The main school of prayer is the family, where Christian beliefs and practices are explained and shared. The Church s liturgy, along with her ministers and teachers, also offer us opportunities to learn how to pray. Religious congregations share their spirituality with others, and we can also learn prayer from the lives and writings of the saints. We should pray for ourselves, our family, relatives, friends and neighbors, the Pope, bishops, priests and religious, government leaders, lawmakers, judges and public officials, the sick and the dying, sinners, unbelievers, the suffering souls in purgatory, and even for our enemies. Three common forms of prayer are vocal prayer, meditation and contemplative prayer.
Vocal prayer is prayer of mind, heart and lips.
It is prayer spoken audibly. Meditation can lead us to know Jesus better and follow him more closely. Reflect on the statutes of the Lord, and meditate at all times on his commandments. Worries, anxieties or physical discomfort can distract us, while other distractions may come from the devil. The efforts we make to overcome these distractions make our prayer better and more pleasing to God.