.
ConclusionPetitionary prayer remains a vital aspect of the Christian life, fostering a deeper reliance on God and a more intimate relationship with Him. Through petition, believers are invited to bring their needs before a loving and attentive Father, trusting in His perfect wisdom and timing.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A prayer; a supplication; an imploration; an entreaty; especially, a request of a solemn or formal kind; a prayer to the Supreme Being, or to a person of superior power, rank, or authority; also, a single clause in such a prayer.
2. (n.) A formal written request addressed to an official person, or to an organized body, having power to grant it; specifically (Law), a supplication to government, in either of its branches, for the granting of a particular grace or right; -- in distinction from a memorial, which calls certain facts to mind; also, the written document.
3. (v. t.) To make a prayer or request to; to ask from; to solicit; to entreat; especially, to make a formal written supplication, or application to, as to any branch of the government; as, to petition the court; to petition the governor.
4. (v. i.) To make a petition or solicitation.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PETITIONpe-tish'-un: Used in English Versions of the Bible only as a noun, usually as representing the Hebrew she'elah (Psalm 20:5, mish'alah), from the common verb sha'al, "to ask." The noun, consequently, has no technical meaning, and may be used indifferently in the active (Esther 7:2) or passive (1 Samuel 1:27) sense, or for a petition addressed to either God (1 Samuel 1:17) or man (1 Kings 2:16), while inJudges 8:24Job 6:8Psalm 106:15, it is rendered simply "request." Otherwise "petition" represents the Aramaic ba`u (Daniel 6:7, 13), the Greek aitema (1John 5:15), and deesis (1 Maccabees 7:37, the Revised Version (British and American) "supplication"), and the Latin oratio (2 Esdras 8:24).ru with the Pteria of Herodotus i.76 (identified with Bog-haz-keui, the great Hittite capital in Cappadocia, in ancient times called Hattu).
Burton Scott Easton
Greek
1783. enteuxis -- apetition, ie spec. supplication... 1782, 1783. enteuxis. 1784 . a
petition, ie spec. supplication.
... 1 Jn 4:17).
Word Origin from entugchano Definition a
petition, ie spec. supplication
...5241. huperentugchano -- to intercede, to makepetition for
... to intercede, to makepetition for. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
huperentugchano Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-er-en-toong-khan'-o) Short Definition:...
155. aitema -- a request
... a request. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: aitema Phonetic Spelling:
(ah'-ee-tay-mah) Short Definition: apetition, request Definition: apetition...
1162. deesis -- a need, entreaty
... Cognate: 1162 (, "to be , "; see the cognate 1189 , "praying for a ") -- heart-
petition, arising out of deep personal need (sense of lack, want)....
1793. entugchano -- to chance upon, by impl. confer with, by ext....
... of Speech: Verb Transliteration: entugchano Phonetic Spelling: (en-toong-khan'-o)
Short Definition: I meet, encounter, call upon, make apetition Definition: (a...
154. aiteo -- to ask, request
... to ask, request. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: aiteo Phonetic Spelling:
(ahee-teh'-o) Short Definition: I ask, request, beg,petition Definition: I ask...
1189. deomai -- to want, entreat
... beseech, pray to, make request. Middle voice of deo; to beg (as binding oneself),
iePetition -- beseech, pray (to), make request. Compare punthanomai....
2171. euche -- a prayer
... prayer, vow. From euchomai; properly, a wish, expressed as apetition to God,
or in votive obligation -- prayer, vow. see GREEK euchomai....
Strong's Hebrew
1159. bau -- apetition... 1158, 1159. bau. 1160 . a
petition. Transliteration: bau Phonetic Spelling:
(baw-oo') Short Definition:
petition. Word Origin (Aramaic
...4862. mishalah -- request,petition
... 4861, 4862. mishalah. 4863 . request,petition. Transliteration: mishalah Phonetic
Spelling: (mish-aw-law') Short Definition: desires.... desire,petition....
7596. sheelah -- request, thing asked for
... request, thing asked for. Transliteration: sheelah or shelah Phonetic Spelling:
(sheh-ay-law') Short Definition:petition.... loan,petition, request....
1156. bea -- to ask, seek
... Aramaic) corresponding to baah Definition to ask, seek NASB Word Usage asking (1),
looked (1), made request (1), makes (1), makes apetition (1), making (1...
8467. techinnah -- favor, supplication for favor
... Word Origin from chanan Definition favor, supplication for favor NASB Word Usage
grace (1), mercy (1),petition (4), supplication (18), supplications (1). camp....
2603. chanan -- to show favor, be gracious
... compare chanah); properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor,
bestow; causatively to implore (ie Move to favor bypetition) -- beseech, X...
6030a. anah -- to answer, respond
... 2), declare* (1), get...answer (1), give a answer (1), give an account (1), give
him an answer (1), giving (1), go (1), grant them theirpetition (1), hailed (1...
1246. baqqashah -- request, entreaty
... what i request (1). request. From baqash; apetition -- request. see HEBREW
baqash. 1245, 1246. baqqashah. 1247 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
ThePetition
... CHAPTER XXIV THEPETITION.... "Put thepetition herein inclosed into the Pharaoh's hands!
For my life's sake let it not come into the possession of any other....
The NextPetition Is, Forgive us Our Debts. ...
... Of Prayer. John Calvin Chapter 45 The nextpetition is, FORGIVE US OUR
DEBTS.? The nextpetition is, FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS. In...
Which is the FirstPetition?
... Lord's Day 47 Question 122 Which is the firstpetition? Which is the first
petition? "Hallowed be thy name"; that is, grant us, first...
Which is the SecondPetition?
... Lord's Day 48 Question 123 Which is the secondpetition? Which is the second
petition? "Thy kingdom come"; that is, rule us so by...
Which is the ThirdPetition?
... Lord's Day 49 Question 124 Which is the thirdpetition? Which is the third
petition? "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...
Which is the FourthPetition?
... Lord's Day 50 Question 125 Which is the fourthpetition? Which is the
fourthpetition? "Give us this day our daily bread"; that...
Which is the FifthPetition?
... Lord's Day 51 Question 126 Which is the fifthpetition? Which is the fifth
petition? "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our...
Which is the SixthPetition?
... Lord's Day 52 Question 127 Which is the sixthpetition? Which is the sixth
petition? "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver...
The FirstPetition Is, Hallowed be Thy Name. ...
... Of Prayer. John Calvin Chapter 41 The firstpetition is, HALLOWED BE THY
NAME.? The firstpetition is, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. The...
SecondPetition of the Same, Sent from Chalcedon to Theodosius...
... Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, CLXVII. SecondPetition of the same,
sent from Chalcedon to Theodosius Augustus. Your piety has...
Thesaurus
Petition (33 Occurrences)... to solicit; to entreat; especially, to make a formal written supplication, or
application to, as to any branch of the government; as, to
petition the court; to
...Injunction (8 Occurrences)
... the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute,
and to make a strong decree, that whoever shall ask apetition of any...
Interdict (6 Occurrences)
... counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute,
and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask apetition of any...
Entreat (55 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To treat with, or in respect to, a thing desired; hence, to ask earnestly;
to beseech; topetition or pray with urgency; to supplicate; to importune....
Ask (1255 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To request; to seek to obtain by words; topetition; to solicit; -- often
with of, in the sense of from, before the person addressed....
Address (8 Occurrences)
... 4. (v.) To clothe or array; to dress. 5. (v.) To direct, as words (to any one or
any thing); to make, as a speech,petition, etc. (to any one, an audience)....
Wish (141 Occurrences)
... of. 5. (n.) Desire; eager desire; longing. 6. (n.) Expression of desire;
request;petition; hence, invocation or imprecation. 7. (n...
Intercession (12 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. (n.) Mediation between parties at variance; prayer,petition,
or entreaty on behalf of another. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia....
Entreaty (12 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) An earnest request orpetition; a plea;
an urgent prayer; earnestpetition; pressing solicitation....
Persian (4 Occurrences)
... before a judge"; At. ava-sta, "to stand near"), or (2) apetition (Pahl.
apastan, "petition"; Arm. apastan, "refuge," "asylum"), in...
Resources
Is prayer to saints / Mary biblical? | GotQuestions.orgSilent prayer - is it biblical? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the meaning of Philippians 4:6? | GotQuestions.orgPetition: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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