Developing your prayer life
Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times). According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.
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- Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 2562
Quotes on prayer
From Saints and people today
St. Therese of Lisieux
"For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy."
Fr. Mike Schmitz
"Seek a relationship when you pray, not answers. You won't always find answers, but you will always find Jesus"
St. Pope John Paul II
“The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth. In the prayer we repeat many times the words that the Virgin Mary heard from the Archangel, and from her kinswoman Elizabeth.”
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
"Without prayer I should be of little service"
Forms of Prayer
Adoration
Petition
Intercession
Thanksgiving
Praise
Expressions of Prayer
Vocal Prayer
Examples; The Our Father and Hail Mary
Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus vocally pray to the Father during his agony in Gethsemani and even teaches us the vocal prayer known as the Our Father. This is due to our human nature. Our prayers come from our hearts and we have the need to translate our feelings externally and thus we pray with our whole being. The fervor of our souls is heard not the number of words.
Meditation
Lectio Divina, Rosary, Discernment of Spirits
In meditation we discover the movements that stir the heart and discern them. We use various guides such as books, religious icons, liturgical texts, spiritual books from spiritual fathers and The Sacred Scriptures. Meditation above all is a quest where the mind seeks to understand Christian life.
Contemplative
First-Rate Materials
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