How do you pray?

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I’m the kind of person that usually prays with a set of words from a book or from a prayer that I got somewhere, I’m not too hot with just making up prayers on the spot :o , but I do try! 😃 This made me wonder how the people in this forum pray. So . . . how do you pray?
 
All of the above. I mostly pray the rosary but during the day take time to speak and pray to God. I read my Bible (sometimes), I also take prayers over the internet and post them to my computer monitor for reassurance.
 
All the above. I pray where ever the Holy Spirit leads me. If I’m led to read a prepaired card, book, etc. I do so.
 
I remember hearing that when the Pope was asked how he prays, he answered ‘how the holy Spirit lets him pray.’ I think that prayer begins with submission and uniting oneself with the holy Spirit who prays through us. I read St. Louis’ True Devotion to Mary, and since I have understood more clearly the importance of having Mary in our hearts and souls because St. Louis argues that the holy Spirit is most present and more present to the degree in which Mary is present, because Mary is the spouse of the holy Spirit.

Also, St. Teresa of Avila writes splendidly about prayer. Prayer is an entering of one’s soul, the interior castle, and the foundation of prayer is an earnest will to achieve spiritual perfection, while remembering that all spiritual rules are oriented toward the perfecting oneself in spiritual love.

Mother Teresa spoke and wrote about silence being important to prayer. Mother Teresa said that Prayer is the fruit of Silence. And Teresa of Avila said that reflecting about to whom we are praying is very important. She said we need to , throughout our prayers, to contemplate on who we are praying to. When we speak to a person, we know who we are speaking to. I think the same logic applies to prayer, our prayers need to be directed to God, and not be empty words.
 
I improvise more as I get older, which I like to take as a sign of something good! At my job every meeting opens with a prayer, and we had to start posting the agendas well in advance because many were uncomfortable in leading the group in prayer. Now we pray more prepared texts, but I am always an improvisational back-up.
 
How do you read prayers?? Are you actually praying as you read, or are you just reading and assume God knows taht you are praying? I’ve never understood this…
 
raphaela

How do you read prayers?? Are you actually praying as you read, or are you just reading and assume God knows taht you are praying? I’ve never understood this…
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Prayers whether in your mind or written are still time you are giving to the Lord…you don’t even have so say anything actually…just put yourself in His Presence and think about Him…talk to Him, tell Him what is in your heart, tell Him of your joys and your sorrows…

Written prayers are usually those I’ve memorized, i.e,(Our Father, Memorare,Rosary, etc.). Mental Prayer is what I generally use in my “quiet time” with the Lord (usually 1 hour ea. day)…Then there are those days that I can’t even think straight… It’s then that written prayers and the Scriptures, (especially the Psalms) are needed.🙂
 
Here’s what I wrote about prayer in another thread. Hope it’s helpful to someone:

To me, the term “mental prayer” is a distinction from “vocal prayer.”

Vocal prayers are all the prayers we all say - the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Creed, the Hail Holy Queen, the litanies, the Anima Christi, etc., etc., etc. They’re written down and formalized.

Mental prayer, on the other hand, is our personal conversation with God - we tell Him how much we love Him, how we adore Him, how sorry we are for our sins, what we’re worried about, what we’re happy about, what we’re thankful for, what we think we need, what we want for those we love and on an on. There are, as has been noted by previous posters, many “ways” of mental prayer. You can meditate on a passage of scripture, picturing yourself in the scene. You can take a vocal prayer and slowly meditate on each sentence. You can take a book of points for meditation and read until something strikes you, then take off with that. You can just chat. But make sure to spend some time also listening. A one-sided conversation with God is no better than one with anyone else. At the end of the prayer, try to form some kind of resolution about how you will carry out what you gleaned from the prayer time.

I like this little prayer to end a time of mental prayer: “I thank you, my God, for the good resolutions, affections, and inspirations You have communicated to me in this time of prayer. I beg Your help to put them into effect. My Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.” While we’re at it, here’s the matching prayer for the beginning: “My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that You are here, that You see me, that You hear me. I adore You with profound reverence. I ask pardon for my sins, and grace to make this time of prayer fruitful. My Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.”

Betsy
 
I did not vote because I think this poll is inherrently flawed (nothing personal). I would like to point out that those who pray the Rosary (a “bead” prayer) meditate on the Holy Scriptures (two of the choices listed above). As many people also stated, I would have voted “All of the Above,” but 2 of the poll statements were “I only pray…” and “All of my prayers…” and as these are exclusive statements, I could not vote for all of them.
 
Corpus Cristi:
I’m the kind of person that usually prays with a set of words from a book or from a prayer that I got somewhere, I’m not too hot with just making up prayers on the spot :o , but I do try! 😃 This made me wonder how the people in this forum pray. So . . . how do you pray?
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There should have been another option…two or more of the above. I pray spontaneously, with scripture, and with prayers I know so I couldn’t vote for just one.
 
In grade school, the Baltimore Catechism said that prayer is the turning of the heart and mind to God. I have not seen a better one since.
Appealing as I find that definition, I do have trouble with some kinds of prayer. I have always been a little suspicious of the formulaic prayers such as in the Rosary, the Chaplets, the Litanies and such. I think in some ways they are more aids to praying than real prayers on their own. But far be it from me to criticize those who depend on recited prayers. We all have to find our own way to pray.
One exception is the Our Father. This came from Christ Himself and is therefore a prayer above any other.

PRAYER OF ADORATION. Somehow it seems to me that God does not need our adoration, already being Perfection Itself. But perhaps we need to give it rather than for him to receive it???
PRAYER OF PETITION. I can hardly bring myself to use it. I do feel all right to pray for someone else and their needs, but have trouble praying for my own needs. Christ said the Father knows what we need even before we ask Him. But elsewhere He says the Father is willing to give good things to those who ask! I am temperamentally inclined to the first declaration more than the second.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING. Absolutely!! I have an easier time with this than any other, since He has given me so much to be thankful for.

The prayer I try to remember to say every day or oftener goes something like this. “Lord, I thank you for allowing me to participate in this ongoing miracle we call life!”
 
I pray spontaneously and using prayerbooks. A prayer that I am using more and more is the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. Of course, when I can, I try to go to Mass during the week and visit the Blessed Sacrament. What is so amazing is that I think that it is hard to pray always, but if we start our day with a Morning Offering I find that I am aware of God throughout my whole day. I believe that we need to encourage each other to pray often and offer our prayers in union with each other. Now somedays I feel that I can pray often, then there are other times I am so distracted and feel very numb and seem unable to speak but I know He knows whats in my heart. I try to believe that we must alway try and never give up.
 
Another interesting Poll, but one that is incomplete, After the third option, All of the above, is one that should be offered.

I am writing now to discuss a post in Miscellaneous that discusses repititious prayer. The answer in that locked thread contained a Link to Common Catholic Prayers that listed three of the four Mysteries of the Rosary but not the newest, Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light:

  1. *]The Baptism in the Jordan
    *]The Wedding at Cana
    *]The Proclamation of the Kingdom
    *]The Transfiguration
    *]The Institution of the Eucharist

    That file of Catholic Prayers should be updated with these new mysteries for contemplation on Thursday.
 
Hi,

I pray in the Mornings: Morning offering, set prayers, Rosary, todays bible readings, renew my Consecration to Immaculate Heart of Mary. During the day I do some spiritual reading, I try to pray throuout the day, especially when others do me wrong I pray for them, etc. In the evenings I say a chaplet of some kind, read bible, say some set prayers and an act of Contrition and do an examination of con. I also go to weekday Mass twice a week and of course on Sunday. :bowdown:
 
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raphaela:
How do you read prayers?? Are you actually praying as you read, or are you just reading and assume God knows taht you are praying? I’ve never understood this…
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Well, you’re praying what you’re reading. You have to mean every word of it, otherwise, it’s not a prayer, it’s something you’re reading or a set of memorized words, that’s the key thing to remember. Also, prewritten prayers can be helpful. If you know what you want to pray, but you just don’t know how to say it, a good way is to get somethink like a prayerbook and pray a prayer from there.
 
While it is not quite what one would call a prayer, I am involved in memorizing the Matthew Gospel. So far, I’ve gotten more or less through Chapter 23 (of 28).

I have a good mind for memorization and I find that this exercise, if not exactly in line with building a prayer life, at least an antidote for my mind rusting away from disuse.

It certainly has opened my eyes to my spiritual defects, and given me a different perspective on what Christ taught.
 
my prayer begins and ends with scripture, I pray the liturgy of the hours daily, based on psalms, canticles and readings from scripture, prayed with the universal church. my rosary is of course an extended meditation on the gospels, with Mary as my guide. lectio divina, reflection and meditation on the daily mass readings is an hour of prayer with scripture that ends in a period of contemplation, which is a time without conscious words or thoughts, that I cannot describe but that I know is profound prayer.
 
My day begins with Morning Pray (Lauds) and the mass. After that it’s the remainder of the Liturgy or the Hours at the appropriate times, the rosary and usually the Office of Readings. I will inject mental prayers periodically during work.

BakerBob
 
I posted this question once, because I was afraid that my spontaneous rambling casual language prayer was somehow not good enough. Many of you encouraged me to continue this way, and I thank you for the support.

I talk to God almost every free moment I have. It’s very casual, no “thee’s” or “thou’s” or fancy language. I do love to occasionally read those types of prayers, because the language can be beautiful.

I especially love the Angelus, the line: “Be it done unto me according to your word.”

Perhaps these are among the bravest words ever spoken.

On a fun note, one of my favorite little prayers is: Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth!" :whacky:
 
I pray the way Jesus taught us;
The Our Father
Don’t pray in public before men like the Pharasees.

I also say the prayer of St. Francis.
 
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