RS Coursework - Report on Prayer

  1. How do Christians pray?

In this section of my report on Christian prayer I’m going to be looking at how Christians pray. Prayer is both talking and listening to God, the dictionary definition of prayer is asking earnestly or to entreat.

Christians pray in two main places, in pubic and private worship. There are four major types of prayer that can be used in both public and private worship these include Adoration prayers, Confession prayers, Thanksgiving prayers, Intercession prayers and Supplication prayers.

Adoration prayers are prayers in praise of God. Confession prayers are prayers in which people admit to God that they’ve committed sins. Thanksgiving prayers are prayers that thank God for things he has done or provided. Intercession prayers are prayers that are for other people for example praying to God to look after a friend who’s going through hard times. Finally supplication prayers are prayers that ask God for something.

Public worship in used by Christians in a group to share the worship for example in a church service. Public worship can either be liturgical or non-liturgical. Liturgical worship is worship that follows a set order and is more formal. Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox churches use liturgical worship, whereas Non-Liturgical Worship is the opposite and is mainly used by Free Churches.

The way Christians pray in a liturgical service is normally either set pieces from the Bible or from a prayer book for example the Gloria or the Lords Prayer. Hymns are also a form of how Christians pray in a liturgical church service.

In a non-liturgical service Christians are free to pray in a way that they like and call out to God in the middle of the service or whenever they’re inspired. The hymns used are more joyous and more full of praise for God.

In my survey I found that communion or Eucharist (depending on what type of church you go to) is the most important way in which Christians pray in public worship. This is because Jesus started it, the service makes Christians remember that Jesus sacrificed his life to free us and it allows us to gain forgiveness from God.

Private worship is used by Christians when they’re on their own ‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’

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In private worship Christians pray on there own so there’s nothing to distract them from they’re prayer. In private worship Christians pray in many ways either set pieces from the Bible or from a prayer book or they use their extemporary prayers (prayers in their own words) which express their thought. Some Christians say prayers using The Lords prayer as an example ‘this then is how you should pray’ (Matthew 6 Vs 9).

The different way that Christians pray in could relate to the different Christian denomination they are from. Some Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Methodist Christians use Rosary ...

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