Basics of Prayer

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (articles 2623-2649) spells out five things that all Christian prayer should do. No matter what style of prayer we use, we should strive to do all of these things as much as possible:

Adoration and blessing is the general attitude our prayer should take. Adoration is the acknowledgment that we are God’s creatures and children; completely dependent on Him, but also that His love for us is without measure and without end.
Prayer of petition is the kind of prayer most of us do most of the time – asking God for good things. Prayers of petition acknowledge God as the source of all goodness. They are also God’s invitation to us to participate in His blessings in our lives by asking Him and persevering in prayer.
Prayers of intercession are great acts of love, for we ask for good things not for ourselves but for others. Again, praying for others acknowledges God as the source of all goodness and also is God’s invitation to us to participate in His blessing of others.
Prayers of thanksgiving reflect the Eucharist, the central prayer of the Church. The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving,” and the Mass is an act of thanks to Jesus for His self-offering to us. Prayers of thanksgiving acknowledge God’s goodness, but they also shape our hearts so that we keep at the center of our lives the Giver, rather than the gifts that He gives.
Prayers of praise vocalize our adoration of God. Praise focuses our hearts on God for His own sake, without any ulterior motives. Praise is a vocal expression of our love for God.