Many people ask the question "How do I pray?"
For many, prayer is the daily, moment-by-moment experience of talking with, listening to, and simply being with God. ​
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Talking - because our natural impulse is to share - to express our joys, sorrows, and the concerns we all experience.
Listening - by opening ourselves to God’s presence, encountering God in our own hearts, in the Bible and in other people.
Simply being with God, in a relationship where words aren’t always needed and sitting in God’s presence is enough. At a very basic level one might simply find a space in which to be quiet and bring to mind the people or situations for whom one wishes to pray. Words can be helpful, but are not essential.
Some things that can help us pray
The Pray as You Go App
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This is a 10-12 minute meditation each day, designed for busy people. You can access it on your laptop or mobile device any time. You can find Pray as You Go plus links to Google and Apple apps for it, here
The Jesus Prayer
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This simple way of praying involves repeating of the name of Jesus, often in the form ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner’. It is often combined with a pattern of breathing. It was developed centuries ago in the Christian East and is sometimes said using a prayer rope. This video tells you more about the Jesus Prayer.
The Daily Office
(Also known as Daily Prayer)
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This is the series of services throughout the day that have been prayed in the Church throughout history. At its most basic it is Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, perhaps with Night Prayer. Each consists of psalms, scripture and prayers. Priests, monks and nuns promise to pray the Office every day, and it has also become more popular among lay people in recent years.
The Daily Prayer of the Scottish Episcopal Church can be found here.
The Church of England also offers a Daily Prayer app where you can listen to as well as reading daily prayers.