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Prayer vs Invocation - What's the difference?

prayer | invocation |

As nouns the difference between prayer and invocation

is that prayer is a practice of communicating with one's God while invocation is the act or form of calling for the assistance or presence of some superior being; earnest and solemn entreaty; especially, prayer offered to a divine being.

prayer

English

(wikipedia prayer)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A practice of communicating with one's God.
  • The act of praying.
  • * , chapter=5
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer .}}
  • The specific words or methods used for praying.
  • A meeting held for the express purpose of praying.
  • A request; a petition.
    • Synonyms
    * orison, precation
    Derived terms
    * not have a prayer * prayer book * prayer meeting * friday prayer * prayer wheel

    Etymology 2

    (pray).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who prays.
    • Yep, Grandpa is a real prayer all right.

    invocation

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act or form of calling for the assistance or presence of some superior being; earnest and solemn entreaty; especially, prayer offered to a divine being.
  • A call or summons; especially, a judicial call, demand, or order; as, the invocation of papers or evidence into court.

    • Derived terms

    * invocational