Christianity: Worship and Practice » Christian Prayer and the Lord's Prayer

What is prayer?

Prayer is talking and listening to God. Almost all Christians pray, but they do not all pray in the same way. Some use words written long ago, some make up their own words, and some use no words at all. The last lesson looked at whole services. This lesson looks at prayer itself.

Key terms:

• Prayer: communicating with God, by speaking, listening or sitting in silence.
• Lord's Prayer: the prayer Jesus taught his followers (Matthew 6:9-13).
• Set (formulaic) prayer: a prayer with fixed words, written down and said again and again.
• Informal prayer: prayer in a person's own words, also called extempore prayer.
• Private prayer: prayer done alone, away from other people.
• Rosary: a string of beads that Catholics use to count a series of set prayers.
• Meditation: thinking quietly and deeply about God or about a Bible passage.

The purposes of prayer

Christians pray for several reasons. Many remember four main purposes.

The Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer is the best known Christian prayer. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives it as a model for how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13). Almost all Christians use it, in church services and in private. Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Free Church Christians all say it, though the wording and the ending differ a little between churches. Many Protestant churches add a closing line, 'For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours', but the Catholic form of the prayer does not include it.

Here is what each part asks:

• 'Our Father in heaven': God is a loving parent who cares for everyone. 'Our' shows that Christians pray as one family.
• 'Hallowed be your name': may God's name be kept holy and treated with respect. This is adoration.
• 'Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven': a request that God's rule and God's plan are followed everywhere, and that people live as God wants.
• 'Give us today our daily bread': a request for the things people need to live, such as food. Christians ask for what they need today, not for riches.
• 'Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us': asks for God's forgiveness and promises to forgive other people. This is confession.
• 'Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil': asks God to keep believers away from wrongdoing and to protect them from harm.

Because the words are fixed, the Lord's Prayer is also a set prayer. Saying it together shows the unity of Christians, because millions of people say the same words around the world.

Set prayers

Set prayers are written down and said word for word. Examples are the prayers in a prayer book, such as the Book of Common Prayer, and the Lord's Prayer. For Catholics, other examples are the Hail Mary and the rosary.

• The Hail Mary: uses the greetings to Mary in Luke 1:28 and 1:42 and asks Mary to pray for sinners. Catholics and Orthodox Christians honour Mary as the mother of Jesus. Most Protestants do not pray to Mary.
• The rosary: Catholics hold the beads and say the Hail Mary in groups of ten, with the Lord's Prayer between the groups. While they pray, they think about events in the life of Jesus and Mary. The beads help them keep count and stay focused.

Strengths of set prayers: they help when you do not know what to say, for example when you are upset or ill. They unite believers who say the same words. They are carefully worded and have been used by generations of Christians. Children and new Christians can learn them by heart.

Informal prayer

Informal prayer is in the person's own words. It may be said in church, in a house group or alone. Many Free Church Christians, such as Baptists and Pentecostals, put informal prayer at the centre of worship. They say it shows a close, personal relationship with God, like talking to a friend. It can fit the exact situation, such as thanking God for a new baby or asking for help with a worry. Jesus warned against piling up empty words as if God must be persuaded (Matthew 6:7), and some Christians use this to support simple prayers that come from the heart.

Private prayer, meditation and silence

Jesus said to pray alone, in your room, with the door shut (Matthew 6:6). This is private prayer, and it can be spoken quietly or said only in the mind. It lets a Christian be honest about worries and sins, and it does not depend on being at church. Many Christians also practise meditation, for example by thinking about a Bible verse, and silence, which gives them a chance to listen for God. Catholic and Orthodox Christians may also pray quietly in front of an icon or a crucifix.

When is each type used, and why?

• Lord's Prayer and other set prayers: in services, at weddings and funerals, and at bedtime or before meals. Everyone knows the words, so they can join in together.
• Informal prayer: in small groups, in youth groups and when something specific is happening, such as a bereavement, a new job or a world event.
• Private prayer: every day, and especially in times of worry, decision or grief, when a person wants to be honest with God alone.

Which type is most valuable?

Some Christians, such as many Free Church Christians, say that private prayer is the most important, because it builds a personal relationship with God, while others say public and private prayer need each other. Most use a mixture. A Christian might say the Lord's Prayer in church, pray in their own words at home and sit quietly at the end of the day.

Exam-style question

(a) Outline two purposes of prayer for Christians. [4 marks]

(b) Explain why the Lord's Prayer is important for Christians. [6 marks]

(c) 'Private prayer is more important than praying with other people.' Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other points of view and your own reasoned opinion. [10 marks]