How to Pray as a Catholic: 11 Types of Prayers and Tips

Make a prayer of adoration.

Adoration shows God how much you love Him. You can perform a prayer of adoration by expressing to God, either out loud or in your head, that you recognize honor and are in awe of Him. For example, you might simply say, “I love you, God, and my heart belongs to You.” Or, you can recite a prayer from the Bible, like this one from Psalms: “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and my horn of salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18). A Catholic mass goes through all 4 types of prayer—adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication (ACTS). Attending mass gives you an opportunity to practice these prayers with others.

Offer a prayer of contrition.

Contrition demonstrates your regrets for your sins. Through contrition (the second type of prayer in ACTS), you show God that you acknowledge and take responsibility for your failings. As a Catholic, you may already be familiar with the church’s teaching that all of us are sinners. Through a prayer of contrition, like one of the following, you can bring yourself closer to God: “O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love.” “Lord God, in your goodness have mercy on me: do not look on my sins, but take away all my guilt. Create in me a clean heart and renew within me an upright spirit.” “Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Say a prayer of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving expresses your gratitude for God. Thanksgiving (the third part of ACTS) can involve thanking God for specific good things in your life or simply thanking Him for being there for you. Expressing gratitude to God, even with a simple, “Thank you God for taking care of me,” is a key part of Catholic prayer. A traditional Catholic prayer of thanksgiving comes from Saint Richard of Chichester:“Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits that Thou hast given me, for me, O most merciful friend, redeemer and brother. May I see Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly and follow Thee more nearly.” You can also make a more casual and personal prayer of Thanksgiving, simply by saying something like, “Thank you God for giving me this weekend with my family. I am always grateful to You.”

Do a prayer of supplication.

Supplication is a request made to God. Supplication (the fourth prayer of ACTS) is our way of making our needs known to God, and to humbly ask for His help. Through supplication, we acknowledge that we need God in our lives and call upon Him for strength. Use some of these examples of prayers of supplication as a guide when crafting your own: “Dear God: You are the Great Physician and can heal anybody. I pray for your will and power over this healing. I will honor and trust you no matter what happens, but I pray for healing and deliverance.” “Lord: I am desperate for your wisdom. I don’t know what to do as I face this difficult decision in my life. I will listen for your voice and know that you are here to guide me.” “Dear Lord: I am feeling confused in my faith, and feel that you are far away from me. I am captive to doubts and fear. Please show yourself to me. I will continue to trust in you because you have always done good for me.”

Pray with the aid of a rosary.

In the Catholic church, the rosary is a sacred tradition. The rosary is a Scripture-based method of prayer that invokes the Virgin Mary as it moves through the events of Christ’s life. Using the rosary is a beautiful and meaningful way to pray that brings you into a closer connection with the rest of the global Catholic community.

Meditate on God.

For Catholics, meditation means pondering the mysteries of God. Through meditation, we focus our mental energies on God. For example, you might practice meditation by thinking about a scene from the Gospel, what it means to you and what it might indicate about the world as a whole. For example, try meditating on the miracle of Jesus feeding 5000 people. Start by reading the related passage in Matthew 14, and ask yourself questions like the following: Why did Jesus do this? How might his disciples have felt? How might it feel to have been one of the hungry, or to be someone who doesn’t have access to food today?

Practice contemplative prayer.

Contemplative prayer is a wordless and powerful communion with God. This form of prayer may take practice to achieve, as it means the total silence of your thoughts as you simply feel the presence of God. Many of us may have difficulty silencing our inner monologue at first, but it is possible. Through contemplation, we make ourselves vessels for God. Think of contemplation as a type of prayer you can achieve after practicing meditation for a long time. To begin the process of contemplation, try to sit quietly and empty your mind of all thoughts. If you’re interested in practicing contemplative prayer, ask God for strength as you work on developing this skill.

Speak in tongues.

Speaking in tongues invites the Holy Spirit into you. Although many Catholics do not practice speaking in tongues, there is a growing movement of Catholic Charismatics who have this as an integral part of their spiritual life. By speaking in tongues, you surrender your mind to God’s full glory. To get started praying in tongues, it’s helpful to find a group of other people doing the same. By repeating their behavior, you may find it easier to do it yourself. In 2014, Pope Francis knelt down in front of over 50,000 Catholics speaking in tongues as a sign of his support for the movement. Many Charismatic Catholics see the reference Paul makes in Corinthians 13 to “the tongues of men and of angels” as relating to the current-day practice of speaking in tongues.

Use a popular Catholic prayer.

A classic prayer brings you closer to other Catholics. If you’re wondering how to phrase your prayer, try using one that’s popular among Catholics worldwide. These prayers are famous for a reason—they’ve proven to be meaningful in the lives of many for centuries. For example: Hail Mary: “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” Glory Be: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.” The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”

Have a conversation with God.

Pray more easily by treating God as an intimate friend. Simply having a conversation with God, out loud or in your head, brings you closer to Him. Talk about your day, your highs and lows, your worries, and whatever else might come to mind. This kind of prayer is simple and powerful. For example, you might say something like, “God: I’ve had a pretty rough day today, and felt a lot of stress at work. But I’m happy to be back home with my family and pets. With your help, I know I have the strength to power through.” Or, you might say: “Lord: Today way a really meaningful day for me—I’m so happy that I was able to spend time with friends who I know really care for me. Thanks for bringing them into my life.”

Pray persistently.

Praying throughout the day grows your relationship with God. Since you may have other commitments with school, work, or family commitments, it may be difficult to do as the Paul once asked, and to “pray without ceasing.” However, by making time to pray throughout the day—even if it’s just a couple of minutes of silence—you can feel God’s support in your daily life. Just saying a quick “breath prayer” as you go through your day, like “Jesus, I trust in you” or “Lord I believe; help me in my unbelief,” can make prayer feel more manageable.