Prayer is communication with God that Christians can engage in anywhere and anytime through asking, thanking, or questioning. Personal prayer involves individual communication with God, public prayer gathers Christians together for group prayer, meditative prayer focuses quietly on God, and vigils involve nighttime prayer. Christians pray in different ways to know God and understand why prayer is important for their faith.

1. Christian Prayer Aim: To know what prayer is and to understand why it is important for Christians

2. What is Prayer? Prayer is communication with God. Christians can pray anywhere at anytime. It can be asking God for something, thanking God or just asking Him a question. Prayer does not need to be formal it can be like chatting to a friend.

4. Personal Prayer Personal Prayer is when Christians pray on their own. God will hear them and answer them when they pray in this way. Christians may pray aloud or they may pray silently.

5. Public Prayer Christians will often come together to pray. They will normally meet at their local church but it could take place anywhere. Jesus said that when Christians agree to pray together about something, God hears and answers.

6. Meditative Prayer During meditative prayer Christians will sit quietly, normally alone, and focus on God. Some Christians will use words of the Bible to help them concentrate their mind on God.

7. Vigils Vigils are night prayers. Jesus would often pray at night. Christians like to pray at night because it is quiet and peaceful. Churches may organise a vigil if it is a special time in the Church year or if they are praying for something very important. Often if someone is harmed in their community there may be a vigil.

8. Task Christians believe that prayer is important. Write a letter to Alan the Alien explaining what prayer is and different ways in which Christians can pray. Alan really needs to know why Christians pray too!