FORMS OF PRAYER


BLESSING & ADORATION  (CCC 2626-28)

  • Expresses the basic movement of Christian prayer
  • It is an encounter between God & man
  • In blessing, God’s gift and man’s acceptance of this gift are united in dialogue to one another
  • Prayer of blessing is man’s response to God’s gifts
  • God gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit to continue to bless us
  • Adoration is the first attitude of a person acknowledging they are a creature standing before their Creator
  • Our way to show homage to our Creator and King in respectful silence


PRAYER OF PETITION OR SUPPLICATION (CCC 2629-33)

  • Form of prayer many of us are most familiar and comfortable with
  • By prayer of petition we express awareness of our relationship with God
  • We are sinners and prayer of petition is already a turning back to Him and away from sin
  • Asking God to hear and answer our prayer
  • Begin by asking forgiveness
  • Petition is centered on a desire and search for the Kingdom to come
  • We understand that every need can become the object of petition when we share in God’s saving love


PRAYER OF INTERCESSION (CCC 2634-36)

  • “Leads us to pray as Jesus did”—we learn to pray as Christ did; praying for those most in need
  • Christ interceded with the Father for all, especially for sinners, we too can intercede for others to draw them closer to Christ
  • Asking for the needs of others, even those who may have done us harm


PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING (CCC 2637-38)

  • Gratitude for all circumstances we have been given
  • The prayer of the Church that we celebrate in the Eucharist
  • Every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving
  • In thanksgiving we offer our thanks to God, as our response to God for all God has given each of us


PRAYER OF PRAISE (CCC 2639-43)This form recognizes that God is God, and acknowledges that God is who God is.

  • Gives us a chance to share in the blessed happiness with all those who love God for who God is in faith before seeing God in glory
  • Embraces all the other forms of prayer and leads our prayers to our source and goal: “the one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist”
  • First, we must praise and acknowledge there is one, true God, before we can ever speak to God in prayer