My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Prayer is an important part of every Christian’s life. In the beginning God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, He loves us and His greatest desire is to be with us. Sin has separated us from God but not completely, He is always with us, ready to listen to us and help us with whatever we need. Prayer is time we spend with God.
There are many different kinds of prayer and ways to pray.
- You can pray to ask God for something specific: maybe the grace you need to be kind to someone you don’t like very much or for healing for someone who is ill.
- You can also pray to thank God: remember that all good things come from God, you can thank Him that ice cream exists or for keeping you safe during a time you were frightened or anything else you can think of.
- You can pray to apologize to God: every time you hurt someone or yourself, it hurts God too. And just as you would apologize to a friend for doing something wrong, you can pray to tell God how sorry you are and know that He will always forgive you.
- You can also pray just to be with God: spend time talking to Him or thinking about Him. He is our best friend and always wants to hear about the things happening in our lives. Remember that God always hears our prayers and He always answers them, though it may not be in the way we expect.
The pages in this section include prayers of Church that are written out. They are special because Catholics all over the globe pray these prayers and they unite us in the One Body of Christ spread throughout the world. You might be familiar with some or all of these prayers; these pages will also give you ideas on how to pray in a way that isn’t just reciting words, but speaking to God from your heart.
[Jesus said] My daughter…why do you not tell me about everything that concerns you, even the smallest details? Tell Me about everything, and know that this will give Me great joy.
I answered, “But You know about everything, Lord.”
And Jesus replied to me, Yes I do know; but you should not excuse yourself with the fact that I know, but with childlike simplicity talk to Me about everything, for my ears and heart are inclined towards you, and your words are dear to Me.
From the Diary of St. Faustina