"Lord, Teach us to Pray": A Simple Guide to the 3 Types of Prayer

Jesus gave us the most foundational prayer in the Our Father, teaching His disciples how to pray.

The Church identifies three types of prayer - all seen in Jesus’ own life.

Vocal Prayer:

Vocal prayer is a form of prayer, modeled after Christ’s own prayers recorded in Scripture, in which we use words- spoken, written, or sung, to talk to God.

Examples of Vocal prayer: 

• The Rosary

• The Mass

• Praise and Worship

• Journaling

• Spoken prayer

In the Catechism...

Vocal prayer, founded on the union of body and soul in human nature, associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart, following Christ's example of praying to his Father and teaching the Our Father to his disciples. (CCC 2722)

Meditative Prayer:

Meditative Prayer is modeled after Christ’s withdrawal from the world to pray, and involves thinking about and meditating on God’s Word or His actions in the world & one’s own life.

Examples of Meditative Prayer: 

• The Rosary

• Lectio Divina

• Spiritual reading

• Reflective journaling

In the Catechism...

“Meditation is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. Its goal is to make our own in faith the subject considered, by confronting it with the reality of our own life.” (CCC 2723)

Contemplative Prayer:

Contemplative prayer is most simply described as gazing at God and being present with Him. It’s modeled after Jesus’ perfect union with the Father, and we can also imitate Mary of Bethany in sitting at Jesus’ feet.

Examples of Contemplative Prayer: 

• Silent Adoration

• Sitting in stillness with God

• Gazing at a crucifix or icon

• Imaginative Prayer

In the Catechism...

“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.” 

(CCC 2724)

Just like the Disciples...

We can ask Jesus to teach us to pray!

When you talk to God (or read... or sit in silence) today, ask Him to simply teach you how to pray.

💬 Which form of prayer do you turn to most often?