"Prayer, regarded in itself, is speech with God..." (Arcana Coelestia 2535).

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our God" (Psalm 95:6).

A prayer is a conversation with our heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an integral aspect of worship because in it we are turning to the Lord. Prayer lifts our thoughts to Him, as we seek for help or offer thanksgiving. We may not receive the answers we want or expect, but the Lord does respond to the prayers of our heart, and always by looking out for our eternal happiness.

The Lord Himself gave us a perfect, complete prayer - the Lord's Prayer - while He was on earth. This prayer praises the Lord our God, acknowledges our limitations, seeks His help, and thanks Him. The Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church teaches us that these words contain infinite levels of meaning. As we say the Lord's Prayer on earth and understand it on one level, the angels of heaven hear and understand it on another. For this prayer connects us with the Lord and His angels and also helps to protect us from evil.

We hope these materials will strengthen your understanding and love for this precious way of opening up our minds and hearts to receive the Lord.   

Highlights for this month include:

"Lord Teach Us to Pray" by the Rev. Daniel Fitzpatrick
Genuine prayer is the heart speaking, asking for guidance or praising the Lord.

"The Lord's Prayer" by the Rev. Patrick Rose
The Lord wants us to pray to Him, communicating with Him and opening our minds to what He is offering us.

  Song: Standing in the Need of Prayer (PDF)

  Make a Prayer Journal (PDF)
Keep a journal of prayers as part of your ongoing conversation with the Lord.

  The Lord's Prayer Book (PDF)
Illustrate your own book about the Lord's Prayer, following the suggestions given below each phrase of the prayer.

An Overview of Projects and Activities for Families (html)
Projects and activities about the Lord's Prayer, Prayer from the Heart, Conversation with the Lord, and How the Lord Answers Prayer.

  Lord's Prayer Calligraphy with a Border to Color (PDF)

 Analyzing the Lord's Prayer (PDF)
Look at the Prayer to see which parts are statements and which are requests. Then look again to identify which parts are words of praise, which parts acknowledge our struggles with evil, which are words of petition, and which parts thanks the Lord.

  Teen Prayers on Praying to the Lord (PDF)

 Food for Thought: How the Lord Answers Our Prayers (PDF)
Explore the different ways that the Lord may choose to answer our prayers.

 Sunday School Lesson on How to Pray (PDF)