The Power of Prayer
The Disciples cried out,
"Lord, teach us to pray!" (Luke 11:1)
St. Augustine once wrote: "Our hearts are restless, Oh Lord, until they rest in you."
In those few words he brilliantly captured the truth of an emptiness at the center of our human existence.
All of us have a "God-shaped" vacuum within us that we seek, in different ways to fill. For those who consciously seek to know, love, and serve God in this life, prayer is the bedrock of their daily lives.
Prayer is the expression of the heart’s deepest longing — to reach out and connect with Almighty God, the One Who loves us more than we can imagine.
Through prayer, our hearts are stirred and we reach out to the Lord (in response to His reaching out to us!). We speak to him in the inner recesses of our hearts and lay before Him our petitions — for our needs and those of others — our repentance for sin, our thanks for His many gifts, our praise and worship, and all those things that spring from hearts that are drawn by the Father (John 6:44).
"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God" (CCC2559).
This deep, instinctive impulse we human beings have to speak to God is something He Himself implanted in our very natures.
The Lord wants us to reach out to Him and He is constantly reaching out in love to us.
This loving relationship between you and God is built on the foundation of prayer. Prayer is as simple as expressing your deepest thoughts; your hopes and fears and all the petitions
Jesus Christ told us to "Pray always," and He gave us the greatest prayer of all, the Our Father, which Catholics and others around the world pray daily:
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. "
Sacred Scripture is filled with teachings on the importance of prayer. If you would like to read more about this, click here.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a helpful source that explains the importance of prayer and how to grow in it. You can acquire an inexpensive edition of the Catechism at any bookstore. You can also access a searchable database of the Catechism here.
Some people feel trapped by the bad circumstances in their lives. Divorce, physical suffering, financial setbacks, the death of a loved one, and many other crises in life can cause people to lose hope. But God is there, loving them and waiting to help them heal and find hope and encouragement to navigate through their suffering.
Others want to help others and they only way they can do so is to fall to their knees and implore God for the help only He can give.
Prayer shouldn't be complicated or tedious. Rather, true prayer, whether a formula prayer, such as the "Our Father" or the "Gloria," or simple statement that you come up with on the spot, is like a clear spring of water pouring forth from the depths of our hearts.
St. Paul said to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This is our way of being in constant communion with God — an ongoing conversation with our heavenly Father, in which we share our hearts with Him and He shares His life and love with us.
Over the centuries, the great saints — men and women whose lives were marked by an intense love of God — gave us many example of simple, heartfelt, and deeply beautiful prayers. Over its nearly 2000-year history, the Catholic Church has composed an untold number of prayers of petition, thanksgiving,
Here’s a brief but beautiful prayer from St. Thomas Aquinas:
Grant me, O Lord my God,Prayer is the solution to our most urgent needs.
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you.
Amen.
Try prayer. It really works.
This section of CatholicsComeHome is designed to help you grow in prayer, to help you pray with a purpose. Here you'll find many beautiful and ancient prayers that have helped countless souls draw closer to God.
