pray

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• intransitive verb To utter or address a prayer or prayers to a deity or an object of worship, often as an entreaty.
• intransitive verb To use prayer to request (that something may happen).
• intransitive verb To say (a prayer or group of prayers).
• intransitive verb To make a devout or earnest request for.
• intransitive verb To utter or say a prayer or prayers to; address by prayer.
• intransitive verb Archaic To ask (someone) imploringly for something; beseech. Used chiefly in the phrase I pray you to introduce a polite or urgent request or question.
• adverb Used to make a polite or urgent request or question.

from The Century Dictionary.

• An obsolete spelling of prey.
• A dialectal form of pry.
• To ask earnestly; beg; entreat; supplicate, as for a personal grace or favor.
• In religious usage, to make devout petition to God, or (in some forms of religion) to any object of worship, as a saint or an angel; more generally, to enter into spiritual communion with God, usually through the medium of speech. See prayer.
• I pray, usually, by ellipsis, pray, a common formula introducing a question, invitation, suggestion, or request. Compare prithee.
• To ask earnestly; beg; entreat; supplicate; urge.
• In religious usage, to address a desire or petition to (specifically to God) devoutly and with reverence.
• To offer up, as a prayer; utter in devotion.
• To make entreaty or petition for; crave; implore: as, the plaintiff prays judgment of the court.
• To effect, move, or bring by prayer or entreaty: followed by an adverb or a preposition particularizing the meaning.
• Synonyms To crave, implore, beseech, petition, importune. See prayer.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• obsolete See pry.
• transitive verb To address earnest request to; to supplicate; to entreat; to implore; to beseech.
• transitive verb To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.
• transitive verb To effect or accomplish by praying.
• transitive verb (Law) A phrase often used to signify claiming the benefit of an argument. See under Aid.
• intransitive verb To make request with earnestness or zeal, as for something desired; to make entreaty or supplication; to offer prayer to a deity or divine being as a religious act; specifically, to address the Supreme Being with adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving.
• intransitive verb I beg; I request; I entreat you; -- used in asking a question, making a request, introducing a petition, etc..

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• verb To petition or solicit help from a supernatural or higher being.
• verb To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
• verb religion to communicate with God for any reason.
• adverb please; used to make a polite request.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• verb address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
• verb call upon in supplication; entreat