Why is Jesus the divine Model of prayer?

AFC Team

Jesus is the divine model of prayer because, by becoming man while remaining divine, He showed us by His example that we could draw close to God by prayer, since prayer played such an important part in His life. During the thirty years of His hidden life, Jesus lived an ordinary, quiet, and prayerful life. Subject to Mary and Joseph, …

Why is the “Our Father” a prayer of perfect and unselfish love?

AFC Team

The “Our Father” is a prayer of perfect and unselfish love because it is the prayer that God’s Incarnate Son taught us. In saying the Our Father, we offer ourselves entirely to the Father and ask Him for the best things, not only for ourselves, but also for our neighbor. The Our Father summarizes the entire Gospel and praying it …

What is prayer?

AFC Team

Prayer is the lifting of our minds and hearts to God. We lift our minds and hearts to God to praise His goodness, to thank Him for His kindness, to acknowledge our sins, to plead for pardon, to ask His aid for our Salvation, and to give glory to Him. When we pray, both our minds and our hearts are …

What is mental or interior prayer?

AFC Team

Mental or interior prayer (as distinct from vocal prayer, which normally is expressed by set formulas) begins with a serious consideration of the truths of the Faith, with a view to their practical application to our daily lives. During mental prayer, you grow in the knowledge of your faith and acquire principles of right living by applying yourself to prolonged …

Why is prayer necessary?

AFC Team

Prayer is necessary because (1) God has commanded us to pray, and (2) it is an unconditional means of obtaining grace. The need for prayer is rooted in man’s very nature as a creature of God who receives gifts from His generosity. 1. Prayer is necessary because God has commanded us to pray. The First Commandment of God binds man …

What are the four purposes of prayer?

AFC Team

The four purposes of prayer are: (1) adoration, (2) thanksgiving, (3) repentance, and (4) petition. 1. Adoration. Our first and foremost duty is to acknowledge God’s supreme dominion over us, as our Creator and Father; our absolute dependence on Him, as His creatures and children; and His supreme excellence. The worship of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is called …

How should we pray?

AFC Team

We should pray with (1) attention, (2) a spirit of humility, (3) a deep desire for the graces we need from God, (4) a loving trust in God’s goodness, (5) resignation to God’s will, and (6) perseverance. 1. We should pray with attention by forming in our minds the intentions of praying well and of fixing our minds on God. …