Prayer and Worship Ministry

The Importance of
Prayer, Worship, and Praise.

Worship

Worship is the first attitude of man towards God; it is the first act of the virtue of religion.

“To adore God is to recognize him as God, as Creator and Savior, Lord and Owner of all that exists, as infinite and merciful Love.” You will worship the Lord your God and only he will worship him “(Lc 4, 8), says Jesus quoting Deuteronomy 6,13 “(Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2096-CIC)

“To adore God is to recognize, with absolute respect and submission, the” nothingness of the creature “, which exists only for God. To adore is to praise, exalt and humiliate oneself, as Mary does in the Magnificat, confessing ratitude that He has done great things and that his name is holy (cf. Lk 1, 46-49) .The adoration of the one God frees man from retreating on himself, from the bondage of sin and the idolatry of the world “- CIC # 2097

The adoration “exalts the greatness of the Lord that has made us (cf. Ps 95, 1-6) and the omnipotence of the Savior who frees us from evil. It is the act of humiliating the spirit before the “King of glory” (Ps 24: 9-10) and respectful silence in the presence of God “always greater” (St. Augustine, Ps. 62, 16). The adoration of God three times holy and sovereignly kind fills us with humility and gives security to our supplications “(CCC # 2628).

Prayer

Prayer, which is the elevation of the spirit towards God, is one of the expressions of adoration to the Creator and Savior.

Certainly it is not the only way to worship God, but it is one of its important and necessary forms: God is worshiped also with his own life, living his Ten Commandments, putting into practice the great values ​​of humanity (as the truth , justice, love, peace, respect for human rights).

We stop now in this way of worshiping God, prayer. Note that there are five permanent forms of prayer, which are expressed or manifested with different methods or modes, over time, according to individuals, times and cultures. They are:

The Blessing

“Thanks to God’s blessing, the man in his heart can bless, in turn, the One who is the source of all blessings” (CCC # 2645).
The petition

“The petition prayer is for forgiveness, the search for the Kingdom and any real need” (CCC # 2646).

The Intercession

“The prayer of intercession consists of a petition in favor of another. It knows no boundaries and extends to enemies. ” (CIC # 2647).

Thanksgiving

“All joy and all sorrow, every event and every need can be a reason of thanksgiving prayer, which, participating in the faith of Christ, should fill the whole life:” In everything give thanks (1 Thes 5:18) “(CIC # 2648).

Praise

“The prayer of praise, totally disinterested, is addressed to God; He sings for Him and gives glory not only for what He has done but because He is “(CCC # 2649).

Of these five types of prayer, we want to focus now on the latter. The very development of the subject will show us why we emphasize it in a special way.

Praise

“Praise is the way of praying that recognizes in the most direct way that God is God, He sings for himself, gives glory not for what he does, but for what he is.” Participates in the bliss of pure hearts that they love him in faith before seeing him in glory.

Through it, the Spirit joins our spirit to bear witness that we are children of God (cf. Rm 8, 16), it bears witness to the only Son in whom we are adopted and for whom we glorify the Father.

Praise integrates the other forms of prayer and leads them to Him who is their source and their end: one God, the Father from whom all things proceed and by which we are “(CCC -2639).

“To praise” is to proclaim the truth that exists in the other, to recognize and celebrate it. It should not be confused with “adulation” which becomes, in the last analysis, a lie and is servile.

On the other hand, “to praise God,” his being, his deeds and actions is to recognize us, implicitly to ourselves and value us, because we have been created in his image and likeness.

In addition, he focuses on us as the first in everything and organizes our lives, giving the first place to who corresponds.

We value praise as the most important way to worship and pray to God, with affirmations brought from multiple sources.

Written by: Monseñor Ramón de la Rosa y Carpio
Posted: Community Servants of Living Christ, Dominican Republic