1. Prayer as Adoration and Blessing / -Blessing:this type of prayer calls down God’s blessing upon us
-from God alone all blessings flow
- “May God Bless you” or “God Bless you” is the shortest prayer of blessing
- every Christian should call down God’s blessing
- a priest will bless you in the name of Jesus
- Adoration: God is our Creator and we as His creatures humbly adore and honour Him.
- we kneel before God to express how He is great and we are little
2. Prayer of Petition
/ - Although God knows all of our needs, God wants us to call upon Him, to turn to Him, and ask for His assistance
-Jesus tells us “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
- someone who does not turn to God shuts themselves off from God
- prayer of petition brings a person into a relationship with God
3. Prayer of Thanksgiving
/ - everything we have comes from God thus we must thank Him for all we have received
- the greatest prayer of thanks: Eucharist (“thanksgiving” in Greek). Jesus takes the bread and wine and offers them to God on behalf of all creation
- we can express our gratitude to God in various ways
4. Prayer of Praise / - God needs no applause however we need to express the rejoice we feel in our hearts
- We praise God simply because He exists and is good
- when we praise God we join in the eternal praise of the angels and saints of heaven
5. Prayer of Intercession
/ - this is the act of praying for others
- Jesus prayed for His disciples and the early Christian community looked “not only to their own interest, but to the interest of others”
- we are called to pray for: people we love, people we may not be closed to, and even our enemies
- we stand in the midst of the family of mankind and we may receive strength from the prayers of others and may call down divine assistance for others.
Positions of Prayer
- Standing: one stands in reverence or respect of God’s presence, just as you stand when a superior enters. It represents readiness and watchfulness.
- Sitting: one may sit in God’s presence to listen and ponder God’s Word
- Kneeling/ Genuflect: by kneeling one makes themselves small in the presence of God’s greatness.
- Prostrating: one adores God, they cast themselves down before God
- Folding of the Hands: by folding their hands one overcomes their distractions, this is the original gesture of petition.
- Orante: this is when one’s hands are outstretched