Learn English – Difference between Pray for and pray over

phrasal-verbs

What is the difference between "Pray for" and "pray over"??i found this word in a novel named "the testaments" by Margaret Atwood where it was mentioned as such:" There were rumours about the Rachel and Leah Centre at school, but they were vague: none of us knew what went on inside it. Still, just being ***prayed over*** by a bunch of Aunts would be scary." When we use "over" after any word,what do we generally refer??And since I have a poor knowledge of phrasal verbs,can anyone recommend me any book written on phrasal verbs to enhance my knowledge?

Best Answer

In the Bible, the usage of "pray over" is unusual, occurring only once:

Is anyone among you sick? 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. (James 5:14, NKJV)

The sense is where people pray to God on behalf of someone (who may be sick and might not be able to also pray).

This passage is the origin of the Roman Catholic sacrament of Extreme Unction:

So, unction refers to the act of anointing the sick, the oil used to anoint the sick AND the spiritual disposition and hoped for response to the anointing. The hope for the sacrament is to bring about the physical healing of the individual who receives it as a continuation of Christ’s healing ministry.

Source

BibleGateway has 154 results for the topic of prayer. These include:

  • individual prayer
  • corporate prayer
  • prayers for healing
  • prayers on an individual's behalf
  • requests that God would protect the nation
  • prayers that God would uphold justice
  • prayers of thanks to God
  • prayers that God would help
  • prayers asking God to forgive

The difference between pray and pray over would be that the former is quite general and used often. The latter is used rarely, and when the one being prayed over is sick or incapacitated.

The character in the Atwood novel may have thought that being prayed over was scary because she did not want God to do what the Aunts were praying for. (I'm guessing that the Aunts were not praying for healing from sickness.)

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