Saints LightLearning to Pray
A practical, step by step course in Catholic prayer: the Our Father, the Rosary, Scripture, the Examen, the Hours, Adoration, the saints, and what to do when prayer goes dry.
The lessons
- What Is Prayer, and Why Does It Feel So Hard?
Prayer is turning your mind and heart to God, who is already turning toward you; it is a gift, it takes effort, and it begins with admitting you need to be taught.
- The Our Father, Petition by Petition
The Our Father puts God first (his name, his kingdom, his will) and then hands him our needs: bread, forgiveness, protection from temptation and from the Evil One.
- Vocal, Meditative and Contemplative Prayer
Catholics pray with words, with pondering, and with silent loving attention, and all three are good as long as the heart is present to God.
- How Do You Pray the Rosary?
The Rosary is a set of prayers counted on beads while you picture scenes from the life of Jesus, with Mary as your companion, in four sets of mysteries spread across the week.
- Lectio Divina: How Do You Pray with Scripture?
Lectio Divina is reading a short Scripture passage slowly, pondering a word that stands out, answering God in prayer, and then resting quietly with him.
- The Daily Examen: How Do You Review a Day with God?
The Examen is a ten minute prayer at night in which you thank God for the day, ask for light, look honestly at what happened, ask forgiveness, and plan one change for tomorrow.
- The Liturgy of the Hours: What Is the Church's Daily Prayer?
The Liturgy of the Hours is the Church's daily prayer of psalms at set times, and any Catholic can join it, starting with short Night Prayer.
- Eucharistic Adoration: Why Sit Before the Blessed Sacrament?
Because Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, Catholics spend time with him before the tabernacle or the exposed Host, worshiping and simply being with him.
- Why Do Catholics Pray with the Saints and the Angels?
The saints in heaven and the angels are part of God's family and pray for us; we ask their help and honor them, but we worship God alone.
- When Prayer Is Dry: Distraction, Dryness and Perseverance
Distraction and dryness come to everyone who prays; gently return to God, check for causes you can fix, and keep showing up, because faithful dry prayer is real love.
Read Learning to Pray in full
All 10 lessons of this course are in the Saints Light app, with Scripture, three questions each and your progress kept on your phone.
Every course is open free for your first 14 days. After that, one payment of $14.99 unlocks every course. There is no subscription.