| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
| Editors | Brendan Wolfe |
| Place of Publication | St Andrews, Scotland |
| Publisher | University of St Andrews |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Aug 2024 |
Abstract
In this entry, the Christian theology of prayer will be approached as a reflection on prayer practices. Prayer is a communicative act by which one or more human beings address themselves to God, in the awareness that God already has established the divine-human relationship. Christianity is a response to God’s initiative; there are many ways to respond, but there can be no full response without prayer. Therefore, prayer is essential to Christianity. For Christians, it is the fact that God is (inner-trinitarian) relation in Godself that constitutes the possibility for humans (incorporated as adopted children of the Father in Christ) to relate to God. Prayer is an act of the whole person and can take many forms. It presupposes that God is able to hear our prayer and to answer it.
Keywords
- prayer
- liturgy
- worship
- divine-human relationship
- spirituality
- communication with God
- Psalms
- Meditation
- petitionary prayer
- intercession
- divine agency