"Beg" Definition Shows Contempt for Jesus Christ and His Followers

Pray means to "beg, implore, beseech" when one is talking to a person. Some examples:

"Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on." (2 Samuel 14:12)

 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. (Genesis 37:16)

"Pray" Has a Much Broader Meaning in Reference to Communicating With God

The DEFINED King James Bible defines pray in all contexts as:

"beg, implore, beseech"

Praying to God can include begging in the sense of asking with great earnestness but prayer is not defined by this narrow characterization.

Prayer encompasses several things:

• asking God for guidance 

• praising God

• asking God to meet one's needs

• interceding for others

• asking for forgiveness of sins

• thanking God for his blessings

 Pray, in the most basic terms, means to talk to God.

The Lord's Prayer: Did Jesus Teach His Disciples to Beg?

Jesus did not teach his disciples how to beg. He taught them how how to effectively communicate with God.

Let us look at the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13):

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (praise)

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. (supplication)

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (asking for forgiveness)

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (supplication and praise)

More Examples of the Way God Wants His People to Pray

Satan wants God's people to be so backslidden in their ways that they have no confidence to approach God in prayer except as a beggar.

How does God want his people to pray? He wants them to pray in confidence, provided they meet his condition of abiding in Jesus Christ.

[Jesus said] Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

Matthew 26:53  Jesus was positive that if he prayed to his Father, he would immediately send more than twelve legions of angels. God gives us the grace to walk in this world as Jesus walked so we can pray with confidence too.

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." John 14:13

Jesus promised that if we ask for anything in his name, he will do it. To ask in Jesus' name is to ask for something that Jesus would want you to ask. You will know what Jesus wants you to ask if you are following him -- obeying his commandments.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24  

Jesus promised his disciples that if they believed they would receive what they asked for, their prayers would be answered.

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

The prayer of faith shall save the sick. When you are certain you are praying in God's will, you are praying in faith and you will be answered.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:14, 15

We can have confidence that God will answer our prayers. If we ask according to his will, he will hear us and grant our petitions.

In Conclusion

The Bible For Today's representation of the word, pray as having the single meaning of "beg" is most revealing. They represented Jesus Christ and his followers as mere beggars in their relationship with God. Prayer is integral to the spiritual life of the Christian. Do not allow the false definition in the DEFINED King James Bible to reduce your prayers to a one dimensional caricature: begging.

related article: Pray Means to Beg God?

complete list of articles:  DEFINED King James Bible: Definitions For Change Index Page