The document discusses the nature and types of prayer. It defines prayer as speaking and listening to God and desiring to be united with God and do his will. The principal activities of prayer are described as adoration, thanksgiving, repentance, and intercession/petition. The document outlines different forms of prayer including vocal, liturgical, meditative, and contemplative prayer and discusses difficulties in prayer and how to overcome them. Regular prayer, scripture, devotionals, and the saints are presented as aids to developing an effective prayer life.

1. The Life
of Prayer

2. What is Prayer?
The Virgin in Prayer by Sassoferrato

3. What is Prayer?
Prayer is speaking and
listening to God
and desiring to be
united with God and
to do his will.
KEY DEFINITION

5. Mary’s hands
are joined in a
traditional posture
of prayer.
Mary’s eyes
One eye is overshadowed in
contemplation of God; the other
looks down in intercession
towards her children.
Mary’s face
The beauty of her
countenance reflects
her inner loveliness
and teaches us that by
means of prayer we
come to shine with the
splendour of God.
Mary’s bowed head
indicates submission to
the will of the Father.

6. Why do we pray to God?
The Angelus by Jean-Francois Millet

7. Why do we pray to God?
• We pray because he is God. It is
therefore right to adore him,
thank him and repent before him.
• We also pray because he listens to
our prayers and will act on our
behalf when we pray.
• We also pray to come to know
God personally and this is our
greatest happiness.

8. The principal activities of prayer
The Mystic Lamb by Jan van Eyck

9. The principal activities of prayer
The Nativity by Fra Angelico
Christian prayer
involves one or more
of the following
actions before God.

10. Adoration
An act offered to God, such
as a psalm of praise or a
sacrifice, which acknowledges
his supreme perfection and
our dependence.
The principal activities of prayer

11. Thanksgiving
An expression of gratitude to
God for his bounty in
satisfying our general or
particular needs and especially
for his gift of grace.
The principal activities of prayer
The Annunciation by Fra Angelico

12. Repentance
A recognition of the wrong we
have done to God by sin, a
detestation of the evil effects
of sin and a desire to turn
from evil and do good.
The principal activities of prayer
The Return of the Prodigal Son
by Rembrandt

13. Petition and Intercession
The asking of proper gifts or
graces from God, such as
material, moral and spiritual
goods and protection or rescue
from evils.
Petition is for oneself;
intercession is for others.
The principal activities of prayer
St Monica Praying For Augustine
by Gozzoli

14. Mistaken ideas about prayer
The Light of the World by Holman Hunt
This reminds us that prayer is a real and personal encounter with God.

15. Is prayer just in the mind?
Prayer is not just in the mind. God
acts when we pray and frequently
causes miraculous changes in
ourselves and in the world.
Mistaken ideas about prayer

16. Does prayer seek a mental void?
Prayer is not a mental exercise to
empty the mind, as in Zen Buddhism
or yoga. Prayer always has God and
the things of God as its focus.
Mistaken ideas about prayer

17. Is prayer just a technique?
Prayer is never a ritual technique like
magic, simply seeking power or other
benefits. Christian prayer leads to the
knowledge and love of God.
Mistaken ideas about prayer

18. Summary
Questions
to reinforce
key points
Discussion
questions
Practical
activities
Presentation Part II
Summary Activities I
Please select an activity or go immediately
to part II of the presentation

19. Summary
Activities Menu Presentation Part II
• Prayer is speaking and listening to God
and desiring to be united with God
and to do his will.
• We pray because it is right to adore God,
to thank him and repent before him. We
also pray because he hears our prayers
and because to know God personally is
our greatest happiness.
• The principal activities of prayer are
adoration, thanksgiving, repentance and
intercession/petition.

20. Questions to reinforce key points
Thinking of God
Thinking of the things of God
Speaking to God
Listening to God
Desiring to be united with God
Desiring to do God’s will
What are the key points of the definition of prayer?
Activities Menu Presentation Part II
1
Click on a box to reveal one
of the answers
2
3
4
5
6

21. Discussion questions
Activities Menu Presentation Part II
• Discuss why it is important for
every Christian to pray.
• Discuss some personal
experiences of prayer and, in
particular, any ways in which
prayer has been fruitful.
Select one or more of the following

22. Practical activities
Activities Menu Presentation Part II
• Choose one of the psalms and
note how the themes of the
psalm relate to the principal
activities of prayer: adoration;
thanksgiving; repentance;
intercession/petition.
• Visit a church and spend some
quiet time in prayer before the
Blessed Sacrament.
Select one or more of the following

23. How Do We Pray?
The Meditative Prayer of St Dominic by Fra Angelico

25. Scriptures
This shows that the
Scriptures are a
primary source of
Christian prayer.
The star
indicates that God is
inspiring
St Dominic. Prayer
is not simply his
own thinking.
Meditative
prayer
The position of
St Dominic’s right
hand suggests that
he is pondering holy
thoughts.
The halo
indicates sanctity,
the fruit of prayer.

26. Vocal prayer
The mental activity of prayer
joined to the physical one of
words and gestures.
Examples are the Our Father,
the Hail Mary, the Sign of the
Cross, the Angelus and grace
before meals.
How Do We Pray?

27. Meditative prayer
Mental conversation with God
often facilitated through
Scripture, other holy writings
and images that reveal him
and his works.
How Do We Pray?

28. Liturgical prayer
The official and public prayer
of the Church, such as the
Mass or the Divine Office.
Liturgical prayer involves the
Church as a whole rather than
individual Christians alone.
How Do We Pray?

29. Contemplative prayer
A simple and loving
apprehension of God or divine
things brought about by the
Holy Spirit and the growth of
his gifts in our souls.
How Do We Pray?

30. Difficulties in prayer and their remedies
Detail from The Agony in the Garden by Giovanni Bellini
Jesus said to his disciples, “Could you not watch with me one hour?”

31. Difficulties in prayer and their remedies
Prayer is not easy; the
Catechism sometimes refers
to the ‘battle of prayer’.
(ccc. 2752)
The Fall of the Rebel Angels by Bruegel

32. Difficulties in prayer and their remedies
DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER AND THEIR REMEDIES
 No time
Put aside time for prayer anyway.
God will give our time back to us
and will give success to all our
good activities.

33. Difficulties in prayer and their remedies
DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER AND THEIR REMEDIES
 Boredom
Persevere, turn back to God and
perhaps try another kind of
prayer. Learn more about what
prayer means.

34. Difficulties in prayer and their remedies
DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER AND THEIR REMEDIES
 Distraction
Avoid distracting places and
times, but do not be too anxious
about failure. God knows and
rewards our efforts.

35. Difficulties in prayer and their remedies
DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER AND THEIR REMEDIES
 Dryness
Do not make feelings the
measure of success. God blesses
those who pray even when they
do not feel like praying.

36. Difficulties in prayer and their remedies
DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER AND THEIR REMEDIES
 No answers
Persist and ask God to reveal his
will. Sometimes he wants to give
us something other than we have
asked for.

37. What can help us to pray?

38. What can help us to pray?
A regular time for prayer
each day is a great help in
being faithful to the life of
prayer.
It is also helpful to find a
holy place, such as a church,
or to set up a place of prayer
in one’s own home.

39. What can help us to pray?
A Bible, Christian prayer
books and devotional objects,
such as holy pictures, a rosary
and a crucifix, may also be of
direct use in prayer.
Such objects may also
help indirectly by assisting in
establishing a holy place
for prayer.

40. Who can help us to pray?

41. Who can help us to pray?
Christians pray by means
of the Holy Spirit whose
help we should always
seek in prayer.
(Rom 8:26)

42. Who can help us to pray?
We can also ask the saints
to aid us with their
prayers. In particular, we
can ask our most powerful
intercessor, Mary, mother
of all Christians, to pray
for us and with us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

43. Summary
Questions
to reinforce
key points
Discussion
questions
Practical
activities
Summary Activities II
Please select an activity or go immediately
to the final summary and prayer
Concluding Prayer

44. Summary
Activities Menu
• The four main forms of prayer are:
vocal prayer; liturgical prayer; meditative
prayer; contemplative prayer.
• A regular time for prayer each day is a
great help. Other aids to prayer include
a Bible, Christian prayer books and
devotional objects, such as holy
pictures, a rosary and a crucifix.
• We should also rely on the help of the
Holy Spirit to pray and to ask the
intercession of Mary and the saints.
Concluding Prayer

45. Questions to reinforce key points
Vocal prayer
Meditative prayer
Liturgical prayer
Contemplative prayer
What are the main categories of prayer?
Activities Menu Concluding Prayer
1
2
3
4
Click on a box to reveal one
of the answers

46. Discussion questions
Activities Menu
• Discuss the difficulties that can
be faced in prayer and how we
can overcome them.
• Discuss some personal
experiences of the different
forms prayer: vocal; liturgical;
meditative; contemplative.
Select one or more of the following:
Concluding Prayer

47. Practical activities
Activities Menu
• Choose a passage of Scripture.
Read it out and then spend a
few minutes in meditative
prayer on the passage.
• Present to the group some of
the objects that have aided
you in prayer such as holy
pictures, a rosary or a crucifix.
Select one or more of the following
Concluding Prayer

48. Final Prayer
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the Hearts of your
faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love,
send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and
you shall renew the face of the earth.
Amen.