Answer: The number seven is the Divine number, so it is not surprising to find that prayer contains seven elements. These are: (1) invocation, or calling upon God; (2) praise; (3) thanksgiving; (4) confession (in Jesus’ case, it was acknowledgment of dependence upon God, for He had no sins to be confessed); (5) petition, or supplication, which is a specially earnest petition; (6) communion, or talking things over with God; and (7) assurance, which is usually expressed by the amen. This does not mean that every prayer should contain all seven elements, just as we find that not all seven elements were in all of our Lord’s prayers.

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