expressing beliefs through prayer
Prayer in Christianity
Jesus taught the first Christians how to pray.
Christians traditionally pray together on Sunday but individual prayer is also important.
There are many important symbols in Christian prayer.
how do people pray?
silent prayer (personal prayers)
people say formal + informal prayers
Formal prayers are prayers that members of the world religion would know. for example: Our Father
informal prayers are private prayers that they make up. these prayers are personal. for example: Dear God please help me in my Christmas exams
types Personal prayers:
meditation contemplation
• Silent prayer
• A person calmly thinks about God(s). He or she would use a statue/icon to help them communicate with God • Silent prayer
• It is a deep prayer from the heart. It is more of an advanced type of silent prayer
• This prayer is a form of communication without using words or thoughts of any kind.
communal prayer: communal prayer is public. people gather in a place of worship and pray to God.
what is prayer?
Members of a community of faith listen and talk to God
when do people pray?
members of a community of faith can pray at anytime.
However, people can attend their place of worship to celebrate their faith.
Prayer in Hinduism
The Hindu religious guru, Sri Ramakrishna, spent his life in contemplation.
Contemplation is to focus on or to think about something, e.g. meditation.
One of the main points in Sri Ramakrishna's teaching was the importance of harmony between religions.
Important people of prayer in the five major world religions
Hinduism: Mahatma Gandhi
Judaism: Rabbi Zalman
Buddhism: The Dalai Lama
Islam: Muhammad Ali
Christianity: Mother Teresa
Prayer in Islam
in Islam, one example of prayer that you are already familiar with is the fifth Pillar of Salat, or formal prayer.
Prayer is an important part of everyday life of a Muslim, as they must pray five times a day in the direction of Mecca.
why do people pray?
people pray to God for many reasons:
prayer of petition - asking God for help
prayer of penitence: - asking God for forgiveness
prayer of praise and thanksgiving - praising and thanking God
who do people pray to?
people pray to their God/Gods
Some people pray to people associated with their religion
for example:
the founders or the saints
People can also pray to their deceased loved ones
Prayer in Buddhism
in Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama practised meditation as a way to reach Nirvana.
He taught this method to his Followers.
this form of prayer is practised in Buddhist Temples and other paces of religious significance for Buddhists
where can people pray?
Members of a community of faith can pray anywhere, at home or at a place of worship such as:
Christianity - church
Judaism - synagogue
Islam - mosque
Buddhism - temple
Hinduism - temple/mandir
Prayer in Judaism
Within Judaism, Moses emphasised the importance of prayer.
"Keep holy the Sabbath day" is one of the ten commandments and is a reference to the creation story found in the old Testament, where God rested on the seventh day