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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1A

Did someone teach you to pray as you were growing up? What did you learn from them?

What does prayer mean for you personally? How would you define it?

Do you find it easy to talk to God in prayer?

 

1B

What is your favourite way of praying? Why do you find this helpful?

What tips would you give someone who is just starting to pray?

Why is it sometimes hard to pray? What gets in the way? How can we overcome these obstacles?

 

KEY IDEAS FROM THE FILM

What is prayer? The simplest definition is that prayer is a conversation with God. It doesn’t mean we are talking to him all the time, but we spend time with him, we are aware of his presence, and we are trying to open our minds and hearts to him, to share our life with him.

When we pray, we press the pause button. It’s very easy to get trapped in ourselves, in our busyness, and in our worries. But when I pray, I have to remember that there is more to life than me and my concerns. There is a world above me, and a world within me, a spiritual reality that can so often be forgotten. Prayer helps me to see that my life is in God’s hands. It puts things in perspective. I am part of God’s creation, my life has a meaning, and God has a plan for me.

You will often hear about four types of prayer, four different aspects of our relationship with God. There is an easy way to remember them, using the acronym ACTA, A-C-T-A, which stands for: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Asking.

(1) A is for Adoration: We worship God for who he is, and not just for what he gives us. We praise him for his goodness and beauty and love. We adore him through Jesus Christ, and with the whole Church, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Prayer is not just about us, it’s about God. And when we put him at the centre, we come to know who we are as his children. The Psalms are full of praise and adoration. And when we sing, it’s as if we are praying twice over: one with the words and once with the music.

(2) C is for Confession: Not just the Sacrament of Confession, but all the different moments we say sorry to God and confess our sins to him.  Every day, we need to admit our sins and weaknesses, and ask for God’s mercy and help. And we ask for God’s forgiveness for all sinners, especially those most in need of his mercy. These prayers of sorrow, repentance and contrition can bring us joy and peace, because by turning to God in weakness, we allow his power and love to work in our lives.

(3) T is for Thanksgiving, for gratitude: We thank God for who he is, and for what he has done for us. We need to thank him in very particular ways for the blessings he has given us, even if things are difficult. To ‘count our blessings’ is an act of thanksgiving. Grateful hearts are full of joy.

(4) A is for Asking: Sometimes called the prayer of intercession or supplication or petition, this is whenever we ask God for his help in our lives. In the Gospels Jesus says to us, “Ask!” We need to ask God the Father to help us in all our needs: big things, small things, everyday things, spiritual things. We are his children, and we should come to him with childlike simplicity, asking him to give us what we need and what we desire, as long as it is according to his will. We should put these requests into words, not because he is unaware of them, but because he wants us to express our needs and show him how much we trust him. The answer may come much later than we want, or in an unexpected way, but it will always come in some way.

If you have a bit more time, and want to try some different methods of praying, here are five suggestions:

(1) Traditional prayers: There are many prayers in the bible and in the Christian tradition that we can use in our own personal prayer. For example: the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Creeds, the morning offering, an act of contrition, the Psalms, the many prayers composed by the saints. It’s good to have a book with different prayers to use. It’s good to memorise the most important ones.

(2) Talking to God: You can talk to God, in your own words, as you would to a close friend or a loving parent. You can turn to God the Father, or to his Son Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit. The Most Holy Trinity came to dwell within your soul when you were baptised, and if you are not baptised that doesn’t stop you praying with faith in the name of Jesus.

(3) Reading the bible: God can speak to us through words of the bible, which we call “Sacred Scripture”. His Son Jesus is present with us as we read and meditate on his Holy Word. There are many ways of using the bible in personal prayer. We can read through one of the books of the bible or turn to our favourite passages. We can choose a certain story or a parable or a psalm, or follow the readings that are used in the Mass each day.

(4) The rosary: Praying the rosary keeps us close to Jesus and to his mother Mary, and keeps us rooted in the central truths of our Christian faith. When we say the individual prayers, we lift our hearts and minds to God. As we meditate on the mysteries of the rosary, we remember the life of Christ and of his Blessed Mother. One decade of the rosary consists of these prayers: one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be, with each decade representing a particular theme (called a “mystery”) in the life of Jesus or Mary. The prayers are counted on a set of beads on a circular string. It’s traditional to try and pray five decades each day, with some introductory and concluding prayers (you can look them up online).

(5) Silence: We can end up ‘doing’ and ‘saying’ a lot in our prayer time, but we also need some times of silence – to listen to our own hearts, to become aware of his presence. St Teresa of Avila said, “Prayer is an act of love; words are not needed”. We can let go of our own activity, be still, and rest with him, looking at him with the eyes of faith.