Hey there,
You remember this?
“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
This is one of the earliest prayers we learned … if not the first.
It’s handed down from parent to child. And repeated nightly.
We learned other prayers as children too. The Lord’s Prayer. The Hail Mary. And more.
We learned how to pray the Mass. And the Rosary.
We also learned how to talk to God through our own prayers.
All of our prayers build our relationship with God.
Just like any relationship, it takes work. And there’s always room for improvement.
This week’s issue of Genuflect focuses on prayer. We look at types of prayer, ways to pray, benefits of prayer, and even how to pray with the pope online.
So we all can work to deepen our relationship with the Lord through prayer.
Keep Believing-
Katy Barrilleaux
Editor, Genuflect
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Catholic Prayer 101
The Catholic tradition contains a rich panoply of styles and ways of prayer, and it is this very diversity of styles that can be one of the greatest resources available to those who seek to pray. There are few, if any, masters of prayer — most of us spend our prayer lives muddling along, an undramatic work-in-progress, in a pattern marked as much by a steady limp as by leaps and bounds.
These are the Seven Most Powerful Prayers in History
We all face extraordinary circumstances from time to time. We have been advised to handle these times by seeking God in prayer and fasting, to be especially attentive to his words, and the working of the Holy Spirit. If we are receptive to his will, God will provide for our needs and see us through anything. In such circumstances, we do well to focus on the most powerful prayers given to us by our forebears. For extraordinary times, here are the seven most powerful prayers in history.
10 New Ways to Pray
Whether you are trying to get into a regular habit of prayer or looking for ways to enhance your existing prayer life, trying new ways to pray can be beneficial. Here are 10 ideas for prayer that can jump-start or enrich your prayer life.
The Ups and Downs of Prayer
Our journey to heaven is not a sprint, but rather a marathon, on a route with many hills and valleys. These feelings are a normal part of our relationship with God while here on Earth, and all of us will inevitably face times of spiritual dryness between moments of consolation. However, if we want to be faithful, even through the tough times, we need to be practical, so here are ten tips to help pace yourself along the way.
Praising in Consolation and Praying in Desolation
Saint Ignatius of Loyola gave us his “Rules for Discernment” to examine the interior movements of our hearts more closely and consider whether we are making steps toward or away from God. Ignatius guides us in how to discern what to do when we are experiencing “consolation” and “desolation,” and gives us practical tips for making the necessary steps to go deeper in our relationship with Jesus.
If You’re Discerning, You Have to Read This. It Will Change What You Think You Know.
Meg Hunter-Kilmer writes: I don’t spend a lot of time sitting in prayer waiting for angels to descend and hand me an itinerary. In fact, I discern in just the same way I tell others to discern: I’ve largely quit seeking God’s will. Hear me out.
Unanswered Prayers?
God always answers our prayers. He doesn’t always give us what we ask for. If we ask for something bad, God will of course not give it to us. However, even if we ask for something good, it is often the case that we don’t get what we are asking for. So then, how must we ask God if we want to receive what we are asking for?
How Prayer Strengthens Your Emotional Health
Saying a small prayer to get through a difficult time is not unusual. A plea for help from a higher power is one way people seek and find the benefits of spirituality. But a connection to something greater than yourself offers more than just hope — it strengthens emotional health, too.
How to Spend an Hour in Adoration
Adoration is one of the most beautiful ways to spend time in prayer. It refers to time spent with Jesus in the Eucharist. Usually the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, with the white Host visible within a golden or silver display case called a monstrance. For beginners at Adoration, these tips might be helpful.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Accepts Digital Prayers
Now you can make a pilgrim’s prayer at the Basilica of Guadalupe from the comfort of your home. Here’s the process explained.
Pray With The Pope, From Your iPhone
“Click to pray” are not words you’d expect to come out of the pope’s mouth. But that’s what onlookers heard during the traditional Sunday address from Pope Francis, as he introduced ClickToPray, an app for communal prayer.
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