Prayer

Private and Individual Prayer

• One of the most important types in the Protestant Church

• Jesus - role model - promoted this

• Jesus warns not to pray in public as it is hypocritical

Matthew: “If you do these things publicly, you will not have any reward from your Father in Heaven.”

• By praying alone, Christians can be alone with God and express thier feelings

• Allows them to feel God’s presence

Communal Prayer

• Prayer done in groups

• Christians may feel they need structure in their prayers - find comfort in praying with others

• May take place at set times

• Useful to unite the Church family

• Christians may focus their prayers on individuals

Matthew: “When two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”

Set Prayers

• Allow Christians to learn prayers that have a set meaning

• These prayers have a special place in liturgical worship - demonstrate the power of prayer

• Becomes a communal voice - expressing shared beliefs

• Helps reinforce Christian community

• Most famous example - Lord’s Prayer - recited at every service

Extemporaneous and Informal prayers

• Spontaneous - do not have a set structure but guided by the Holy Spirit

• Some may prefer this - spontaneity makes it more meaningful

• Set or Communal prayers risk becoming just repetition - forgetting the importance of what they’re saying

• Guided by the Holy Spirit - creates a more personal relationship with God

Pentecost - disciples praying were so filled with the Holy Spirit began to speak in tongues