Various Styles of Praying

There are a number of different types of prayer. The most famous prayer is the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is used by every Christian church. The other types of prayers are praise and worship, Thanksgiving, confession, supplication or request, or meditation. You should remember it is not what type of prayer it is, but the focus should be on the prayer.

Praise and worship prayer means praying with praise. Jesus started the Lord’s Prayer with praise. In this prayer it is a spontaneous, natural one, telling God thanks. It is not looking forward to getting something. Thanksgiving is a prayer when you are thankful for something. A grateful spirit is where your faith, hope and love will grow.

Confession is “I’m sorry, I messed up, please forgive me." Many people forget the blessings received each day. Supplication is what most people think of as a topic prayer. It is when you ask God for His presence. Meditative prayer may make you think of the Quakers when they sit in silence for a period of time, meditating, contemplative, with prayers in the center of the focus.

There is also formal prayer where you read an already written prayer, or the congregation repeating the Lord’s Prayer. Conversational prayer is when you talk to God like you talk to your loved ones. You tell it like it is, you can praise, thank Him for something, confess or ask for something. Devotional or scriptural is where you read a Bible passage, or a devotional reading, and then wait in meditation. Prayer walking is when you walk and pray, it may be on a nature trail, or through a neighborhood. Many intercessors walk and pray. Spontaneous prayer is just that, you think of something and pray about it.