There are many names of praying woman in the bible. These women prayed because they knew the power of prayer. They knew that a praying woman is a dangerous woman.

These women knew the secret that is in Jeremiah 33:3 which says, ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

For example, Hannah prayed to God to give her a son. Esther prayed to God so that she can find favor before the king. Mary the mother of John prayed for Peter who was in prison.

Read more: 25 Bible Verses About A Strong Woman

Table of Contents

1. Names Of Praying Woman In The Bible
2. Which Woman In The Bible Was An Intercessor?
3. Woman In The Bible Who Prayed For A Husband

Names Of Praying Woman In The Bible

1. Hannah prayed for a child (1 Samuel 1:10-13)

Hannah was a praying woman in the bible. One day when she became tired of crying after her sister wife Peninnah provoked her about being barren; she went to the temple to pray. 

The Bible says that she was praying in her heart and only her lips were moving which made priest Eli think that she was drunk. She also made a vow to God, and through this prayer, God granted her a son whom she named Samuel.

1 Samuel 1:10-13,20 reads as follows:

In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

After Hannah was blessed with a child, she also made a thanksgiving prayer. 

2. Anna the widow was always in the temple praying (Luke 2:36-38)

Anna was an intercessor. She spent all her days in the house of the Lord after she lost her husband at a young age. And God granted her the gift of prophecy.

“There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” Luke 2:36-37

Read more: Bible verses supporting female pastors

3. Esther prayed to find favour before the king (Esther 4:15-16)

After a decree had been passed that the Jews had to be destroyed; Mordecai sent a word to Esther to assist since she was a wife to the king.

Esther said that the king hadn’t called her in over 30 days and any person who approached the king without being called will be destroyed unless he raises his golden scepter. So she asked the Jews and her servants to fast for her for three days.

She had to pray so that she could win the favour of the king. And this worked in her favour because when she went to him after the fasting, the king was excited to see her. He even said that he could give her even up to half of his kingdom.

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:15-16

4. Mary the mother of John was part of the people who prayed for Peter (Acts 12:5)

Acts 12:5 says, “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

So if the bible says that the church was praying for Peter, it means that both men and women were praying for him. And the place where they held the prayer meeting was at the house of Mary the mother of John.

Acts 12:12-14 says, “When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!””

5. The Shunammite woman whose son was raised to life (2 Kings 4:27-30)

The Shunamite woman prayed to Elisha, her source of the child after she had lost her son. Elisha was the man who prayed for her to have a child after being barren. And when the child had lost his life, she went back to the feet of the one who enabled her to conceive.

6. Martha the sister of Lazarus (John 11:21-22)

Martha the sister of Lazurus and Mary Magdalene made a prayer to Jesus. These were her words in John 11:21-22 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

When Jesus was still on earth, the people who had access to him were praying directly to him because he is the son of God.

That is why in John 16:23 Jesus said, “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

7. Mary Magdalene who fell at the feet of Jesus (John 11:32-33)

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. John 11:32-33

Mary Magdalene went and fell at the feet of Jesus, meaning that she was praying to him. And because of her action and words, Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

8. Lydia was a worshipper of God (Acts 16:14)

Lydia is also another praying woman in the bible. Although the Bible doesn’t explicitly say that she prayed; it says she was a worshipper of God. 

“One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” Acts 16:14

9. Naomi the widow who also lost her two sons (Ruth 1:20-21)

Naomi also made an indirect prayer before God. When she returned back home after losing her husband and two sons and people were excited to see her, this was her response to them: 

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” Ruth 1:20-21

So she was indirectly telling God that you are an Almighty God, yet my life is bitter, it’s empty, you have afflicted me. She was indirectly expressing herself to her God. And as a result, God brought her joy again through Ruth, her daughter-in-law. 

10. The women around Naomi (Ruth 4:14-15)

After Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi got married and had a son; the women of the community made a thanksgiving prayer before God and also prayed for the son.

The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” Ruth 4:14-15

11. Mary the mother of Jesus after the angel told her she’d conceive (Luke 1:46-55)

12. Abigail prayed for David (1 Samuel 25:28-31)

Abigail is also one of the names of a praying woman in the bible. When David was angry at Nabal for insulting him, Abigail went to David to mediate and also declare blessings over him.

“Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.” 1 Samuel 25:28-31

13. The Syrophoenician Woman (Mark 7:25-26)

The Syrophoenician woman prayed to Jesus to heal her daughter who was demon-possessed.

In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. Mark 7:25-26

14. Rachael the wife of Jacob (Genesis 30:22-24)

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.” Genesis 30:22-24

Rachael was also a praying woman in the bible. The Bible says that God listened to her, meaning that she was praying to him. And after God blessed her with a son, she asked Him to add another son to her. 

Which Woman In The Bible Was An Intercessor?

There are a number of women in the bible who were intercessors. An intercessor is someone who prays or makes a petition on behalf of other people.

1. Anna in the book of Luke 2:36-38 was an intercessor

The Bible says that she never left the temple but worshiped night and day fasting and praying.

“There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” Luke 2:36-37

2. Abigail in 1 Samuel 25:32-34 was an intercessor

Abigail interceded on behalf of her family and also on behalf of David. David was angry over what her husband Nabal did and was about to destroy all the males in her household.

So Abigail went and plead for mercy on their behalf and even declared blessings over David. 

David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.” 1 Samuel 25:32-34

3. Mary the mother of John in Acts 12:5, 12-14 was an intercessor

The Bible says that people had gathered at the house of Mary the mother of John to pray for Peter who was in prison. This means that they were interceding for him.

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” Acts 12:5, 12-14

Related read: 10 Names of Female Warriors In The Bible

Woman In The Bible Who Prayed For A Husband

1. Rebekah prayed for a husband

The Bible says that the servant of Abraham prayed for a wife on behalf of Isaac when he was at the well. And before he finished praying Rebekah appeared and did exactly as he had prayed for.

Rebekah was quick to accept the marriage gifts from the servant and also when her family wanted to delay her from going to her husband, she said that she wanted to go right away. 

This just shows that maybe Rebekah was also praying for a husband because her spirit was aligned with that of Abraham’s servant and she also did not want to be delayed by her family from going to meet her husband.

Genesis 24:12-15 says, “Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder.

Genesis 24:55-58 says: But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.” But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.” Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she said.

2. Abigail prayed for a husband

There was also Abigail, who prayed for David and he later married her after her husband passed on. In her prayer, she asked for God to bless him and also for David to remember her when the Lord had brought him success.

And when David’s people came to ask for her hand in marriage, she was quick to accept the marriage proposal. Which meant that she was praying for a husband.

1  Samuel 25:30-31 says, “When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.”

1 Samuel 25:39-42 says, 

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.” She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife.

Final thoughts

Prayer is a powerful tool to unlock your blessings. Please don’t forget to share this with someone, it might just encourage them to pray.