RE: Why pray?
April 26, 2013 at 4:20 pm
(This post was last modified: April 26, 2013 at 4:22 pm by Gabriel Syme.)
(April 25, 2013 at 10:51 am)justin Wrote: Why pray? What is prayer good for? Isn't it just wishful thinking? Do you think it makes a difference?
Hi Justin,
From the Catholic (universal) Christian perspective, prayer is primarily a conversation, a form of communication, with God or even the Saints. Prayer can be vocal or mental.
(Saints are the people who are with God - i.e. who are "in Heaven".)
Catholic Christians talk to God for various reasons:
- to adore / glorify God
We love God, our Father: He appreciates hearing that, just like any biological parent does. This doesn't represent vanity or being "needy", (for God or biological parents), but just the simple beauty, happiness and contentedness which comes through knowing that someone you love also loves you back. To be givers and receivers of love is why we exist.
- to give thanks to Him
For our very lives, for our talents and gifts, for our amazing universe and beautiful planet, for those whom we love, for our favourite music, for all the good things in our lives, for our everyday experiences, for all the little things that make us smile, for all we have seen and done, for all we have learnt etc etc
God is the source of all of this, and we are thankful for it.
- to express contrition
Ie for whenever we f*ck things up somehow, which we all (not just Catholics!) do and very frequently. We Catholics call these occasions "Sins".
Sins offend God and injure or even rupture (end) our relationship with Him. Practising Catholics must repair this situation via contrition in prayer, hence they pray.
- to ask for His benefits
Essentially to petition God for things, Eg: To ask God for His grace: for courage, strength, humility, or patience for oneself, or for the wellbeing and care of loved ones, including those whose mortal lives have ended.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen, an American, said we pray “because we are orchestras and we always need a tune-up.” He taught the importance of prayer in recharging our spiritual batteries.
As for my own experience of prayer, I would say that, done properly (which isn't always, at times people can be guilty of rushed, or absent minded prayer, or can be distracted etc) I find it a very fulfilling experience, which leaves me feeling very serene, refreshed and content.
