Petition
The form of prayer in which one asks God for divine grace or assistance. Petition addresses God as divine Providence who lovingly watches over the needs of human creatures. It is an elementary form of prayer, but it should not be discouraged as long as it is not prompted by selfish motives. It expresses the fundamental powerlessness and need for help of creatures in contrast with God's greatness and generosity.
Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.