Prayer and Pilgrimage (1RA0)
How Christians pray, from the set words of the Lord's Prayer to spontaneous prayer from the heart, and why they make pilgrimages to holy places, including why denominations disagree about them.
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Prayer and pilgrimage
Two key Christian practices are prayer (talking and listening to God) and pilgrimage (a special journey to a holy place). This module looks at the different types of prayer, the Lord's Prayer that Jesus taught, and famous places of Christian pilgrimage. It also explores why denominations disagree about how, and whether, to do them.
Types of prayer
Christians pray in more than one way:
Match the prayer
- Set prayer
- Informal prayer
- Private prayer
- The Lord's Prayer
- Fixed words, said the same each time
- Your own words, said from the heart
- Prayer said quietly and alone
- The prayer Jesus taught his followers
The model prayer
Which prayer did Jesus teach his followers as a model for how to pray?
- The Lord's Prayer
- The Rosary
- The Nicene Creed
- Grace before meals
How Jesus said to pray
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:5-14), Jesus taught his followers not to pray in public just to be seen and admired, but to pray sincerely and simply. He then gave them the Lord's Prayer, beginning "Our Father", as a pattern: praising God, asking for daily needs, and seeking forgiveness. Its traditional wording is printed in the Book of Common Prayer.
Set prayer vs informal prayer
Christians value both fixed and spontaneous prayer, though denominations lean in different ways.
Prayer in words
A _____ prayer, like the Lord's Prayer, uses fixed words. An _____ prayer uses your own words from the heart. The Lord's Prayer was taught by _____ and is found in the Gospel of _____. Its traditional wording is printed in the Book of _____ Prayer.
What is pilgrimage?
What is a pilgrimage?
- A special journey to a holy place
- A weekly church service
- A prayer said before meals
- A yearly harvest festival
Places of pilgrimage
Tap the TWO places that are famous CHRISTIAN pilgrimage sites.
- Jerusalem
- Mecca
- Iona
- The River Ganges
- Bodh Gaya
Why go on pilgrimage?
Select the TWO reasons a Christian might go on a pilgrimage.
- To feel closer to God and strengthen their faith
- To walk where events in the Bible or Church history happened
- Only to sunbathe and relax on a beach
- Because every Christian is required to, like the Hajj in Islam
Prayer and pilgrimage choices
Think about how different Christians approach these practices.
- A Catholic wants to say a prayer with fixed, traditional words. Which fits best?
- A member of a Pentecostal church prays aloud in her own words, from the heart. What kind of prayer is this?
- Some Protestants choose NOT to go on pilgrimage. What reason might they give?
Explain the disagreement
Christians disagree about pilgrimage. Explain why some Christians value pilgrimage highly, and why others think it is not necessary. Write in clear, full sentences.
- Explain what a pilgrimage is, and name one Christian pilgrimage place
- Give a reason why some Christians, for example many Catholics, value pilgrimage
- Give a reason why other Christians, for example some Protestants, think it is not necessary
- Show that you understand both points of view