Prayerful form of worship is typically ADORATION. Context note: You asked for a NYT crossword clue solution. Based on the latest puzzle references, the 9-letter answer for "Prayerful form of worship" is ADORATION. It’s the common crossword fit for that clue in recent NYT grids. If you’d like, I can verify with additional sources or provide alternate alternatives if the puzzle variant uses a different fill.