An Introduction:
Prayer lies at the heart of Christian belief and practice. Christ himself prayed many times and throughout the Bible we find many people engaged in the practice of prayer. At its most basic, prayer may be simply seen as the talking part of a Christian believer's relationship to God. Here are some of the prayers that have been used by Christians today.
The Lord's Prayer:
This prayer is based on the words of Jesus Christ found in Matthew 6:10-15 and Luke 11:2-4.
Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
For ever and ever
Amen.
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Prayer before a Crucifix:
This is a prayer from the Roman Catholic tradition. A related series of prayers focus on the suffering of Christ and are known as the stations of the cross.
Behold, O Kind and most sweet Jesus, before Thy face I humbly kneel,and with the most fervent desire of soul, I pray and beseech Thee to impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment.
With deep affection and grief of soul, I ponder within myself, mentally contemplating Thy five wounds, having before my eyes the words which David the Prophet spoke concerning Thee: "They have pierced my hands and my feet, they have numbered all my bones."
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Prayer at mealtimes:
This prayer is sometimes said before breakfast and comes from the Orthodox tradition.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us!
Lord, cleanse us from our sins!
Master, pardon our transgressions!
Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for Thou art holy, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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Post-Baptismal Prayer:
This prayer was taken from a Baptismal Service at a Methodist Church.
Generous God
Touch Us Again with the fire of your Spirit
And renew in us all the Grace of Our Baptism
That we may profess the one true faith
And live in love and unity
With all who are baptised into Christ
Amen.
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The Serenity Prayer:
This is a popular prayer attributed to the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892 - 1971).
God grant me
Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and
Wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship
as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.
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