Religious Studies - 6 - Christianity - Practices - 196,197 - Types of prayer Flashcards
What are set prayers?
A form of praying that allows Christians to learn and repeat prayers with significant meaning.
How do set prayers enhance communal worship?
They allow individual voices to become a communal voice when recited together.
They allow prayer to become collective.
What is the most well-known example of a set prayer?
The Lord’s Prayer.
Who instructed the disciples to pray using the Lord’s Prayer?
Jesus.
Why do many people find set prayers useful?
They are part of the tradition and ritual of worship that goes back hundreds of years.
How were set prayers originally transmitted before being written down?
By word of mouth.
Which book contains set prayers commonly used by many Protestant denominations in Britain?
The Book of Common Prayer.
What role do set prayers play in Christian services?
They are recited to enhance worship and community.
What are extemporaneous prayers?
Non-formulaic, spontaneous prayers
Why do some Christians prefer extemporaneous prayers?
They believe that spontaneity is more spiritually honest
How do some Christians feel their words are influenced during extemporaneous prayers?
By the presence of the Holy Spirit
Which prayer do some denominations accept as set prayer?
The Lord’s Prayer
What do some Christian denominations believe about repeating set prayers?
The real meaning is lost and people just repeat them without thinking
List reasons why some Christians reject set prayers.
- They believe real meaning is lost
- They think repetition leads to thoughtlessness
What are set prayers characterized by?
Set prayers are written in a particular style of English, namely formal, standard English.
This includes the use of titles like ‘father’ instead of more casual terms like ‘dad’.
Why do some Christians prefer informal prayers?
Some Christians feel they can’t really relate to the set prayers due to their formal language, leading them to adopt an informal voice in their prayers.
What style of language do informal prayers use?
Day-to-day language.
