Chapter 10 Jesus Teaches Us to Pray Ave

Chapter 10: Jesus Teaches Us to Pray ©Ave Maria Press

Prayer Means Talking and Listening to God Since prayer is a conversation with God, the communication must go both ways.

Prayer is a conversation with God. It involves lifting of one’s mind and heart to enter into that communication. When we pray, we should realize that, since it is a real conversation, God’s answer to our prayer might be “yes. ” But of God’s wisdom and love for us, the answer might be “no. ”

We must also realize that God answers prayer in his time, not ours. An answer of “no” might close one door, but open another. Also, what we request might not be the right thing for us right now, but at some time in our future it will be. We must trust in God’s infinite wisdom as we do in his infinite love.

Prayer Is God’s Gift to Us The Holy Spirit enables us to pray to God the Father. We can pray because God approaches us first.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that prayer is the “living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit. ” Just as human friendships thrive on dialogue, prayer deepens our friendship with God and gives us the strength to live according to his plan for us.

There are many different ways to talk to God.

When we talk to God in everyday language about what is important to us, this is called spontaneous prayer. We can use our own words, and share our thoughts and feelings with God. It may be to praise him, to ask him for what is good, or to express our fear, sorrow, joy, or gratitude.

Prayers of praise acknowledge God and his goodness, and glorify him for who he is.

Prayers of petition ask God for favors. Another name for this is supplication. Jesus himself tells us to ask God for what we need.

Prayers of thanksgiving express our gratitude to God for everything he has given us. Not only is God responsible for giving us everything we have, including our very life, but we should also be thankful for his gift of salvation. The Eucharist is the greatest prayer of thanksgiving.

Contrition is a type of petition prayer. We ask our merciful Father to forgive us for our sins. In prayers of contrition, we also express our sorrow or regret for doing what is wrong.

Prayers of intercession are those that we ask on behalf of others. Praying for others is a good example of Christian mercy and love in action. It also follows the example of the saints in heaven, who pray for us.

There also many ways to listen when we pray. We need quiet time and space in order to hear God “speaking” to us. God might answer us through the beauty of his creation, or he might send a person into our lives who will bear his message. God can also speak to us in our dreams or thoughts that arrive as “inspiration”—coming not from our own making, but from God’s. The key to hearing the Lord is to be still and let him speak. When we are open to God’s answers for us, the real encounter with him can take place.

There are many expressions of prayer. Christians have always had a variety of ways to express our response to God. Vocal or Spoken Prayer When we express our prayer feelings in words, we are doing what Jesus often did. Speaking our prayers aloud with family or at Mass, we strengthen our relationship with our brothers and sisters as well as with God.

There are many expressions of prayer. Christians have always had a variety of ways to express our response to God. Meditation This is a form of prayer where the mind and imagination focus on Christ or part of God’s revelation with the purpose of applying what we learn from this prayer to our lives.

There are many expressions of prayer. Christians have always had a variety of ways to express our response to God. Mental Prayer This kind of prayer usually focuses on Jesus. In our minds, we talk with him or reflect on one of the mysteries of his life. When we focus on his suffering and death, imagining how hard and painful it must have been for him, we are engaging in this kind of prayer.

There are many expressions of prayer. Christians have always had a variety of ways to express our response to God. Contemplation This is a silent wordless prayer in which we allow our mind and heart to rest in God’s goodness and majesty. When praying this way, we empty our minds of thoughts and images, and allow God’s presence to fill us.

Jesus Is Our Best Guide to Prayer We can learn everything we need to know about prayer from Jesus.

Jesus should be our model for prayer. Also, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus prays alongside of us. We should look to Jesus for an example of how to pray, and what to pray for.

Jesus set aside time to pray. Some of those times were of special importance to his life and ministry. After his baptism by John in the Jordan River, Jesus went into the desert for a forty day retreat to pray before beginning his public ministry. It was during this time that he was tempted by the devil, and his prayer sustained him.

Jesus set aside time to pray. Some of those times were of special importance to his life and ministry. Before selecting his Apostles, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer, knowing how important a step he was about to take.

Jesus set aside time to pray. Some of those times were of special importance to his life and ministry. After performing his first miracles of healing and the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, Jesus withdrew from the crowds to pray.

Jesus set aside time to pray. Some of those times were of special importance to his life and ministry. The night before Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Lord could be found praying.

Jesus set aside time to pray. Some of those times were of special importance to his life and ministry. Jesus had gone up to the top of a mountain to pray, when he was Transfigured and Moses and Elijah appeared with him.

Jesus set aside time to pray. Some of those times were of special importance to his life and ministry. After the Last Supper, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to be spared the torture and death he saw before him.

Jesus also prayed as a faithful Jew. He celebrated religious festivals, such as Passover, which always centered around prayer. He participated in synagogue services each Sabbath, and would have joined in the major prayers recited there. The Shema (“Hear”), confessed the belief that God is one: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one. The Jewish Eighteen Benedictions asked God for wisdom, forgiveness, and help. The Kaddish asked that people hallow and glorify God’s name throughout the world, and that God would fully establish his kingdom soon.

Jesus frequently recited from the Bible’s prayer book: the Psalms. Jesus sang the Psalms during worship services in the Temple in Jerusalem. He sang them with his Apostles after the Last Supper. Jesus even quoted Psalm 22 (a prayer that begins with lament of abandonment, but ends with confident faith that God will rescue the innocent) as he was dying on the cross.

From the teaching and example of Jesus, we receive instructions on how to pray. Pray with sincerity. Jesus spoke out against prideful displays of religiosity. He told his followers to go to a private place and pray to the Father in secret. We should not take this advice to mean that we are hiding something when we pray, but that we focus on our communication with God rather than what others will see. This helps us to purify our motives for prayer.

From the teaching and example of Jesus, we receive instructions on how to pray. Pray with childlike simplicity. God can read our hearts as well as our lips, so elaborate multiplication of words is not necessary for effective prayer. We should pray with the confidence of little children approaching their loving Father.

From the teaching and example of Jesus, we receive instructions on how to pray. Pray with persistence. Jesus told his disciples to ask, knock, and seek— always expecting an answer from our loving Father. Jesus told a parable about an unjust judge and a persistent widow to underscore the importance of persistence in prayer. We should pray without giving up. How much more will a loving God respond to our persistence, if a widow can receive justice through refusing to give up?

From the teaching and example of Jesus, we receive instructions on how to pray. Pray with faith. Jesus used images his disciples would have thought to be impossible to illustrate the importance of trusting that God will answer our prayers—like moving mountains by our faith. Jesus’ message still applies to us today. We must trust in our loving God, and have faith that he will respond to our prayer by giving us all that we need.

From the teaching and example of Jesus, we receive instructions on how to pray. Pray with others. In addition to praying to our heavenly Father in secret, Jesus also urged his disciples to know that praying with others is important. He said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. ” When we gather together for Mass, we bring Christ’s presence alive—both in the Eucharist, and in the community of believers.

From the teaching and example of Jesus, we receive instructions on how to pray. Pray with a forgiving heart. Jesus instructed his disciples to approach God with a calm and loving spirit. Specifically, if they had a grievance with someone, they were to settle it and approach God after forgiving the offender. This is still important advice for us today. Our hearts and minds cannot properly focus on God if they are full of malice against one of his children.

The Lord’s Prayer The most familiar instructions we have from Jesus about prayer are contained in the words of the Our Father.

Our Father Who Art in Heaven Jesus invites us to address God as “Our Father”—in Hebrew: Abba, or “Daddy. ” God is our Father—which means we are all brothers and sisters. We must treat each other with compassion, understanding, and love. God’s transcendence is brought into focus by the phrase “in heaven. ”

Hallowed Be Thy Name God YHWH Father We pray that all people will recognize that God is holy, and respond to his name with reverence and awe. As Christians, we help to make God’s name holy by acting as true followers of his Son.

Thy Kingdom Come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven With the coming of Christ, God’s kingdom has broken into our world. But it will only be here in its fullness at the end of the world. Until then, we work toward the righteousness and peace it will bring, and pray for Christ’s return.

Give Us This Day, Our Daily Bread Asking God to give us our daily bread symbolizes all our material needs, which are fulfilled by God’s good gifts. We also receive the spiritual necessity of our daily bread in the Eucharist, which Christ gives us for everlasting life.

And Forgive Us Our Trespasses, as We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us We recognize that we are sinners, and we need God’s forgiveness. We also respond to Jesus’ teaching that for God’s forgiveness to penetrate our hearts, we must in turn, forgive others who sin against us.

And Lead Us Not into Temptation We ask God to preserve us from falling into a life of sin. We trust the Holy Spirit to bestow gifts of fortitude, watchfulness, and perseverance upon us, so that we may lives pleasing to God. This petition also calls us to eliminate conditions in the world that lead others into sin—violence, selfishness, pornography, and other influences that reduce people to subhuman objects.

But Deliver Us from Evil We pray that God will protect us from the evil of accidents, illness, and natural disaster—but especially to preserve us from spiritual evil. We pray to remain safe from the power of Satan and share in the victory Christ has already won over him. We await the Second Coming of Christ, or Parousia, when Christ returns at the end of the world, and we will be forever free from the snares of the devil.

Amen When we say “Amen” at the end of a prayer, we are indicating that we believe everything we just said. The word means “I agree” or “I believe, ” and attests that we have said this prayer with personal conviction.

A Prayer Primer We pray to God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We also pray in union with Mary and the other saints of heaven.

The Sign of the Cross identifies to whom we pray. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Jesus Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

The Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.

Where, When, and How to Pray We can pray anywhere, but it is good to find a special place where we can slow down and relax, so we can focus our attention on God. A school chapel, your bedroom, a quiet place in a park—all can be good places to pray.

Where, When, and How to Pray Any time of day is a good time for prayer if it works for you. It is beneficial to set aside a specific time so that you can develop the habit of prayer. In the morning, before bedtime, at a break in the day—any time is good if you are able to approach prayer properly at that time.

Where, When, and How to Pray It is hard to pray when we are tense or distracted. Prayer requires that we are both alert and relaxed. Relaxation techniques and appropriate body posture can be important to effective prayer. We must not be discouraged by not “feeling” an immediate result from praying. Prayer often requires perseverance, as Jesus pointed out with his parable of the widow and the unjust judge. Resist the temptation from Satan to conclude that prayer is silly or a waste of time.

Where, When, and How to Pray Distractions in prayer can be caused by a wandering mind, an overactive imagination, or external noises. One way to overcome distractions is to focus on an object that points us toward God—like a crucifix, a lit candle, or a holy picture. A prayer phrase that we repeat, like “Abba, ” or “Savior, ” or “Jesus help me, ” can also help us to refocus our attention on God.

Where, When, and How to Pray St. Maria Goretti St. Aloysius Gonzaga St. Therese of Lisieux St. Ignatius Loyola The saints can be an example to us for how to pray. They understand how important prayer is to having a good relationship with God, so we should try to follow their lead when it comes to praying. Many saints also wrote reflections about their own prayer experiences that can be useful to us.

Living the Mission After studying the life and teaching of Jesus, the responsibility of all Christians is to share the Gospel with others.

Remember Jesus’ final words to his disciples in the Great Commission: “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. ”