prayer

id	The prayer: quick ideas about prayer. Modes of prayer. How to pray better? Importance of prayer.
	christian doctrine truths sacraments commandments preghiera prière oración
THE PRAYER
1. What is prayer? Prayer is lifting one’s thought to God. To praise Him, thank Him, ask Him for pardon and ask Him for blessings; to share our worries with Him and also our joys. To converse with Him. Prayer is lifting our thought to Our Lady, angels and saints. 2. What are the different ways to pray? There are many ways to pray, since each person expresses herself/himself in different ways. Prayers may be classified into two: Oral prayer, is used to talk to God with the formulae used by saints, like the Our Father or the Hail Mary. Mental prayer, used to address Our Lord with our own words. 3. Are there some other ways of praying? We can also offer to God our work and other actions (we could also call it manual prayer, since it takes up to God the work done by our hands). We can also present to God our daily efforts and sacrifices. These could be called Prayers of the Senses. Both cases are mental prayer with the valued added of good deeds. 4. Any advice to prayer well? If we want to improve our prayers, we must address God with trust and meekness; with faith, perseverance and docility. In short: we must approach God knowing who we are talking to. We must strive to fight distractions so as to focus our thoughts. A spiritual book could help us gather our senses. 5. Should we have a fix time for prayers? Any moment is good to talk to God. But we should have a time for daily prayer as we usually do with important matters. 6. Is prayer so important? Addressing God is an honor only due to angels and saints in heaven. On earth it is rather a need, a duty and an inclination: a need: since men need pardon and divine aid. We beg for it in prayer. a duty: for creatures must praise and thank God Creator. We do so through prayer. an inclination: because our heart wishes to get closer and closer to God. 7. How long or how much must the prayer of a Christian last? It depends on each person. A Christian starting his/her spiritual journey can begin with brief prayers or ejaculations (short sentences said with the heart). But any Christian who really loves God is not happy with the minimum: he/she devotes at least half an hour a day to prayer. Many Christian families say the Rosary, meditate upon the Gospel, pray before sleeping... 8. Does God talk in prayer? Yes, He does. But you usually can’t hear His voice. You know it in your heart and in your good wishes.

The prayer: quick ideas about prayer. Modes of prayer. How to pray better? Importance of prayer.

THE PRAYER

1. What is prayer? Prayer is lifting one’s thought to God. To praise Him, thank Him, ask Him for pardon and ask Him for blessings; to share our worries with Him and also our joys. To converse with Him. Prayer is lifting our thought to Our Lady, angels and saints.

2. What are the different ways to pray? There are many ways to pray, since each person expresses herself/himself in different ways. Prayers may be classified into two:

Oral prayer, is used to talk to God with the formulae used by saints, like the Our Father or the Hail Mary.
Mental prayer, used to address Our Lord with our own words.

3. Are there some other ways of praying? We can also offer to God our work and other actions (we could also call it manual prayer, since it takes up to God the work done by our hands). We can also present to God our daily efforts and sacrifices. These could be called Prayers of the Senses. Both cases are mental prayer with the valued added of good deeds.

4. Any advice to prayer well? If we want to improve our prayers, we must address God with trust and meekness; with faith, perseverance and docility. In short: we must approach God knowing who we are talking to. We must strive to fight distractions so as to focus our thoughts. A spiritual book could help us gather our senses.

5. Should we have a fix time for prayers? Any moment is good to talk to God. But we should have a time for daily prayer as we usually do with important matters.

6. Is prayer so important? Addressing God is an honor only due to angels and saints in heaven. On earth it is rather a need, a duty and an inclination:

a need: since men need pardon and divine aid. We beg for it in prayer.
a duty: for creatures must praise and thank God Creator. We do so through prayer.
an inclination: because our heart wishes to get closer and closer to God.

7. How long or how much must the prayer of a Christian last? It depends on each person. A Christian starting his/her spiritual journey can begin with brief prayers or ejaculations (short sentences said with the heart). But any Christian who really loves God is not happy with the minimum: he/she devotes at least half an hour a day to prayer. Many Christian families say the Rosary, meditate upon the Gospel, pray before sleeping...

8. Does God talk in prayer? Yes, He does. But you usually can’t hear His voice. You know it in your heart and in your good wishes.