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 out 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. -Why a “No” instead of a “Yes?” -Can it be helpful? - 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.

Prayer is the “living relationship with the Father, with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit.” -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.

Spontaneous Prayer Own words and share our thoughts and feelings with God. Uses: Praise him, ask him, or to express our fear, sorrow, joy, or gratitude.

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

Petition or supplication ask God for favors.

Thanksgiving express our gratitude to God for everything he has given us. The Eucharist means thanksgiving.

Contrition is a type of petition prayer. We ask God to forgive us for our sins. We also express our sorrow or regret for doing what is wrong.

Intercession are those that we ask on behalf of others. Saints and Intercession

GROUPS

There are many expressions of prayer. Christians have always had a variety of ways to express our response to God. Vocal or Spoken Prayer Meditation Mental Prayer Contemplation

Jesus teaches us how to pray. Times when Jesus prayed:

Jesus set aside time to pray. Baptism - went into the desert for a forty day retreat -He was tempted by the devil, and his prayer sustained him.

Before selecting his Apostles, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer, knowing how important a step he was about to take.

After performing his first miracles of healing and the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, Jesus withdrew from the crowds to pray.

The night before Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, Jesus could be found praying.

Jesus had gone up to the top of a mountain to pray, when he was Transfigured and Moses and Elijah appeared with him.

After the Last Supper, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to be spared the torture and death he saw before him.

Jesus prayed as a Jew. He celebrated religious festivals: such as Passover, and participated in Sabbath services. The Shema (“Hear”), confessed the belief that God is one: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one. 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. - Apostles after the Last Supper. - Jesus even quoted Psalm 22 - “My God, my God…”

Pray with sincerity. Pray with childlike simplicity. Pray with persistence. Pray with faith. Pray with others. Pray with a forgiving heart.

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

Where, When, and How to Pray We can pray anywhere. Key: Slow down and relax. Focus= God A chapel, your bedroom, a quiet place in a park—all can be good places to pray.

Where, When, and How to Pray Tip: 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 Tense or Distracted? Prayer requires that we are both alert and relaxed. Relaxation techniques and appropriate body posture can be important to effective prayer. -No “feeling” present? That’s ok. It’s a start. -Prayer often requires perseverance -Resist the temptation that prayer is silly or a waste of time.

Where, When, and How to Pray FOCUS ON: 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 The saints can be an example to us for how to pray. Prayer is essential / required to having a good relationship with God. Many saints also wrote reflections about their own prayer experiences that can be useful to us. St. Maria Goretti St. Aloysius Gonzaga St. Therese of Lisieux St. Ignatius Loyola