3.11 traditional and spontaneous prayer

• what does the Catholic church describe prayer as?

  ' raising the heart and mind to God '
• what is the difference between traditional and spontaneous prayer?

  • traditional prayers have set words that have ben used by generations of believers while spontaneous prayers are made up in the moment
• what is prayer?

  • conversation between a person and God
  • when a person opens up to God and communicates with him, listening for his answer
  • inspired by the Holy spirit
  • all other prayer is offered to God the Father in the name of Jesus through Jesus' offering of himself to God
  • highest form of prayer is Jesus offering himself to the Father on the cross
• what is a quote that can be used to show the importance of prayer to Christians as a way of developing their relationship with God?

  Youcat 469 ' when a person prays , he enters into a living relationship with God '
• what is traditional prayer?

  • prayers with set out words that have been passed down over generations
  • examples : Our Father , Hail Mary and set prayers of the rosary
• what is spontaneous prayer?

  • prayers that have no set format of words
  • use it as they believe the Holy Spirit guides them in what to say
• why may some people prefer traditional prayer?

  • do not have to worry about coming up with the right words to use
  • not having to focus too much on words allows them to open up more to the presence of God ; allows mind to go deeper than the words
  • when upset familiar words may comfort them
• why may some prefer spontaneous prayer?

  • feels more sincere than traditional prayer as they are opening up to God about their own personal concerns and worries
  • helps develop their own individual relationship with God
  • comes from the heart and reflects how they feel in the moment