Prayer Skills

 

"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." St. John Damascene
Prayer is a covenant relationship, a living relationship between God and you

“Heart speaks unto Heart” 

Jesus invites us to seek and to knock since He himself is the door and the Way. Matthew 7:7

How do we do this? 
Through our heart, our hidden centre – according to Scripture it is the heart that prays.
To love God with all your heart Mark 12:33   
Did not our hearts burn within us?   Luke 24:32
God’s love has been poured into our hearts. Romans 5: 5    
“Heart speaks unto Heart”   Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman

Catholic Tradition tells us that we can express our relationship in three ways:

Vocal Prayer

This an essential element in the Christian life – Jesus taught His disciples Vocal Prayer. in the Our Father. For example...

Praise
Song
Intercession
The Rosary
The Stations of the Cross
The Prayers of the Mass
Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours)
Novenas
Litanies
The Angelus
Chatting to God...

Online ministries at Creighton University

Meditative Prayer

This engages thought, imagination, emotion and desire. First you must find silence and stillness.

1 Imaginative Contemplation / praying with the imagination

2 Lectio Divina (praying with scripture) and second link on Lectio Divina

3 Examen also known as the Examination of Consciousness or the Review of the Day.

4 Other methods of prayer from St Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises

5 Prayer of remembering

6 Reviewing your prayer

7 How to make decisions through prayer

8 Ignatian Discernment / Landmarks: Exploration of Ignatian Spirituality

8 Praying with your life's journey

9 Other methods of meditative prayer:

Through fine art, icons, stained glass, creation and nature, drawing and painting, music , dance, symbols...

 

Contemplative Prayer (link)

This is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us. (St Teresa of Avila)


It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus; I look at him and he looks as me. 
(St Ignatius of Loyola).

Read ...Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God by James Finley

Read... Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird

Read... The Cloud of Unknowing

 

Resources

The Hours of God Handbook:
Prayer and the Litrugy ; God's invitation to relationship

 

Growing into Silence (link)

RECOMMENDED READING BOOK to cover all basic prayer skills

Following the highly popular BBC series ‘The Big Silence’, this year’s Archdiocesan Lenten Reading Book is ‘Growing into Silence’. This is an easy to read and easy to use book for individuals or groups and ideal for parish faith formation, especially growth in prayer and reflection. The Archdiocesan Pastoral Resources Office will produce guidelines for Group Leaders, for those who wish to use this is in a communal setting. This resource is also adaptable for ecumenical groups.

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Daily Prayer

Pray as you go

Sacred Space

 

Online Retreat

Online Ignatian Retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises

34 week online retreat

or

in book form

Retreat in the Real World: Finding Intimacy with God Wherever You Are
Andy Alexander and Maureen McCann Waldron


Want to learn more?

For Prayer Courses and access to Spritual Directors and retreats visit The Epiphany Group website.

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