Draw near to God

A Life of Prayer

Prayer is communion with God — speaking and listening, praise and lament, repentance and thanksgiving — alone and together in the Church. God invites our honesty.

The prayer Jesus taught

Pray then like this: “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 debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:9–13 (RSV)

In the Divine Liturgy and many Christian prayer traditions, the Lord's Prayer continues with a doxology of praise. The RSV main text ends at “deliver us from evil”; the liturgical ending belongs to the Church's worship and is not silently added to the biblical quotation.

A simple pattern

When you don't know where to begin, one helpful pattern for personal prayer uses four movements — sometimes remembered as A·C·T·S. It is not the whole of Christian prayer: the Armenian Church also forms us through the Psalms, hymns, intercession, silence, daily offices, and the Divine Liturgy.

Adoration

Praise God for who he is — his goodness, holiness, and love.

Confession

Honestly name your sin and receive his forgiveness in Christ.

Thanksgiving

Give thanks for his gifts, big and small, and for Jesus above all.

Supplication

Bring your needs and the needs of others before your Father.

A worshiper in lapis and burgundy raises open hands in prayer beside a smoking censer
The Orant · original digitally generated illustration in the tradition of Armenian manuscript illumination, commissioned for this site
A moonlit illustration of gnarled olive trees framing a quiet path
An Olive Grove at Night · digitally generated illustration commissioned for this siteA devotional illustration inspired by Gethsemane, not a reconstruction of the historical garden or its trees.

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This writing space cannot send a request or provide a response. For pastoral care or communal prayer, contact a local parish, priest, or trusted person. Prayer can accompany qualified medical and mental-health care; seeking such help is not a failure of faith.

If you or someone else may be in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. In the United States and its territories, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call, text, or chat. Outside the United States, use an official crisis service where you are located.

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