Prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifie ...

has been an essential part of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

since its earliest days. Prayer is an integral element of the Christian faith and permeates all forms of Christian worship. Prayer in Christianity is the tradition of communicating with

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

, either in God's fullness or as one of the persons of the

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

. In the early Church worship was inseparable from doctrine as reflected in the statement: '' lex orandi, lex credendi'', i.e. the law of belief is the law of prayer. The

Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...

was an essential element of the meetings of early Christians, and over time a variety of

Christian prayer Christian prayer is an important activity in Christianity, and there are several different forms used for this practice. Christian prayers are diverse: they can be completely spontaneous, or read entirely from a text, such as from a breviary, ...

emerged. As early as the 2nd century, Christians indicated the eastward direction of prayer by placing a Christian cross on the eastern wall of their house or church, prostrating in front of it as they prayed at seven fixed prayer times. Christian prayers are diverse and may vary among Christian denominations. They may be public prayers (e.g. as part of

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

) or private prayers by an individual (e.g. praying the seven

canonical hours In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark the divisions of the day in terms of fixed times of prayer at regular intervals. A book of hours, chiefly a breviary, normally contains a version of, or selection from, such prayers. In ...

with a

breviary A breviary (Latin: ''breviarium'') is a liturgical book used in Christianity for praying the canonical hours, usually recited at seven fixed prayer times. Historically, different breviaries were used in the various parts of Christendom, such ...

). Prayers may be performed as adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (abbreviated as ACTS). A broad, three stage

hierarchical A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...

characterization of prayer begins with vocal prayer, then moves on to a more structured form in terms of

Christian meditation Christian meditation is a form of prayer in which a structured attempt is made to become aware of and reflect upon the revelations of God. The word meditation comes from the Latin word ''meditārī'', which has a range of meanings including to r ...

, and finally reaches the multiple layers of

contemplative prayer Christian mysticism is the tradition of mystical practices and mystical theology within Christianity which "concerns the preparation f the personfor, the consciousness of, and the effect of ..a direct and transformative presence of God" ...

.''Simple Ways to Pray'' by Emilie Griffin 2005 page 134 Contemplative prayer follows Christian meditation and is the highest form of prayer which aims to achieve a close spiritual union with God. Both Eastern and Western Christian teachings have emphasized the use of meditative prayers as an element in increasing one's

knowledge of Christ The knowledge of Christ refers to one of two possible, and at times related, topics in Christology: one addresses how Christians come to know Christ, the other focuses on the knowledge of Christ about the world. Discussions regarding the knowledge ...

.''Teaching world civilization with joy and enthusiasm'' by Benjamin Lee Wren 2004 page 236''The Way of Perfection'' by Teresa of Avila 2007 page 145''The Byzantine Empire'' by Robert Browning 1992 page 238''The last centuries of Byzantium'', 1261-1453 by Donald MacGillivray Nicol 2008 page 211

Development of the three stages of prayer

Early Christianity

Prayer and the reading of Scripture were important elements of

Early Christianity Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewis ...

. In the early Church worship was inseparable from doctrine as reflected in the statement: '' lex orandi, lex credendi'', i.e. the law of belief is the law of prayer.''The Formation of Christian Doctrine'' by Malcolm B. Yarnell 2007 page 147 Early Christian liturgies highlight the importance of prayer. The

was an essential element in the meetings held by the very early Christians, and it was spread by them as they preached Christianity in new lands.''The Lord's Prayer in the Early Church'' by Frederic Henry Chase 2004 pages 13-15 Over time, a variety of prayers were developed as the production of early Christian literature intensified.''The Encyclopedia of Christian Literature, Volume 1'' by George Thomas Kurian 2010 pages 135-138 By the 3rd century

Origen Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and the ...

had advanced the view of "Scripture as a sacrament".''Reading to live: the evolving practice of Lectio divina'' by Raymond Studzinski 2010 pages 26-35 Origen's methods of interpreting Scripture and praying on them were learned by Ambrose of Milan, who towards the end of the 4th century taught them to

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

, thereby introducing them into the monastic traditions of the

Western Church Western Christianity is one of two sub-divisions of Christianity (Eastern Christianity being the other). Western Christianity is composed of the Latin Church and Western Protestantism, together with their offshoots such as the Old Catholic ...

thereafter.Vatican website: ''Benedict XVI, General Audience'' 2 May 2007
/ref>''The Fathers of the church: from Clement of Rome to Augustine of Hippo'' by Pope Benedict XVI 2009 page 100 Early models of Christian monastic life emerged in the 4th century, as the

Desert Fathers The Desert Fathers or Desert Monks were early Christian hermits and ascetics, who lived primarily in the Scetes desert of the Roman province of Egypt, beginning around the third century AD. The is a collection of the wisdom of some of the ea ...

began to seek God in the deserts of Palestine and Egypt.''Christian spirituality: themes from the tradition'' by Lawrence S. Cunningham, Keith J. Egan 1996 page 88-94''Globalization of Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer: Contesting Contemplation'' by Christopher D. L. Johnson 2010 pages 31-38 These early communities gave rise to the tradition of a Christian life of "constant prayer" in a monastic setting which eventually resulted in meditative practices in the

Eastern Church Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...

during the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

period.

Meditation in the Middle Ages

During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, the monastic traditions of both

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and

Eastern Christianity Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent an ...

moved beyond vocal prayer to

. These progressions resulted in two distinct and different meditative practices: Lectio Divina in the West and

hesychasm Hesychasm (; Greek: Ησυχασμός) is a contemplative monastic tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which stillness (''hēsychia'') is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer. While rooted in early Christian monasticism, it took i ...

in the East. Hesychasm involves the repetition of the

Jesus Prayer The Jesus Prayer,; syr, ܨܠܘܬܐ ܕܝܫܘܥ, translit=slotho d-yeshu'; syr, label=Amharic, Geez and Tigrinya, እግዚኦ መሐረነ ክርስቶስ, translit=igizi'o meḥarene kirisitosi. "Note: We are still searching the Fathers for t ...

, but Lectio Divina uses different Scripture passages at different times and although a passage may be repeated a few times, Lectio Divina is not repetitive in nature.

In the

, by the 6th century, Saint Benedict and

Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...

had initiated the formal methods of scriptural prayer called Lectio Divina. With the motto ''

Ora et labora The phrase pray and work (or 'pray and labor'; Latin: ''ora et labora'') refers to the Catholic monastic practice of working and praying, generally associated with its use in the Rule of Saint Benedict. History "Ora et labora" (pray and work ...

'' (i.e. pray and work), daily life in a Benedictine monastery consisted of three elements: liturgical prayer, manual labor and Lectio Divina, a quiet prayerful reading of the Bible. This slow and thoughtful reading of

Scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pra ...

, and the ensuing pondering of its meaning, was their

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

.''Holy Conversation: Spirituality for Worship'' by Jonathan Linman 2010 pages 32-37 Early in the 12th century, Saint

Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, O. Cist. ( la, Bernardus Claraevallensis; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templars, and a major leader in the reformation of the Benedictine Order through t ...

was instrumental in re-emphasizing the importance of Lectio Divina within the

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint B ...

order.''Christian spirituality: themes from the tradition'' by Lawrence S. Cunningham, Keith J. Egan 1996 pages 91-92 Bernard also emphasized the role of the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

in contemplative prayer and compared it to a kiss by the Eternal Father which allows a union with God. The progression from Bible reading, to meditation, to loving regard for God, was first formally described by

Guigo II Guigo II, sometimes referred to as Guy, or by the moniker "the Angelic", was a Carthusian monk and the 9th prior of Grande Chartreuse monastery, from 1174 to 1180. He died possibly in 1188 or 1193, and is distinct from both Guigo I, the 5th prior ...

, a

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has i ...

monk who died late in the 12th century.''Christian spirituality: themes from the tradition'' by Lawrence S. Cunningham, Keith J. Egan 1996 pages 38-39 Guigo II's book ''The Ladder of Monks'' is considered the first description of methodical prayer in the western mystical tradition. In

, the monastic traditions of "constant prayer" that traced back to the Desert Fathers and

Evagrius Pontikos Evagrius Ponticus ( grc-gre, Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Georgian: ევაგრე ქართველი), also called Evagrius the Solitary (345–399 AD), was a Christian monk and ascetic from Heraclea, a city on the coast ...

established the practice of

and influenced

John Climacus John Climacus ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης τῆς Κλίμακος; la, Ioannes Climacus), also known as John of the Ladder, John Scholasticus and John Sinaites, was a 6th–7th-century Christian monk at the monastery on Mount Sinai. He is re ...

' book ''

The Ladder of Divine Ascent ''The Ladder of Divine Ascent'' or ''Ladder of Paradise'' (Κλίμαξ; ''Scala'' or ''Climax Paradisi'') is an important ascetical treatise for monasticism in Eastern Christianity, written by John Climacus in AD; it was requested by John, A ...

'' by the 7th century. These meditative prayers were promoted and supported by Saint

Gregory Palamas Gregory Palamas ( el, Γρηγόριος Παλαμᾶς; c. 1296 – 1359) was a Byzantine Greek theologian and Eastern Orthodox cleric of the late Byzantine period. A monk of Mount Athos (modern Greece) and later archbishop of Thessaloniki, he ...

in the 14th century. Word and Sacrament

From meditation to contemplative prayer

In the Western Church, during the 15th century, reforms of the clergy and monastic settings were undertaken by the two Venetians, Lorenzo Giustiniani and Louis Barbo. Both men considered methodical prayer and meditation as essential tools for the reforms they were undertaking.''The church in Italy in the fifteenth century'' by Denys Hay 2002 page 76 Barbo, who died in 1443, wrote a treatise on prayer titled ''Forma orationis et meditionis'' otherwise known as ''Modus meditandi''. He described three types of prayer; vocal prayer, best suited for beginners; meditation, oriented towards those who are more advanced; and contemplation as the highest form of prayer, only obtainable after the meditation stage. Based on the request of

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV ( la, Eugenius IV; it, Eugenio IV; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 March 1431 to his death in February 1447. Condulmer was a Venetian, and ...

, Barbo introduced these methods to

Valladolid Valladolid () is a municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. It has a population around 300,000 peop ...

, Spain and by the end of the 15th century they were being used at the

abbey of Montserrat Santa Maria de Montserrat () is an abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict located on the mountain of Montserrat in Monistrol de Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. It is notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat. The monastery was f ...

. These methods then influenced Garcias de Cisneros, who in turn influenced

Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian ...

. The

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...

has a similar three level hierarchy of prayer.''Orthodox prayer life: the interior way'' by Mattá al-Miskīn 2003 St Vladimir Press, "Chapter 2: Degrees of Prayer" pages 39-4

/ref>''The art of prayer: an Orthodox anthology'' by Igumen Chariton 1997 pages 63-65 The first level prayer is again vocal prayer, the second level is meditation (also called "inward prayer" or "discursive prayer") and the third level is contemplative prayer in which a much closer relationship with God is cultivated.

Hierarchy of prayer forms

Prayer

Albrecht Dürer - Praying Hands, 1508 - Google Art Project

Prayer is an integral element of the Christian faith and permeates all forms of Christian worship.''Christianity: an introduction'' by Alister E. McGrath 2006 pages 296-297''Foundations of Christian Worship'' by Susan J. White 2006 0664229247 ISBN pages 27-31 Prayer in Christianity is the tradition of communicating with

, either in God's fullness or as one of the persons of the

. Christian prayers are diverse and may vary among Christian denominations. They may be public prayers (e.g. as part of

) or private prayers by an individual. The most common prayer among Christians is the

, which according to the

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

accounts (e.g. Matthew 6:9-13) is how

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

taught his

disciples A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...

to pray.''Examining Religions: Christianity Foundation Edition'' by Anne Geldart 1999 page 108 The Lord's prayer is a model for prayers of adoration, confession and petition in Christianity. The first centuries of Christianity witnessed an intense growth in religious literature and these often included prayers. The prayers recorded in early Christian literature can be categorized into six types: petition (including intercession), thanksgiving, blessing (or benediction), praise, confession and finally a small number of lamentations. The first five of these types have persisted throughout the centuries and been expressed in a large number of Christian prayers. However some prayers may combine some of these forms, e.g. praise and thanksgiving, etc.

Meditation

Christian meditation is a structured attempt to get in touch with and deliberately reflect upon the revelations of

. The word

comes from the Latin word ''meditārī'', which has a range of meanings including to reflect on, to study and to practice. Christian meditation is the process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts (such as a bible passage) and reflecting on their meaning in the context of the love of God. In the 20th century the practice of Lectio Divina moved out of monastic settings and reached lay Christians in the Western Church. Separately, among

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, meditation on the Rosary remains one of the most widespread and popular spiritual practices. While meditation in the Western Church was being built on the foundations of Lectio Divina, a different form of meditative practice emerged within Eastern Christianity during the

period, as the practice of

gained a following, specially on

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the peni ...

in Greece. Hesychasm was promoted by Saint

in the 14th century and remains a part of Eastern Christian spirituality. Both Eastern and Western Christian teachings have emphasized the use of Christian meditation as an element in increasing one's

. Christian meditation aims to heighten the personal relationship based on the love of God that marks Christian communion.''Christian Meditation'' by Edmund P. Clowney, 1979 pages 12-13''The encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 3'' by Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley 2003 page 488 It is the middle level in a broad three stage characterization of prayer: it involves more reflection than first level vocal

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifie ...

, but is more structured than the multiple layers of

contemplation In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with prayer or meditation. Etymology The word ''contemplation'' is derived from the Latin word ...

in Christianity.

Contemplation

At times there may be no clear-cut boundary between Christian meditation and Christian contemplation, and they overlap. Meditation serves as a foundation on which the contemplative life stands, the practice by which someone begins the state of contemplation.Mattá al-Miskīn, ''Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way''
(St Vladimir's Seminary Press 2003 ), p. 56 In discursive meditation, mind and imagination and other faculties are actively employed in an effort to understand our relationship with God. In contemplative prayer, this activity is curtailed, so that

has been described as "a gaze of faith", "a silent love"."Contemplative prayer is the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery"
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2724).
/ref>

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prayer in Christianity Spiritual practice