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Christian prayer is an important activity inChristianity, and there are several different forms used for this practice.[1]
Christian prayers are diverse: they can be completely spontaneous, or read entirely from a text, such as from abreviary, which contains thecanonical hours that are said atfixed prayer times. While praying, certain gestures usually accompany the prayers, including folding one's hands,bowing one's head, kneeling (often in thekneeler of a pew in corporate worship or the kneeler of aprie-dieu in private worship), andprostration.
The most prominent prayer among Christians is theLord's Prayer,[2] which according to thegospel accounts (e.g.Matthew 6:9-13) is howJesus taught hisdisciples to pray.[3] The injunction for Christians to pray the Lord's Prayer thrice daily was given inDidache 8, 2 f.,[4][5] which, in turn, was influenced by theJewish practice of praying thrice daily found in theOld Testament, specifically inPsalm 55:17, which suggests "evening and morning and at noon", andDaniel 6:10, in which the prophetDaniel prays thrice a day.[4][5][6] The early Christians thus came to recite the Lord's Prayer thrice a day at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm, supplanting the formerAmidah predominant in the Hebrew tradition;[7][8][9] as such, manyLutheran andAnglican churches ring theirchurch bells frombelltowers three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening summoning the Christian faithful to recite the Lord’s Prayer.[10][11][12]
From the time of theearly Church, the practice of sevenfixed prayer times has been taught; inApostolic Tradition,Hippolytus instructed Christians to pray seven times a day "on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight" and "the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion."[13][14][15][16]Oriental Orthodox Christians, such as Copts and Indians, use abreviary such as theAgpeya andShehimo to pray thecanonical hours seven times a day at fixed prayer times while facing in theeastward direction, in anticipation of theSecond Coming of Jesus; this Christian practice has its roots inPsalm 119:164, in which the prophetDavid prays to God seven times a day.[17][18] Church bells enjoin Christians to pray at these hours.[19] Before praying, they wash their hands and face in order to be clean and present their best to God;shoes are removed to acknowledge that one is offering prayer before a holy God.[20][21] In theseChristian denominations, and in many others as well, it is customary for women to wear aChristian headcovering when praying.[22][23] Many Christians have historically hung aChristian cross on the eastern wall of their houses to indicate theeastward direction of prayer during these seven prayer times.[24][13][25]
There are two basic settings for Christian prayer: corporate (or public) and private. Corporate prayer includes prayer shared within the worship setting or other public places, especially on theLord's Day on whichmany Christian assemble collectively. These prayers can be formal written prayers, such as the liturgies contained in theLutheran Service Book andBook of Common Prayer, as well as informalejaculatory prayers orextemporaneous prayers, such as those offered inMethodistcamp meetings. Private prayer occurs with the individual praying either silently or aloud within the home setting; the use of adaily devotional andprayer book in the private prayer life of a Christian is common. InWestern Christianity, theprie-dieu has been historically used for private prayer and many Christian homes possesshome altars in the area where these are placed.[26][27] InEastern Christianity, believers often keepicon corners at which they pray, which are on the eastern wall of the house.[28] AmongOld Ritualists, aprayer rug known as aPodruchnik is used to keep one's face and hands clean during prostrations, as these parts of the body are used to make thesign of the cross.[29] Spontaneous prayer in Christianity[30], often done in private settings, follows the basic form of adoration,contrition, thanksgiving andsupplication, abbreviated as A.C.T.S.[31]
Prayer in theNew Testament is presented as a positive command (Colossians 4:2;1 Thessalonians 5:17). The people of God are challenged to include prayer in their everyday life, even in the busy struggles of marriage (1 Corinthians 7:5) as it is thought to bring the faithful closer to God. Throughout the New Testament, prayer is shown to be God's appointed method by which the faithful obtain what he has to bestow (Matthew 7:7–11;Matthew 9:24–29;Luke 11:13). Prayer, according to the Book of Acts, can be seen at the first moments of the church (Acts 3:1). Theapostles regarded prayer as an essential part of their lives (Acts 6:4;Romans 1:9;Colossians 1:9). As such, the apostles frequently incorporated verses fromPsalms into their writings.Romans 3:10–18 for example is borrowed fromPsalm 14:1–3 and other psalms.
Lengthy passages of the New Testament are prayers orcanticles (see also theBook of Odes), such as the prayer for forgiveness (Mark 11:25–26), theLord's Prayer, theMagnificat (Luke 1:46–55), theBenedictus (Luke 1:68–79), Jesus' prayer to the one true God (John 17), exclamations such as, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:3–14), the Believers' Prayer (Acts 4:23–31), "may this cup be taken from me" (Matthew 26:36–44), "Pray that you will not fall into temptation" (Luke 22:39–46),Stephen's Prayer (Acts 7:59–60),Simon Magus' Prayer (Acts 8:24), "pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men" (2 Thessalonians 3:1–2), andMaranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22).
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Prayer and the reading of Scripture were important elements ofEarly Christianity. In the early Church worship was inseparable from doctrine as reflected in the statement:lex orandi, lex credendi, i.e. the law of belief is the law of prayer.[32] Early Christianliturgies highlight the importance of prayer.[33]
The Lord's Prayer was an essential element in the meetings held by the very early Christians, and it was spread by them as they preached Christianity in new lands.[34] Over time, a variety of prayers were developed as the production of early Christian literature intensified.[35]
As early as the 2nd century, Christians indicated theeastward direction of prayer by placing aChristian cross on the eastern wall of their house or church,prostrating in front of it as they prayed at sevenfixed prayer times.[13][36][27]
By the 3rd centuryOrigen had advanced the view of "Scripture as a sacrament".[37] Origen's methods of interpreting Scripture and praying on them were learned byAmbrose of Milan, who towards the end of the 4th century taught them toAugustine of Hippo, thereby introducing them into the monastic traditions of theWestern Church thereafter.[38][39]
Early models ofChristian monastic life emerged in the 4th century, as theDesert Fathers began to seek God in the deserts of Palestine and Egypt.[40][41] These early communities gave rise to the tradition of a Christian life of "constant prayer" in a monastic setting which eventually resulted in meditative practices in theEastern Church during theByzantine period.[41]
During theMiddle Ages, the monastic traditions of bothWestern andEastern Christianity moved beyond vocal prayer toChristian meditation. These progressions resulted in two distinct and different meditative practices:Lectio Divina in the West andhesychasm in the East. Hesychasm involves the repetition of theJesus Prayer, but Lectio Divina uses different Scripture passages at different times and although a passage may be repeated a few times, Lectio Divina is not repetitive in nature.[41][42]
In theWestern Church, by the 6th century,Benedict of Nursia andPope Gregory I had initiated the formal methods of scriptural prayer calledLectio Divina.[43] With the mottoOra et labora (i.e. pray and work), daily life in a Benedictine monastery consisted of three elements: liturgical prayer, manual labor and Lectio Divina, a quiet prayerful reading of the Bible.[44] This slow and thoughtful reading ofScripture, and the ensuing pondering of its meaning, was theirmeditation.[45]
Early in the 12th century,Bernard of Clairvaux was instrumental in re-emphasizing the importance of Lectio Divina within theCistercian order.[46] Bernard also emphasized the role of theHoly Spirit in contemplative prayer and compared it to a kiss by theEternal Father which allows a union with God.[47]
The progression from Bible reading, to meditation, to loving regard for God, was first formally described byGuigo II, aCarthusian monk who died late in the 12th century.[48] Guigo II's bookThe Ladder of Monks is considered the first description of methodical prayer in the western mystical tradition.[49]
InEastern Christianity, the monastic traditions of "constant prayer" that traced back to the Desert Fathers andEvagrius Pontikos established the practice ofhesychasm and influencedJohn Climacus' bookThe Ladder of Divine Ascent by the 7th century.[50] These meditative prayers were promoted and supported byGregory Palamas in the 14th century.[51][41]
In the Western Church, during the 15th century, reforms of the clergy and monastic settings were undertaken by the two Venetians,Lorenzo Giustiniani andLouis Barbo. Both men considered methodical prayer and meditation as essential tools for the reforms they were undertaking.[52] Barbo, who died in 1443, wrote a treatise on prayer titledForma orationis et meditionis otherwise known asModus meditandi. He described three types of prayer; vocal prayer, best suited for beginners; meditation, oriented towards those who are more advanced; and contemplation as the highest form of prayer, only obtainable after the meditation stage. Based on the request ofPope Eugene IV, Barbo introduced these methods toValladolid, Spain and by the end of the 15th century they were being used at theabbey of Montserrat. These methods then influencedGarcias de Cisneros, who in turn influencedIgnatius of Loyola.[53][54]
TheEastern Orthodox Church has a similar three level hierarchy of prayer.[55][56] The first level prayer is again vocal prayer, the second level is meditation (also called "inward prayer" or "discursive prayer") and the third level is contemplative prayer in which a much closer relationship with God is cultivated.[55]
Christian prayer can be divided into different categories, varying by denomination and tradition. Over time, theologians have studied different types of prayer. For example, theologianGilbert W. Stafford divided prayer into eight different types based on New Testament scripture.[57] Interpretations of prayer in the New Testament and the Christian faith as a whole widely vary, leading to the practice of different types of prayer.
InApostolic Tradition,Hippolytus instructed Christians to pray seven times a day "on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight" and "the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion."[13][14][15][16]
Eastern Christians of theAlexandrian Rite andSyriac Rite, use abreviary such as theAgpeya andShehimo to pray thecanonical hours seven times a day atfixed prayer times while facing in theeastward direction, in anticipation of theSecond Coming of Jesus; this Christian practice has its roots inPsalm 118:164, in which the prophetDavid is described as praying to God seven times a day.[58][17][18] These Christians incorporateprostrations in their prayers, "prostrating three times in the name of theTrinity; at the end of each Psalm … while saying the ‘Alleluia’; and multiple times during the more than fortyKyrie eleisons" as with the Copts and thrice during the Qauma prayer, at the words "Crucified for us, Have mercy on us!", thrice during the recitation of the Nicene Creed at the words "And was incarnate of the Holy Spirit...", "And was crucified for us...", & "And on the third day rose again...", as well as thrice during the Prayer of the Cherubim while praying the words "Blessed is the glory of the Lord, from His place forever!" as with the Indians.[59][21] Before praying, Oriental Christianswash their hands, face and feet out of respect for God;shoes are removed in order to acknowledge that one is offering prayer before a holy God.[60][21][20][61] In this Christian denomination, and in many others as well, it is customary for women to wear aChristian head-covering when praying.[22][23]
In the Lutheran Churches, the canonical hours are contained in breviaries such asThe Brotherhood Prayer Book andFor All the Saints: A Prayer Book for and by the Church, while in theCatholic Church they are known as theLiturgy of the Hours.[62][63] Historically, the Methodist tradition emphasized the praying of the canonical hours as an "essential practice" in being adisciple of Jesus.[64]
The injunction for Christians to pray theLord's Prayer thrice daily was given inDidache 8, 2 f.,[4][5] which, in turn, was influenced by the Jewish practice of praying thrice daily found in theOld Testament, specifically inPsalm 55:17, which suggests "evening and morning and at noon", andDaniel 6:10, in which the prophetDaniel prays thrice a day.[4][5][6] Theearly Christians came to pray the Lord's Prayer thrice a day at 9 am, 12 pm and 3 pm, supplanting the formerAmidah predominant in the Hebrew tradition.[9][7] As such, inChristianity, manyLutheran andAnglican churches ring theirchurch bells frombelltowers three times a day, summoning the Christian faithful to recite the Lord’s Prayer.[10][11][8]
Thesign of the cross is a short prayer used daily by many Christians, especially those of the Catholic, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Methodist and Anglican traditions apart from its daily use in private prayer, it is widely used in corporate prayer by theseChristian denominations. TheSmall Catechism, acatechism used in theLutheran Churches, instructs believers "to make the sign of the cross at both the beginning and the end of the day as a beginning to daily prayers."[65] It specifically instructs Christians: "When you get out of bed, bless yourself with the holy cross and say ‘In the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.’"[65]
Christians often pray to ask God to thank Him for andbless their food before consuming it at the time of eating meals, such as supper.[66] These prayers vary perChristian denomination, e.g. thecommon table prayer is used by communicants of theLutheran Churches and theMoravian Church.
Many denominations use specific prayers geared to the season of the ChristianLiturgical Year, such asAdvent,Christmas,Lent andEaster. Some of these prayers are found in theRoman Breviary, theLiturgy of the Hours, the OrthodoxEuchologion,Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and the AnglicanBook of Common Prayer.
In the seasons ofAdvent andLent, many Christians add the reading of adaily devotional to their prayer life; items that aid in prayer, such as anAdvent wreath orLenten calendar are unique to those seasons of the Church Year.
The ancient church, in bothEastern Christianity andWestern Christianity, developed a tradition of asking for theintercession of (deceased) saints, and this remains the practice of mostEastern Orthodox,Oriental Orthodox,Roman Catholic, as well as someLutheran andAnglican churches. Most of theReformed Churches however rejected this practice, largely on the basis of belief in the sole mediatorship of Christ.[67]
A broad, three stage characterization of prayer begins with vocal prayer, then moves on to a more structured form in terms ofmeditation, then reaches the multiple layers ofcontemplation,[68][69] orintercession.
Christian meditation is a structured attempt to get in touch with and deliberately reflect upon the revelations ofGod.[70] The wordmeditation comes from the Latin wordmeditārī, which has a range of meanings including to reflect on, to study and to practice. Christian meditation is the process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts (such as a bible passage) and reflecting on their meaning in the context of the love of God.[71]
Christian meditation aims to heighten the personal relationship based on the love of God that marks Christian communion.[72][73]
At times there may be no clear-cut boundary between Christian meditation and Christian contemplation, and they overlap. Meditation serves as a foundation on which the contemplative life stands, the practice by which someone begins the state of contemplation.[74] In contemplative prayer, this activity is curtailed, so thatcontemplation has been described as "a gaze of faith", "a silent love".[75]
Meditation and contemplation on thelife of Jesus in the New Testament are components of theRosary[76] and are central tospiritual retreats and to the prayer that grows out of these retreats.[77]
This kind of prayer involves the believer taking the role of an intercessor, praying on behalf of another individual, group or community, or even a nation.
Ejaculatory prayer is the use of very brief exclamations.Saint Augustine remarked that the Egyptian Christians who withdrew to a solitary life "are said to say frequent prayers, but very brief ones that are tossed off as in a rush, so that a vigilant and keen intention, which is very necessary for one who prays, may not fade away and grow dull over longer periods".[78]
Examples of such prayers are given in the oldRaccolta under the numbers 19, 20, 38, 57, 59, 63, 77, 82, 83, 133, 154, 166, 181.[79]
They are also known as aspirations, invocations or exclamations and include theJesus Prayer.[80]
Johnson's Dictionary defined "ejaculation" as "a short prayer darted out occasionally, without solemn retirement".[81] Such pious ejaculations are part also of theliturgy of theChurch of England.[82]
Listening prayer is a traditional form ofChristianprayer.
Listening prayer requires those praying to sit in silence in the presence of God. It can, but need not, be preceded by a scripture reading. This method of prayer is most fully explored in the works of Catholic Saints such asSt.Teresa of Avilla.
Silent prayer is mental prayer, where no actual words are said out loud, as God is said to be able to hear thoughts.[citation needed] In 2020s Britain this form of prayer outside abortion clinics became politically controversial.[83][84]
AChristian child's prayer is typically short, rhyming, or has a memorable tune. It is usually said before bedtime, to give thanks for a meal, or as a nursery rhyme. Many of these prayers are either quotes from the Bible, or set traditional texts.
Prayer books are often used by Christians. There is no one prayerbook containing a set liturgy used by all Christians, but many Christian denominations have their own local prayerbooks, for example:
Objects used to support prayer includeprayer beads such aschaplets, and images andicons are also associated with prayers in some Christian traditions.
The praying of the Lord's Prayer three times a day in Did., 8, 2 f. is connected with the Jewish practice → 218, 3 ff.; II, 801, 16 ff.; the altering of other Jewish customs is demanded in the context.
The Church had now two hours of prayer, observed individually on weekdays and corporately on Sundays – yet the Old Testament spoke of three daily hours of prayer, and the Church itself had been saying the Lord's Prayer three times a day.
Late in the first century or early in the second, theDidache advised Christians to pray the Lord's prayer three times a day. Others sought disciplines in the Bible itself as ways to make the scriptural injunction to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17) practical. Psalm 55:17 suggested "evening and morning and at noon," and Daniel prayed three times a day (Dan. 6:10).
Late in the first century or early in the second, theDidache advised Christians to pray the Lord's prayer three times a day. Others sought disciplines in the Bible itself as ways to make the scriptural injunction to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17) practical. Psalm 55:17 suggested "evening and morning and at noon," and Daniel prayed three times a day (Dan. 6:10).
Moreover, the central portion of the Eighteen Benedictions, just like the Lord's Prayer, falls into two distinct parts (in the first half the petitions are for the individuals, in the second half for the nation); and early Christian tradition instructs believers to say the Lord's Prayer three times a day (Did. 8.3) while standing (Apost.const. 7.24), which precisely parallels what the rabbis demanded for the Eighteen Benedictions.
So three minor hours of prayer were developed, at the third, sixth and ninth hours, which, as Dugmore points out, were ordinary divisions of the day for worldly affairs, and the Lord's Prayer was transferred to those hours.
…every church-bell in Christendom to be tolled three times a day, and all Christians to repeat Pater Nosters (The Lord's Prayer)
Early Christians prayed the Lord's Prayer three times a day. Medieval church bells called people to common prayer.
Peterson quotes a passage from theActs of Hipparchus and Philotheus: "In Hipparchus's house there was a specially decorated room and a cross was painted on the east wall of it. There before the image of the cross, they used to pray seven times a day ... with their faces turned to the east." It is easy to see the importance of this passage when you compare it with what Origen says. The custom of turning towards the rising sun when praying had been replaced by the habit of turning towards the east wall. This we find in Origen. From the other passage we see that a cross had been painted on the wall to show which was the east. Hence the origin of the practice of hanging crucifixes on the walls of the private rooms in Christian houses. We know too that signs were put up in the Jewish synagogues to show the direction of Jerusalem, because the Jews turned that way when they said their prayers. The question of the proper way to face for prayer has always been of great importance in the East. It is worth remembering that Mohammedans pray with their faces turned towards Mecca and that one reason for the condemnation of Al Hallaj, the Mohammedan martyr, was that he refused to conform to this practice.
Hippolytus in theApostolic Tradition directed that Christians should pray seven times a day - on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight, and also, if at home, at the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion. Prayers at the third, sixth, and ninth hours are similarly mentioned by Tertullian, Cyprian, Clement of Alexandria and Origen, and must have been very widely practised. These prayers were commonly associated with private Bible reading in the family.
Clement of Alexandria noted that "some fix hours for prayer, such as the third, sixth and ninth" (Stromata 7:7). Tertullian commends these hours, because of their importance (see below) in the New Testament and because their number recalls the Trinity (De Oratione 25). These hours indeed appear as designated for prayer from the earliest days of the church. Peter prayed at the sixth hour, i.e. at noon (Acts 10:9). The ninth hour is called the "hour of prayer" (Acts 3:1). This was the hour when Cornelius prayed even as a "God-fearer" attached to the Jewish community, i.e. before his conversion to Christianity. it was also the hour of Jesus' final prayer (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34, Luke 22:44-46).
Not only the content of early Christian prayer was rooted in Jewish tradition; its daily structure too initially followed a Jewish pattern, with prayer times in the early morning, at noon and in the evening. Later (in the course of the second century), this pattern combined with another one; namely prayer times in the evening, at midnight and in the morning. As a result seven 'hours of prayer' emerged, which later became the monastic 'hours' and are still treated as 'standard' prayer times in many churches today. They are roughly equivalent to midnight, 6 a.m., 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Prayer positions included prostration, kneeling and standing. ... Crosses made of wood or stone, or painted on walls or laid out as mosaics, were also in use, at first not directly as objections of veneration but in order to 'orientate' the direction of prayer (i.e. towards the east, Latinoriens).
Prayers 7 times a day are enjoined, and the most strict among the Copts recite one of more of the Psalms of David each time they pray. They always wash their hands and faces before devotions, and turn to the East.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Inside their homes, a cross is placed on the eastern wall of the first room. If one sees a cross in a house and do not find a crucifix or pictures, it is almost certain that the particular family belongs to the Church of the East.
Because Christ was expected to come from the east, Christians at a very early date prayed facing that direction in order to show themselves ready for his appearing, and actually looking forward to the great event which would consummate the union with him already experienced in prayer. For the same reason the sign of the cross was frequently traced on the eastern wall of places of prayer, thereby indicating the direction of prayer, but also rendering the Lord's coming a present reality in the sign which heralds it. In other words, through the cross the anticipated eschatological appearance becomesparousia: presence. The joining of prayer with the eschatological presence of Christ, unseen to the eye but revealed in the cross, obviously underlies the widely attested practice of prostrating before the sacred wood while praying to him who hung upon it.
Long before Christians built churches for public prayer, they worshipped daily in their homes. In order to orient their prayer (toorient means literally "to turn toward the east"), they painted or hung a cross on the east wall of their main room. This practice was in keeping with ancient Jewish tradition ("Look toward the east, O Jerusalem," Baruch 4:36); Christians turned in that direction when they prayed morning and evening and at other times. This expression of their undying belief in the coming again of Jesus was united to their conviction that the cross, "the sign of the Son of Man," would appear in the eastern heavens on his return (see Matthew 24:30). Building on that ancient custom, devout Catholics often have a home altar, shrine, or prayer corner containing a crucifix, religious pictures (icons), a Bible, holy water, lights, and flowers as a part of the essential furniture of a Christian home.
Identify a wall or corner in a main living area of your house. Preferably, your icons will be on an east wall so your family can be facing east–just like at Divine Liturgy–whenever you say your prayers together.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Christians in Syria as well, in the second century, would place the cross in the direction of the East towards which people in their homes or churches prayed.
We are commanded to pray standing, with faces towards the East, for at the last Messiah is manifested in the East. 2. All Christians, on rising from sleep early in the morning, should wash the face and pray. 3. We are commanded to pray seven times, thus...
The Copts, descendants of these ancient Egyptians, although Christians, have the custom of washing their hands and faces before prayer, and some also wash their feet.
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