What is a good definition of a Prayer Intention?

[bigsierra]

I know Prayer Intentions can be given when praying a prayer not specific to that issue and that Mass can have intentions on it.
What all can intentions be attached to?
What is a good definition, that would help another person, such as a protestant understand what it is?
Can prayer intentions be included as a rule, like I always include my family's well-being as an intention in all my prayers or would that ruin the purpose?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[plainswolf]

I'm not sure I am exactly following you on this.. you mean like for example:

Praying for humility, for the grace to amend our lives and better our ways, for true sorrow and pardon for our sins, for knowledge of ourselves and a detachment from the things of this world, for a great love and charity for fellow man and for a burning love of God, and to know the truth in the things of God..... ?


J.M.J.
Mark

 

[bigsierra]

No, not exactly. I understand what a prayer intention can include.

In the protestant world, you say what you mean when you pray. They don't pray the rosary with an intention for each mystery or anything like that. I'm not exactly sure how to define it very well.

Seperate Question:
I'm also not sure myself how far a prayer intention can extend? Like can I pray, God, I pray that all my work today would benefit so and so's redemption? Can an intention be attached to an activity like that or just to prayer?

 

[marciadietrich]

I thought I heard that intentions will tend towards always starting (or ending) on a big global scale then end on the local scale. Thought it might vary. So we pray for our world or something international, our government and leaders as a nation or some national issue, then for our local area or people locally. We might pray for the poor of the world, for politicians to address the needs of the poor in congress and for those in need locally. Almost like a theme. That was we are always praying for believers, non-believers, both local and outside our community. We pray for the departed who might be from our local area, those of our parish or loved ones of those in the parish but also for those departed as a whole.

I'm not sure that is a good definition. But a feeling of what I heard they are supposed to do in intentions.

Would be a good question to pose to someone at the Chancery.

Marcia

 

[bigsierra]

Would be a good question to pose to someone at the Chancery.

Marcia

Thanks Marcia

What is the Chancery?

 

[bostonlass]

No, not exactly. I understand what a prayer intention can include.

In the protestant world, you say what you mean when you pray. They don't pray the rosary with an intention for each mystery or anything like that. I'm not exactly sure how to define it very well.

I'll take a stab at it. The Protestant version would be, "God, please help Bridget to be a good mother to her daughters. Give her the strength she needs in times of trouble and the patience when they are out of control. Guide her each day with Your love and feed her with Your grace." (or something like that)

And the Catholic version would be for me to say the rosary and in the beginning where I state my petition I would just ask Mary to help me to be a good mom.

Is that what you mean? Basically I think the difference for me is that I leave it up to God to decide what His will is insofar as my being a good mom....or whatever the intention I'm praying about is. I may think I need patience but He may give me strength instead since that will make it better for me.

I'm probably all wrong. lol.

 

[bigsierra]

I see it that way too sweetcaroline, but also I see an intention as being an over-arching prayer or prayers that God knows is on our heart, as we pray the rosary, or the chaplet. Ohh, that's almost a definition. But prayer intentions can be attached to Mass also, and I wondering if possibly other things.

 

[bostonlass]

I see it that way too sweetcaroline, but also I see an intention as being an over-arching prayer or prayers that God knows is on our heart, as we pray the rosary, or the chaplet. Ohh, that's almost a definition. But prayer intentions can be attached to Mass also, and I wondering if possibly other things.

I think I had the same question today, or similar, and I posted it below in the title "giving things up". (I know....it's so eloquent. )

You can offer up suffering for the intention of this or that. Offer up a prayer. Offer up a mass. The suffering, as Mrs. McCatholic explained, is basically a physical prayer.

Hope that helps.

 

[marciadietrich]

Hi again Scott

The chancery are the church offices for the Archdiocese, where Dave worked out on Parallel. You ought to write Larry Livingston at the Adult Faith office, he is a nice guy and I'm sure would love to hear from you.

I took it you meant the intentions at Mass, but probably there are differing types since there can be private intentions as well. A good question as I hadn't really thought about this too much.

Marcia

 

[bigsierra]

It was the post on "Offering it up" that got me started on this. Also, my sister, who is protestant, is going through a scary time physically and I wanting to explain it to her, but I haven't got the right definition of a prayer intention yet. Catholic.Com hasn't had anyone ask the question either.

I may have to download the Jimmy Akin talk on it, to see what he says.

Please keep my sister in your "intentions" also.

 

[bigsierra]

Hi again Scott

The chancery are the church offices for the Archdiocese, where Dave worked out on Parallel. You ought to write Larry Livingston at the Adult Faith office, he is a nice guy and I'm sure would love to hear from you.

I took it you meant the intentions at Mass, but probably there are differing types since there can be private intentions as well. A good question as I hadn't really thought about this too much.

Marcia

Oh ok. I never knew that. I didn't know anyone but Dave that worked there. Would they be offended that I live in KS and drive to MO for Mass?

 

[marciadietrich]

rayers: Prayers for your sister Scott.

 

[bostonlass]

 

[marciadietrich]

Oh ok. I never knew that. I didn't know anyone but Dave that worked there. Would they be offended that I live in KS and drive to MO for Mass?

sorry didn't see that last reply Scott.

I doubt they care too much where you go to Mass if you wanted to zip off an email. Larry (and his secretary Denise) should remember me if you mention me in reference to volunteering for Dave at the prolife office. Here is the Adult faith page at archkck; http://www.archkck.org/Adult%20Faith/adulspir.asp

Marcia

 

[krstlros]

Prayer intentions is anohter term for Prayer Request. From what I've read from other websites, it's a prayer asking a special favor from God. For example:

Peace for the Wrold
Healing of health for a family member, or person you know.
Souls in Purgatory
etc, etc, etc.

Someone asked about their work:
If I recall correctly, someone, probably an instructor of one of my religous classes I took, that we can ask God to make our work a reflection of God's glory. In that way, what we do during the day is in benefit for the world and reflects the love of God for His people.