Prayer

• What is prayer?

  • Prayer is communicating with God either silently or through words of praise, thanksgiving or confession , or requests for God’s help or guidance 
  • Christians may use set prayers that have been written down and said more than once by once by more that more than one person - An example is the Lord’s Prayer (The prayer Jesus taught to his disciples) 
  • Christians may also use informal prayers (prayers made up by an individual using their own words) to communicate with God - some find they can express their needs more easily this way

  
• Why is prayer important?

  • It encourages reflection in the middle of a busy life 
  • It enable Christians to talk and listen to God 
  • It gives strength in times of trouble 
  • It gives a sense of peace 
  • It helps Christians to accept God’s will even if it means suffering 
  • It helps Christians to keep a close relationship with God

  
• Where did the Lord's Prayer come from?

  When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray , he answered with the Lord’s Prayer

  
• Why is the Lord's Prayer important?

  • Christians see it as a model of good prayer , as it combines praise to God with asking for one’s needs 
  • It reminds Christians to forgive others in order to be forgiven , since prayer is only effective if people’s relationships with others are right  
  • It reminds Christians that God is the Father of the whole Christian community , and it can create a sense of unity when everyone in the congregation says it together

  
• Where is the Lord's Prayer used?


  • The Lord’s Prayer is often used in worship and is nearly always said at Holy Communion, baptisms, marriages and funerals 
  • It is also used in schools and in commemoration services in Britain