Different Kinds of Prayer

Q: How am I supposed to pray? It doesn’t seem like enough to just ask for stuff.

A: According to St. Therese of Lisieux, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” (CCC, 2558)

St. John Damascene says: “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” (CCC, 2559)

There are different kinds of prayer, these are:

Adoration is where we worship God as our creator.

Prayer of Petition is where we “ask for stuff,” and, “by prayer of petition we express awareness of our relationship with God. We are creatures who are not our own beginning, not the masters of adversity, not our own last end. We are sinners who as Christians know that we have turned away from our Father. Our petition is already a turning back to him.” (CCC, 2629) Of course we have to remember that prayer is not like a vending machine, we don’t pray so as to get stuff. Prayer is a relationship with God, and we should be motivated to pray out of love, not out of material need.

Prayer of Intercession is where you pray to a Saint, or the Blessed Mother, and ask them to pray on your behalf. The second half of the Hail Mary when we say “Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death” is a prayer of intercession.

Prayer of Thanksgiving is simply thanking God for all that He has given us. Just like we like to be thanked when we do something nice for others, so does God.

Prayer of Praise is exactly what it says it is, praising God. “Praise embraces the other forms of prayer and carries them toward him who is its source and goal: the ‘one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist.” (CCC, 2639) The Psalms are songs (prayers) of praise.

Christian

Forced to Pray in School

Q: My parents send me to Catholic school, even though I don’t believe. The school forces everyone to pray and I don’t like it. I got detention on the first day of school for refusing to pray. Is this fair?

A: Unfortunately, life is not always fair. Did you deserve a detention strictly for not praying? Probably not, but you did not get a detention just for not praying – you got a detention for not following school policy. Most of the time, teachers and principals don’t take too kindly to students blatantly refusing to follow the rules or do what they are told. However, if you feel unjustly forced into professing something you don’t think you believe, then try this tomorrow during prayer: take a moment of silence. I spent two years working on a staff of religiously diverse individuals, from the most devout Catholics and Protestants, to the most adamant atheist I have ever met. Before each of our weekly meetings, we spent a moment in silence for reflection. Some of us prayed, others collected their thoughts, and we all used it as a moment to slow down and step away from our busy lives. A moment of silence is respectful both of those around you, who believe the prayers being said, as well as of you and your own personal beliefs. So tomorrow, when it comes time to pray, close your eyes and take the time to silently reflect on whatever you happen to be thinking. It also might be a good idea to mention to your teacher what you would like to do beforehand, so he or she doesn’t take it as silent insubordination!

Maureen D.

Jesus Praying

Q: Jesus prays throughout the whole New Testament. He is God, why does He have to pray?

A: To understand this, you also have to understand about the Trinity. God is three persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) but there is only one God. This is a great mystery that we could not figure out on our own, so God revealed it to us (CCC, 732). It’s bigger than our understanding, but that’s because God is God. If we could figure Him out completely, he would be something less than we are. Anyway, the three persons who are God live in constant loving communion and conversation. Talking to God is prayer, even for God.

So when Jesus (the second person of the Trinity) is praying, He’s having a conversation with the Father (the first person of the Trinity). Jesus also prayed in order to show us how to pray. He shows us that His Father is our Father too. That’s one advantage of God becoming man – he can be a perfect example when showing us how to pray. He prayed in many ways – reading Scripture (Lk. 4:16-20), praying spontaneously (Jn. 11:41-42), going to synagogue (Jn. 6:59), fasting (Mt. 4:2), etc.

Michael

Catholics and Statue Worship

Q: My neighbor says that Catholics worship statues. Wouldn’t it be breaking the first commandment to pray to a statue?

A: Catholics do not pray to statues and relics, but to the persons they represent. We respect them, meaning not merely showing respect to stone and wood and paper, but to the persons these things represent. It is just as right to show respect to the images of Christ and the saints, as it is of those whom we honor or love on earth. The first commandment forbids the making, or the use of, statues only when they promote false worship.

Jenna

Praying When Things Fall Apart

Q: My family is falling apart. I’ve been praying real hard, but things aren’t getting any better. Why isn’t God answering my prayers?

A: Don’t give up! God answers every prayer, although not always in the way we want. God will answer in His own time and in His own way. We have to do more than just pray hard; we have to make prayer a priority, and to make God the center of our lives. Prayer is more than asking God’s help. It is a relationship with God, and to keep that relationship healthy we have to pray each and every day. We should pray with humility, perseverance, and confidence, we should pray for what will help us gain salvation, and to pray in a state of grace, or to go back to a state of grace.

Also, suffering in and of itself is evil, and is a product of original sin, but we can put suffering to good use. If we carry our crosses with joy, and offer up our suffering to Jesus it would be a great way to show Him how much we love Him. You’re obviously going through some very hard times. Keep in mind that not all is lost, and that maybe some good can come from your hardship. God knows what you are going through, and He will never abandon you. His love for you is so great that it is beyond comprehension.

Christian

Praying When Confused

Q: Could you tell me what’s the best way to sort out feelings when you’re really confused?

A: Pray. Find a quiet place away from distractions so you can just think things out, and pray. Our prayers are very powerful. Prayer is the closest we can get to God and heaven here on earth. It can work wonders in our lives, in the lives of others, and it can definitely help us sort things out. God knows exactly what is going on in our lives, after all he is omnipresent (which means he is everywhere at once), but since prayer is, simply, having a relationship with God. He wants us to tell Him what is going on in our lives.

Pray to God during your best times as well as your worst. There are no dos or don’ts, no how-to books or guidelines telling how you have to pray. None of us are very well equipped for prayer, but there is a way to pray better, the more you pray the better you’ll get at it. Start praying on a regular basis if you’re not already. If you don’t like to pray, or think it’s boring, just keep trying. Pray with a humble and sincere heart, and maybe try to pray more.

Like I said, prayer is the closest we can get to God. If we don’t like to pray that usually means that we don’t want to have a relationship with God and if we don’t have a relationship with God then we’re sunk. We’re gonna have a pretty hard time getting into heaven, and none of us want that. I cannot stress enough the importance of prayer, and what a significant role it can play in our lives, ‘cause having that relationship with God can make a total difference. It can help us sort out our feelings, and it can be our key to salvation. So pray, and believe me it will help you work out the confusion.

Christian

Praying the Rosary Boring

Q: My mom wants us to pray the rosary every night as a family, but I think it is boring. It is just the same prayers over and over again, and it takes too long.

A: The rosary doesn’t have to be boring, even if “it is just the same prayers over and over again.” The rosary has a meditative quality that allows us to reflect on Jesus’ life, and forget about our own worries, fears, and anger. When praying the rosary try to meditate on the mystery you are presently on. For example, say you are on the first sorrowful mystery, The Agony in the Garden, meditate on Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus knows that He is going to die. He knows He will be humiliated and tortured. He prays to His Father asking if there is another way. He is so stressed that He sweats blood, but in the end Jesus says, “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Lk. 22:42b) Even though he is so afraid that he sweats blood, he is still willing to die for our sake. Wow! Now, surely that’s not boring, and you could spend a few minutes meditating on that. As for the rosary taking too long, is taking twenty minutes to contemplate on the life of Jesus so hard? Is it so hard for you to take twenty minutes a day out of your 1,440 to pray the rosary?

Christian

Searching for God

Q: I've been searching for God for a long time, I've tried religion, but it seems so impersonal. If you have any answers that changed your perspective and life please tell me about it. I want to find the reason why I exist. How did you find God?

A: Everyone finds God in different ways. But how do you find Him? Talk to Him, pray. Tell Him everything, about your mom and dad, siblings, school, things you do everyday. Tell Him you’ve been looking for Him and that you want to know Him. Ask God, “Why do I exist? Why am I here? What is my purpose?” God will show you the way. He has a plan for you.

Stop searching and reach out to Him. He is right there, waiting for you. He is always present, and He will always love you. You will never be alone.

Make time to talk to Him, like you would your best friend. God wants to be your best friend. He wants to be part of your life.

Religion helps you in your relationship with God, it doesn’t get you one. That’s probably why “religion” seemed so impersonal. Finding the religion you want to be is hard because everyone is out there telling you that his or her religion is best. Do some reading about the Catholic religion (see the bibliography), pray, and take your time. Ask God for direction. Don’t worry about not having a certain religion, God will love you anyway, but be open to God’s plan.

The Catholic faith, especially through the Eucharist, is how I found God, and continues to take me to deeper levels in my relationship with Him. I found out why I exist through my Catholic faith.

Amanda