How to pray please help

[JillianRose]

Hello-

When I pray for the repose of a soul,I feel stupid. What do I pray? What do I ask of our Lord? How do I know the person is in purgatory? IF not, are my prayers transferable to another soul? How do I know when to stop?

Love,
Me

 

[the_phoenix]

Eternal rest, grant unto them O Lord (him/her)
and let perpetual light shine upon them (him/her).

May they rest in peace. Amen. (he/she)

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, (his/her)
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

A prayer said for a soul in purgatory is never wasted. If the prayer is not applied to the person you’re praying for, that prayer will go to help someone else.

 

[Christy_Beth]

Think of prayer as a way to talk to your dad. He’s our Father, and He wants us to ask for what we need and all that. To this end, there are formal prayers we can follow, then there are the casual prayers that come from our heart. The “casual” prayers can be ongoing. In 1 Thess. 4:17 it says to “pray without ceasing.” As things and people come to mind, pray for them. It doesn’t have to be a formula prayer, just whatever comes to mind, as long as it’s decent. I believe you have a sincere heart, God knows what’s there, and He wants to share it with you.