When you pray, how do you pray?

[Xeno.of.athens]

Priests and religious in the Catholic faith pray the liturgy of the hours or some parts of it. This prayer involves the saying of psalms, singing of a hymn, readings from holy scriptures (outside of the psalms) and specific prayers, such as the Lord's prayer and others. When at prayer it is common to have intentions for specific people in need, the pope, bishops, and priests, and for the world. These are liturgical prayers with which Orthodox and Anglican Christians are very likely familiar. I think that some Lutherans also are likely to use similar prayers.

 

[seeking.IAM]

As an Anglican, we pray the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer - Morning, Noon, Evening, & Compline. Within those structured prayers is a place for free-form intercessory prayers to be made, so really both may occur within a period of prayer - both structured and unstructured prayer. Hymns may also be included. I think structured prayer is often misunderstood or at least underappreciated by Christians having other faith practices. That was once true of me in my life, I admit. Now, I have rather come to like and take comfort in the thought that the entire church is praying the same thing at the same time, all in addition to our individual prayers.

 

[dzheremi]

We pray from the Agpeya, as that is our daily prayer book.

Perspectives on prayer:

"How should I pray?" with Fr. Gabriel Wissa (I get the feeling this may be directed at younger people)

"Come back to God" by HH Pope Shenouda III (For those struggling with prayer)