What is prayer, and why do Catholics pray?
Prayer is the lifting of our minds and hearts to God. Sometimes that means asking him for what we need, and sometimes it simply means being with him, thanking him, praising him or saying sorry. It is a relationship with a Father who loves us, not a technique for getting results.
Catholics pray because God has first reached out to us. We were made for friendship with him, and prayer is where that friendship is lived day by day. The Church also teaches that humility is the foundation of prayer: we begin by admitting that we are not self-sufficient and that we do not even know how to pray as we ought.
The disciples once asked Jesus to teach them to pray, so if you feel you are a beginner, you are in good company. Start simply, be honest with God, and keep coming back.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2559
- Luke 11:1
- Matthew 6:6
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.