Forms of Prayer

We fail when we try to obey God in our own power.  We were never called to live this supernatural life by natural means!

In Fr Peter John Calmeron’s book, Lord, Teach Us To Pray, he writes:

Prayer purifies and refines our life as it filters out the distractions, deceptions, and delusions of the world.  Prayer alerts us that we are not alone in this life of faith. For prayer not only draws us close to God, but it unites us to every other holy one who loves God as we do.  Prayer gently reminds us God can never be reached by thoughts alone.  It is only through lived love that God can be reached.  We need the embrace of prayer to find the truth and happiness for which we never stop searching.

The mysterious encounter of prayer takes five basic forms: 

1. Adoration exalts the greatness of God, the Creator and Sustainer, in the spirit of humility and homage.  The gracious generosity of God compels us to bless the One who remains the source of every blessing in life.
2. Petition acknowledges our dependency on God the Father, especially as it prompts us to turn back to Him in a spirit of repentance and contrition, asking for forgiveness.
3. Intercession is prayer through which we entrust ourselves to God’s mercy, especially by placing before the Father the concerns of others in need.
4. Thanksgiving is prayer that gives voice to the gratitude that befits every mature and honest person, especially as it calls to mind the redeeming deeds of Jesus that saved us and set us free.
5. Praise, as the Catechism explains, “lauds God for His own sake and gives Him glory, quite beyond what He does, but simply because He is.”

In short, these five different forms of prayer enable us to love God for what He has created, for His compassionate mercy, for His presence and assistance in our lives, for His redemptive tenderness, and for God Himself.

NEVER forget the power of prayer, for it is the very foundation that enables us to go from faith to faith and glory to glory!