Prayer in the Christian Life

"Great is the mystery of the faith!" The Church professes this mystery in the Apostles' Creed (Part One) and celebrates it in the sacramental liturgy (Part Two), so that the life of the faithful may be conformed to Christ in the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Part Three). This mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer.

Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶2558

What is prayer?

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.

St. Therese of Lisieux

Prayer
The voluntary response to the awareness of God's presence. This response may be an acknowledgment of God's greatness and of a person's total dependence on him (adoration), or gratitude for his benefits to oneself and others (thanksgiving), or sorrow for sins committed and begging for mercy (expiation), or asking for graces needed (petition), or affection for God, who is all good (love).

Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary
© Eternal Life

Why pray?

The simple answer is because you love God and believe that He is Father Almighty. If you love God and believe that He is powerful enough to create the heavens and the earth, why would you not want to get to know him better and have him help you in your daily life? Just remember that prayer is supposed to be a two-way dialogue. You talk to God, and you allow God to speak to you.

Are there different ways to pray?

"How to pray? This is a simple matter. I would say: Pray any way you like, so long as you do pray. You can pray the way your mother taught you; you can use a prayer book. Sometimes it takes courage to pray; but it is possible to pray, and necessary to pray. Whether from memory or a book or just in thought, it is all the same."

John Paul II, The Way of Prayer
Crossroad Publishing Co. (1995)

The Christian tradition comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. They have in common the recollection of the heart.

Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶2721

Vocal prayer, founded on the union of body and soul in human nature, associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart, following Christ's example of praying to his Father and teaching the Our Father to his disciples.

Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶2722

Meditation is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. Its goal is to make our own in faith the subject considered, by confronting it with the reality of our own life.

Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶2723

Contemplative prayer is the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery.

Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶2724

Definitely, there are different ways to pray. And, they are all effective so long as we have a loving, prayerful disposition.

A prayerful disposition is something you may pray to obtain. It can be a very simple petition…God knows what we want and need. Here are some examples:

Heavenly Father, I want to spend some time with you now, please be with me.

Jesus, you loved me so much that you gave your life that I may have everlasting life. Please share this time of prayer with me.

Holy Spirit, please fill my heart and mind with your love and grace while I pray.

Prayer of Quiet

A peaceful internal repose by which the soul is captivated by the divine presence. It is the result of contemplative love and is a fruit of the gift of wisdom. During the prayer of quiet the mind is specially enlightened by divine grace and a spiritual delight pervades the whole person. Although the lower faculties and senses are free to exercise their natural activities, God makes himself felt in the subtle part of the soul obscurely as the Great Reality. At first this prayer is of short duration. Under the influence of grace it becomes longer and may eventually become habitual.

Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary
© Eternal Life

Prayer of Union

A most intimate union of the soul with God, accompanied by a certitude of his presence within the soul and a suspension of all interior faculties. With this prayer there is an absence of distractions because the soul is entirely absorbed in God. There is no fatigue, no matter how long the union may last, because no personal effort is involved, but rather an extraordinary experience of joy. The soul is left with an ardent zeal to glorify God; complete detachment from all created things; perfect submission to God's will; and great charity for one's neighbor.

Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary
© Eternal Life

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is divided into four parts. The fourth part is devoted to prayer and the prayer life of Christians. This gives a strong indication of the importance of prayer.

Part Four of the Catechism on prayer is available online. It will be well worth your time to read and study it.