Personal Devotion
Christianity is a largely community-centric faith, however there is a distinct sense of God, Jesus and Christianity itself to the individual adherent. This is known as (or termed as) ‘personal devotion’. There are numerous different types of personal devotion and a number of ways in which it can be expressed depending on the person.
In Christianity there is a distinct emphasis on prayer in the everyday lives of Christians, as it follows the tradition established long ago and reaffirms the relationship of God to man, first brought about by the covenant promised to Moses and the Israelites by God. This tradition of prayer and direct relationship was continued in the life of Jesus and; since Christians aim to model their lives to that of Jesus the role of prayer rituals is significant. While there are certain prayers such as The Rosary and The Divine Office which are communally led, prayer remains a largely intimate element of Christianity.
As such there are a pair of major categories of personal devotion within Christianity; both comprised of different forms of prayer.
1. Traditional and formal prayer; and
2. Informal and spontaneous prayer
Christianity is a largely community-centric faith, however there is a distinct sense of God, Jesus and Christianity itself to the individual adherent. This is known as (or termed as) ‘personal devotion’. There are numerous different types of personal devotion and a number of ways in which it can be expressed depending on the person.
In Christianity there is a distinct emphasis on prayer in the everyday lives of Christians, as it follows the tradition established long ago and reaffirms the relationship of God to man, first brought about by the covenant promised to Moses and the Israelites by God. This tradition of prayer and direct relationship was continued in the life of Jesus and; since Christians aim to model their lives to that of Jesus the role of prayer rituals is significant. While there are certain prayers such as The Rosary and The Divine Office which are communally led, prayer remains a largely intimate element of Christianity.
As such there are a pair of major categories of personal devotion within Christianity; both comprised of different forms of prayer.
1. Traditional and formal prayer; and
2. Informal and spontaneous prayer
Traditional and formal prayer:
These are typically adaptions from the bible, used to cater to a diverse range of occasions and liturgical worship. The most widely used and the best known of these is most likely ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ or the ‘Our Father’ as it has been come to be known as. This is so because this is a prayer Jesus taught his disciples to say and has filtered through many forms of worship throughout the years, propagated by the many Christian followers who have come after Jesus and preceded us. One cannot exaggerate the importance of this prayer in Christianity and in deconstructions it instruct on how Christians should approach prayer every day. These are used widely in the lay community.
These are typically adaptions from the bible, used to cater to a diverse range of occasions and liturgical worship. The most widely used and the best known of these is most likely ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ or the ‘Our Father’ as it has been come to be known as. This is so because this is a prayer Jesus taught his disciples to say and has filtered through many forms of worship throughout the years, propagated by the many Christian followers who have come after Jesus and preceded us. One cannot exaggerate the importance of this prayer in Christianity and in deconstructions it instruct on how Christians should approach prayer every day. These are used widely in the lay community.
Informal and spontaneous prayer:
Is highly varied in its nature; for some Protestants, reading the bible at the beginning and end of the day is a definitive practice in their daily routine. Spontaneous prayer also takes the form of petitions or request to God at the beginning of the day and thanksgiving or gratitude prayers to God at the end of the day. Similarly, saying grace before meals is comprised in this style of worship. It expresses the intention to give thanks for the provision of daily needs by God. This style of prayer is once again modelled on the life of Jesus Christ, who encouraged retreat from daily life into prayer.
Is highly varied in its nature; for some Protestants, reading the bible at the beginning and end of the day is a definitive practice in their daily routine. Spontaneous prayer also takes the form of petitions or request to God at the beginning of the day and thanksgiving or gratitude prayers to God at the end of the day. Similarly, saying grace before meals is comprised in this style of worship. It expresses the intention to give thanks for the provision of daily needs by God. This style of prayer is once again modelled on the life of Jesus Christ, who encouraged retreat from daily life into prayer.
DID YOU KNOW?
The English word ‘prayer’ literally means a ‘petition’ or ‘request’. It derives from the Latin precari meaning ‘to entreat or beg’. For Christians, prayer is the most important and fundamental form of personal address to God.
The English word ‘prayer’ literally means a ‘petition’ or ‘request’. It derives from the Latin precari meaning ‘to entreat or beg’. For Christians, prayer is the most important and fundamental form of personal address to God.