Prayer (religion)

Hands in prayerFor Alberto Durero, Col. Albertina, Vienna.

The prayer, prayer or prayer is the action by which a person addresses a divinity or a sacred person. The steps, the characteristics and to whom the prayer is directed are based on the faith of the individual who performs said activity.

The term pray comes from the Latin re-citāre which uses the prefix re which means repetition and citāre which means to quote, while to pray comes from the Latin orāre which means 'orally', on the other hand precarious prayer, in Latin it means request.

Etymology

From the Latin oratio, -onis. Etymologically it is an oral expression, that is, it must be expressed with language. Although there are several types of prayer, and it is not always expressed with a language of words, both verbal and mental, it can also be expressed through gestures such as dances. Religions usually grant validity to the mere repetition of a few words, which elevate thought towards God, which can even be in a language that the person praying does not understand (the so-called sacred languages: Sanskrit, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Arabic...), or concepts that are difficult to understand in the language itself. In popular religiosity, it is the words themselves that have the curative power or the religious efficacy in question.

Physical posture during prayer

"In time of war, the prayer of the good." Illustration of Mariano Foix (1898).

Usually the act of prayer is accompanied by some physical posture, such as joining the palms of the hands, or showing open hands; opening the arms in the cross; looking up at the sky, either looking down or hiding your face in your hands; making movements in the form of vaivén; and prostration, as a way of humiliating oneself in an ascetic attitude of conversion, such as kneeling or bowing (in Greek proskynesis). There is a position, originating from Zen Buddhism, adopted by Christian monks, called the diamond position or Carmelite position, in which the prayer kneels, sitting on the heels, with the palms of the hands open, facing upwards, on the knees, in an attitude of recollection and reception. Suitable objects have even been designed for this purpose: kneelers, in Catholicism, and prayer rugs (such as the Baluch Carpet), in Islam and Coptic Christianity.

Muslim prayer requires a highly codified ritual of postures, including orientation towards Mecca.

Ordinarily, contemporary Jews do not bow down. However, they bowed down while reciting prayers, and today they hold a ritual of reciprocating prayers in front of the Wailing Wall and sacred texts. Modern Ethiopians have the custom of bowing, probably due to the ancient Jews who immigrated to Ethiopia in ancient days. The Ethiopian slant is similar to the Japanese slant.

The awkward posture during prayer or its long duration can be considered a light form of physical mortification, which in some cases manifests itself in blows; these can be simply stylized (for example, raising the fist to the chest when saying Because of me, because of me, because of my great fault, of the Catholic confiteor -me, sinner-), or exceptionally be real. However, these self-aggressions for religious purposes are not so much typical of prayer as of some form of penance.

Christianity

Catholicism

According to the Catholic Church, prayer is a dialogue between God and men. Man has been created to glorify God, through prayer he is given glory, from which the human being benefits spiritually, receiving Love of the Father by communion with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, one contemplates God, thanks him, asks for forgiveness and asks for his blessing and help. Normally, to pray, a climate of recollection, silence and interior solitude is needed to facilitate union with God; although there are moments of community prayer that make it difficult, without being less effective. When praying, each one can do it in their own words or resort to some of the traditional prayers of the Church.

• Ave Maria
• Our Father
• Gloria Patri
• Rosario
• Agree
• Salve
• Magnificat
• Liturgy of the Hours
• Other prayers

Jesus gives an example of prayer in the Garden of Olives, when he prayed and said "Father, not my will but yours be done" (Mk 14, 36).

A substantial difference between Catholicism and Protestantism is the role in the prayers of the Virgin Mary and the saints. On that point there are no differences between Catholicism and the Orthodox Church or the other Eastern churches.

The Second Vatican Council says that "from his very birth, man is invited to dialogue with God".

Types of sentences

According to the Christian faith, prayer can be:

• Verbal (The Our Father, for example.)
• Mental (e.g. Casticism or Hesiquia, in which the name of Jesus is mentally repeated)
• Meditation (like lectio divina or spiritual reading, meditating on the Bible or texts of spirituality)
• Contemplation (For example, it can be reached in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. To reach the state of contemplation can be made use of different types of prayer, usually the meditation.)
• Request
• Thanksgiving
• Intercession (oration for the needs of others)
• Offering to God the work of every day, or an acquired good,
• Conversion (When there is a feeling of repentance and there is an intention to live more according to the Gospel.)
• Praise (Congs are often used)
• Hearing
• Written statement
• Visual
• From abandonment
• Foster care
• Lifting

These types of prayer do not have to be separated, they can be exercised at the same time, or triggered one after the other; For example, by praying the Rosary, a verbal prayer is made with well-known prayers, each mystery corresponding to a stage in the life of Jesus Christ can be meditated on, and < i>petition prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

The Virgin Mary, Intercessor in Prayer

Mary prayingFor Sassoferrato.

Apostolic Tradition considers the Virgin Mary, "interces of all grace" and "suppliant omnipotence" in the sentence.

Christ becomes human in the womb of Mary, giving her consent to the angel sent by God,"Let it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1,38).

Her condition as intercessor is manifested in the visit that Mary, pregnant, makes to her cousin Elizabeth; Her mere presence, carrying the Messiah in her womb, fills the son Elizabeth is expecting (John the Baptist) with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1,41-45).

The grace of supplicating omnipotence of Mary is established by Jesus himself at the wedding in Cana, by turning water into wine, simply because his Mother made the need present to him. And this happened despite the fact that it was not yet the time to start his mission (Jn 2,1-11).

In addition, respecting the mandate of Jesus crucified, Catholics recognize her as the Mother of men, knowing that by the same mandate, she recognizes us as children and sisters us with Jesus. (Jn 19,26-27)

The Communion of Saints

The concept of the Communion of Saints, by making all Christians share in the merits of the saints, in addition to those of Christ, for their own salvation, is expressed from the Christian tradition from the perspective that death does not it is the end of life, but it is the beginning of eternal life with God. The concept of the communion of saints is that through our prayer and the prayer of those who are already in the presence of God (saints) we can praise God. This concept of "communion" It implies that the Church in heaven (Triumphant Church) and that on earth (Church Militant) are united through prayer. It allows a kind of cult of saints (cult of dulia) different from the cult due to God (cult of latria: giving it to another entity is considered idolatry), since they should not be attributed to holy divine merits. This cult includes the veneration of their relics and images and the recitation of prayers.

Protestantism

According to Protestantism; it is Jesus who gives the teachings on how to pray. He says: "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing up in the synagogues and in the corners of the squares so that people can see them. I assure you that they have already obtained their full reward. But you, when you start to pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is in secret. So your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when praying, do not talk just to talk like the Gentiles do, because they imagine that they will be heard for their many words. Don't be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:5-8) (New International Version)

This is why for Protestants, the Our Father prayer is more of a thematic scheme, and not a prayer to be recited repetitively.

In prayer, everything points to belief. Jesus says: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Because everyone who asks receives; If you search you will find; and to him who knocks, it is opened." (Matthew 7:7-8). And then he goes on to say, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:22) (New International Version).

Protestantism considers Jesus as the only redeemer and intercessor between God and humanity. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one reaches the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He himself tells his disciples "Truly I assure you that my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." (John 16:23). And then John says: 'My dear children, I am writing these things to you so that you do not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an intercessor before the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous. He is the sacrifice for the forgiveness of* our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2) (New International Version).

The moments of prayer are carried out freely, according to the feeling that each person possesses at the time, or according to the feeling of the Holy Spirit as mentioned by Pentecostals and Evangelicals. This occurs even during mass gatherings like Sunday worship.

Mormons

According to the Latter Day Saint Movement, better known as Mormons, prayer is reverent communication with God during which a person gives thanks and asks for blessings. The prayer is addressed to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ and can be done out loud and/or mentally. Thoughts can also be a prayer if they are addressed to God. The song of the righteous is a prayer to God (D&C 25:12).

The purpose of prayer is not to change God's will, but to obtain blessings that God is willing to bestow, but that must be requested in order to receive them.

To offer a prayer, the person must follow these steps:

1. Our Heavenly Father
2. We thank you for...
3. We ask you...
4. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Islamic

Muslim prayers, by Yousef Abdinejad.

Ṣalāt (Arabic: صلاة; plural: ṣalawāt, Quranic Arabic: صلوة <<pray or bless>>) generally refers to the prayers of the Muslims to God; and most commonly to the five daily prayers of Islam, which are:

• Fajr (from the dawn to the moment before sunrise)
• Dhuhr (Pope after noon)
• Asr (in the afternoon)
• Magrib (After sunset) ma'ariv in Hebrew)
• Isha (1.5 hours after sunset until Fajr's prayer.)

Here is the position it occupies and the concept of the Salat prayer.

1-. Prayer is the second of the pillars of Islam

Said the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him: “Islam stands on five pillars: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his servant, and the practice of As- Room ” [ Muttafaq 'alaih ]

2-. Prayer is the best of works

The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The best work is As-Sala at the beginning of its time” [ Quoted by At-Tirmidhi ]

3-. Prayer is the difference between Islam and disbelief

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Surely between man and disbelief and polytheism is the abandonment of As-Sala ” [ Quoted by Muslim ]

4-. Prayer is the basis of Islam and on it, after Tawhid, Islam is built

The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: “The head of this matter is Islam and its backbone is As-Sala ” [ Quoted by Ahmad ]

Judaism

Judaism requires prayers upon waking, at dusk, at dusk, and after each meal. There are also special blessings for all the joys, all the bliss, and all the pains and sorrows. The Jewish religion strictly prohibits prayers to ask others for bad omens, or to ask for the past to be changed. Some prayers require the presence of ten male members of the community. There are also the Shacharit prayers in the morning, Mincha at noon and Arvit at night and added on Shabbat there is one called Mincha which are very important in the daily life of a Jew.

Eastern religions

Parallels have been found between monasticism, the ascetic and mystical paths of Christianity, and some Eastern religions.

Buddhism

The repetition of mantras and the mere fact of turning a prayer wheel can be understood as forms of Buddhist prayer.

The practice of meditation, central to Buddhism, can itself be considered a form of prayer (and vice versa).