Prayer is the opening of one's heart and soul in a conversation with God, and thus is an expression of faith in a relationship with God. Humility is the foundation of prayer, as we learn in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). Jesus teaches us to pray: "All that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours" (Mark 11:24).
Prayer at home with the family is the first place to educate children in prayer! Forms of prayer include Adoration and Praise, Petition, Intercession, and Thanksgiving. There are three kinds of prayer: Vocal, Meditative, and Contemplative. Vocal prayer is the form of prayer in groups, as in Church. Meditation is a quest to understand the Christian life, in order to respond to what the Lord is asking. One may meditate on the Bible or the Rosary or other holy pursuits. One meditates in order to discern and come to the light: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" The Carmelite St. Teresa of Avila calls contemplative prayer a "close sharing between friends," a conversation with God in our hearts.
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and throughout the New Testament continues the tradition of prayer found in Hebrew Scripture, our Old Testament, exemplified by the Patriarchs of Israel such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David. Examples of prayer in the Bible are the Psalms, Matthew 7:7, Matthew 18:20, Luke 9:35, John 17:11, Philippians 4:6, and James 5:14.
Remember to listen in silence after you pray - you may receive an answer!
The ideal prayer is the one Christ Jesus taught us, the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father (Matthew 6:9-13).
All Christian faiths say the Lord's Prayer.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
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