catholic: is ok to just pray from the Heart?

Question

I am praying for my friends but I just say the words from my Heart.
is it ok???? or should I say Mary, God, Jesus and all that stuff?
I need to read The Bible someday

woooow thanks

Answer 1

Pastor Billy says: what you claim as praying from the heart is really informal prayer I think. Just because one uses informal doesn't actually achieve prayer from the heart every time. Using formal prayers can achieve prayer from the heart also but to give you an answer you can use either it would be okay in Catholicism.


Re: formal prayer
There are innumerable ways in which to pray and many methods of prayer. One of the greatest helps to prayer is a book of prayers. It puts at our fingertips a precious treasury of words by which we can approach God every day. Prayers of this type also convey a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Church's teaching. In a subtle and unobtrusive fashion they teach the Faith while allowing us to approach God. By using them we not only come closer to God but also get to know Him better with every passing day.
It goes without saying that we can also pray in our own words however, ready made prayers are there for those times when we do not know what to say and need help speaking to God.

For those attacking memorised or what I'm calling formal prayer be mindful the saints in heaven pray continuously Santus, Santus, Santus meaning Holy, holy, holy and Jesus himself repeated prayer both can be found in... the bible ;)

repetitious prayer and vain repetitious prayer are not the same thing.

Answer 2

Well, I don't want this to sound confrontational, but can you point to a Bible verse that says we should be praying to Mary? The Bible seems to be saying that the dead rest until the Resurrection (and I think God's Word would tell us if Mary had been an exception). I would greatly encourage you to read the Bible. I think that a lot of the time church errors creep in and push us away from God when His Word could show us the truth. There is really only one example of a common prayer in the NT, and that's the Lord's Prayer. We don't need to quote it verbatim, but it shows us the key things we should be speaking to God about. However, Christ and the apostles prayed many different prayers and they were never repetitive or followed the same exact formula.

Answer 3

“Also, when YOU pray, YOU must not be as the hypocrites; because they like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the broad ways to be visible to men. Truly I say to YOU, They are having their reward in full.  You, however, when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you.

 But when praying, do not say the same things over and over again, just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words.

 So, do not make yourselves like them, for God YOUR Father knows what things YOU are needing before ever YOU ask him. Matthew 6:5-8

Yes you should pray from the heart. If all you do is repeat memorized prayers that everyone else is saying, then...you are not praying from the heart. You are in fact, Robotic. How would you like a loved one to say the same thing to you all the time. Not expressing what they feel, but only expressing a memorized sentence. On the other hand how would you like a loved one to say things to you from the heart. Such as I love you.

Answer 4

It is beautiful to pray from the heart. Did you ever see Fiddler on the Roof? There was something about Tevie. He fussed at God. I think we have to lay it on the line with God and let it all out, even if we have to fuss at God.
Read the Bible. But keep the faith. God loves you. Maybe you could check with your parish priest and see if there is a Bible study you can get involved with.

Answer 5

Yes.

Catholicism includes a rich tradition of both informal (in our own words) and formal prayer just like our Jewish forefathers.

The Church teaches "the memorization of basic prayers offers an essential support to the life of prayer, but it is important to help learners savor their meaning." In other words, the Church emphasizes that formal prayer should not be mindless lip moving but instead a formal expression of clearly understood and heartfelt sentiments.

Catholics pray from the heart in both formal and informal prayer.

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

As a Catholic you can pray anyway you'd like. When you make your morning offering, your whole day is a prayer. This means that the good job of mopping the floor is a prayer. Just conversation with our Lord is prayer in any form.

Answer 7

Dear Sister in Christ.... just pray and speak your heart, God will hear you. Also, in Romans, Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us pray and makes it all ok with God.

Just trust Jesus and however you pray, God will love you for it and He will answer. Believe that what you ask for and you will receive it.

May Jesus be with you.

Answer 8

A personal prayer like that, you can offer any number of ways. Out loud or silent from the heart, it's all good.

Answer 9

Yes, you should ALWAYS pray from your heart, even when praying to Mary and the saints.

Answer 10

The best prays come from the heart. For they come from the love you have for that person.