SCRIPTURES REGARDING PRAYER

Humble yourself, seek His face, and turn from wickedness:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – 2 Chron. 7:14

Sin will affect your prayer life:

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” – Ps. 66:18

Hating knowledge and not fearing God can hinder prayers:

“Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:” – Pr. 1:28-29

Iniquity will obstruct prayers:

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” – Is. 59:2

Ignoring or oppressing the needy will hinder prayer:

“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” – Proverbs 21:13

Hypocrisy will hinder prayer:

“And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” – Isaiah 1:15

Pray with your whole heart:

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”– Jer. 29:13

Alone time with God:

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” – Matthew 6:6

Avoid vain repetition:

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” – Matthew 6:7

The need to believe:

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” -Matthew 21:22

Must be asked in the name of Jesus:

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” – John 14:13

Abide in Christ:

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” -John 15:7

A warning to husbands:

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” – 1 Peter 3:7

Don’t ask amiss:

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” – James 4:3

Live righteously:

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” – James 5:16

Keep the commandments:

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” – 1 John 3:22

Ask according to the will of God:

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us.” – 1 John 5:14

Don’t stop asking:

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” – Luke 18:1

Pray with thanksgiving:

^“2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;” – Col. 4:2

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” – Ephesians 6:18

Pray in the Spirit to help build oneself in the faith:

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost…” – Jude 1:20

Allow the Spirit to assist and intercede while praying:

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” – Romans 8:26–27

Pray with the Spirit and the mind:

“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” – 1 Cor. 14:14-15

Let your requests be known before God:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” – Phil. 4:6

Don’t stop praying:

“Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thes. 5:17. Cf. Romans 12:12

All prayers should be directed to God, NOT dead people, saints, or Mary. Note the words ‘Our Father’:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name….” – Matthew 6:9

Pray to avoid falling into temptation:

“And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” – Luke 22:40

Ask in faith:

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” – James 1:6–7

Jesus scolded His disciples for not being able to pray for one hour. We should aim for this each day. If you’re not used to it, try breaking the one hour into segments:

“And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” – Matthew 26:40 

When you pray, make sure to forgive others.

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” – Mark 11:25

Intercede for others in prayer (even corporately):

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority…“ – 1 Timothy 2:1–2. Cf. James 5:16

Men should pray with their heads uncovered (e.g., no hood up, no hat, no beanie), and women should pray with their heads covered; otherwise, they dishonor their head:

“4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.” – 1 Cor. 11:4-6

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Addendum

Should women pray with their heads covered?

Let me preface this carefully. I do not believe a woman must absolutely cover her head every single time she prays. I am not advocating for legalism. God in His grace hears the prayers of His people regardless of outward appearance. The question I am addressing is narrower: whether Scripture teaches that women ought to cover their heads when praying or prophesying, especially in the gathered church, as a matter of biblical propriety rather than mere cultural custom.

But men are also mentioned in the following passage; why only focus on women here? Well, it’s not the norm for men to pray with their heads covered in many churches. However, it is very common for women to pray with their heads not covered.

Let’s turn to the text. 1 Corinthians 11 reads:

“4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

…

13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.”

This is one of the more debated passages in the New Testament, and responsible readers should acknowledge that. Three primary interpretations have emerged:

The Cultural/Contextual View. Many commentators and mainline Protestant traditions argue that Paul’s instructions were bound to first-century Corinth. In that Greco-Roman and Jewish setting, a head covering (or carefully managed long hair) signaled modesty, marital status, and social propriety. On this reading, Paul was correcting a local breach of decorum rather than establishing a universal, perpetual requirement for all cultures and times. Even those who affirm a creation-order principle sometimes conclude that the particular symbol of a cloth covering was culturally conditioned.

The Creation-Order View. Other theologians and more conservative traditions regard the instruction as enduring. They note that Paul roots his argument not only in local custom but in the order of creation and the presence of angels (verses 7–10). For these interpreters, women should wear a physical head covering—veil, cap, scarf, or similar—during prayer and corporate worship.

The “Natural Covering” View. Drawing especially on verse 15 (“For her hair is given to her for a covering”), some conclude that a woman’s long hair itself is the God-given covering Paul has in mind. No additional cloth is strictly required so long as her hair is worn modestly.

I hold the Creation-Order View to be the most coherent reading of the passage.

The Biblical Case for the Creation-Order View

The most straightforward reading is that Paul requires a woman to have an actual covering placed on her head when she prays or prophesies in the gathered church. Long hair functions as a natural analogue and glory, not as a full substitute for the covering he commands.

Several features internal to the text support this:

• The contrast with men (who must not cover their heads) only holds if both are dealing with an external covering of the same kind.
• The logic of verses 5–6—“if she will not cover… let her also be shorn”—treats the covering as something distinct from the hair itself. If long hair were already the covering, the argument would collapse.
• Paul layers multiple appeals: creation order, the angels, propriety, nature, and the practice of the churches. This is more than an appeal to temporary social custom.
• He closes by noting that the churches of God have no other practice (v. 16), pointing beyond a merely Corinthian preference.

The chief counter-argument within the passage is verse 15: “for her hair is given to her for a covering.” The original Greek helps clarify the distinction. Earlier in the chapter, Paul uses katakaluptō (to cover or veil thoroughly) for the required covering. In verse 15, he switches to peribolaion (something thrown around, a mantle or wrap—here referring to the hair as a natural endowment). Paul seems to be arguing by congruence: God has given the woman long hair as a natural glory and covering; therefore an artificial covering in public worship harmonizes with the order God Himself designed.

“Because of the angels“? (a sort of a side note)

When Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:10 that a woman ought to have “power [authority] on her head because of the angels”, he leaves us with one of the most debated phrases in the New Testament. Because he does not explain the reference, several interpretations have been offered.

One Common Interpretation

One view links “the angels” to the watchers of Genesis 6 who fell through lust for the daughters of men. Several early church writers explicitly connected 1 Corinthians 11:10 to the fallen angels of Genesis 6. It is said that the covering serves as a safeguard against repeating that ancient transgression.

While that reading is very possible, I lean towards another view.

The Preferred Interpretation

A more plausible view is that angels are present as holy witnesses whenever the church gathers for worship. Paul consistently treats the assembled church as a place of order, hierarchy, and visible submission to God’s design. To disregard the markers of modesty and authority during prayer and prophecy would introduce disorder in the presence of heavenly beings who care deeply about the proper alignment of God’s creation.

Biblical Support

Scripture repeatedly presents angels as active observers of human affairs, especially within the church:

• The apostles have been “made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Cor. 4:9).
• Paul charges Timothy “before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels” (1 Tim. 5:21).
• The church itself displays the manifold wisdom of God “unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10).

In both Jewish and early Christian thought, angels join the people of God in worship and take interest in whether that worship reflects the order God established at creation.

Creation Order and Worship

In the immediate context of 1 Corinthians 11, Paul grounds his entire argument in the creation account—Adam, Eve, and the distinctions God Himself ordained. Human gatherings are never merely horizontal events. They take place on a cosmic stage, watched by heavenly beings created to honor God’s structural design.

Conclusion

When the church assembles for prayer and prophecy, maintaining the physical markers of that created order shows proper respect for these holy witnesses. It keeps the assembly in harmony with the heavenly realm. Paul most likely means that the covering is worn “because of the angels” who observe the church and care that God’s established order is honored in worship.

What do you think?