SPIRIT of TRUTH PARISH EDITION Grade 7 Sample Session 13 Included here is one sample session from the 7th grade Spirit of Truth, Parish Edition catechist s guide, followed by the corresponding pages from the 7th grade student workbook. Order the full Grade 7 books at SophiaInstituteforTeachers.org/SpiritofTruth
SESSION 13 Prayer What students will learn: Prayer is fundamental to the Christian life. The Church teaches that prayer is simply a conversation with God, a raising of the mind and heart to Him. Types of prayer include blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. What students will do: Pray a Lectio Divina. Look at and discuss sacred art. Compare St. Peter s and Samuel s responses to God s call. Brainstorm examples of the different types of prayer. 1
Session at a Glance Workbook pages your students will complete: The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (page 1) God s Call (page 2) Growing in Prayer (page 4) Types of Prayer (page 6) Other materials you will need: Catechist Resource: Guide to Lectio Divina (page 13 in this guide) Writing/loose leaf paper Bible, candle, and icon or other sacred image (optional) Vocabulary your students will learn: Prayer: Raising one s mind and heart to God in praise of His glory, asking for some desired good, giving thanks, or asking for His blessing on others. Through a life of prayer we experience a relationship with God. Types of Prayer: Various forms of prayer developed in the great liturgical and spiritual traditions of the Church which include blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. Prayer for this session: Lectio Divina, instructions for which can be found on Catechist Resource: Guide to Lectio Divina (page 13 in this guide). 2 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Session Plan Choose from a warm-up and activities. Warm-Up A. Create a prayerful atmosphere in the room by dimming the lights and/or setting up a sacred space in the front of the room with a Bible, a candle, and/or a sacred image. B. Lead the class in Lectio Divina using Luke 5:4-11. Instructions for Lectio Divina can be found on Catechist Resource: Guide to Lectio Divina (page 13 in this guide). C. For the first read through, have students close their eyes and simply listen. Tell them to write down one word or phrase that jumped out at them. Give them one or two minutes of silence to do this. D. For the second read through, have students close their eyes and really engage their imagination and senses to picture the scene. Tell them to write down an image that stood out to them. Give them one or two minutes of silence to do this. E. For the third and final read through, have them close their eyes and envision the scene again, this time placing themselves in the story and imagining themselves as one of the people in the story (for instance, one of the Apostles, Peter, or an onlooker on the shore). Tell them to write down what they think God is trying to tell them specifically through this passage. Give them three to five minutes of silence with the passage. Activity 1 A. Have your students turn to the The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (page 1). Once several minutes have passed, ask students: The Miraculous Draught of Fishes By JaCOPO BaSSaNO (1545) What do you first notice about this work of art? What do you like about it? Have you ever seen paintings like this? 1 National Gallery of art, Washington, Patrons Permanent Fund 1997.21.1 Where? Does it look old or new? B. Ask them what moment this painting portrays from the Scripture passage they just used in the Lectio Divina. The moment when Simon Peter falls on his knees before Jesus and says, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. Session 13: Prayer 3
SESSION PLAN 4 God s Call Directions: As a class, read together the Bible verses below. Then on the next page, write what Samuel and Peter did before, during, and after their conversations with God. After During Before 1 Samuel 3:4-10 again, for the third time. Getting up and Conversation going to Eli, he said, Here I am. You called with God me. Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So he said to Samuel, The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Here I am. He ran to Eli and said, Here I Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. am. You called me. I did not call you, Eli When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the answered. Go back to sleep. So he went back LORD came and stood there, calling out as to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who before: Samuel, Samuel! Samuel answered, rose and went to Eli. Here I am, he said. You Speak, for your servant is listening. called me. But he answered, I did not call Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with you, my son. Go back to sleep. him, not permitting any word of his to Samuel did not yet recognize the LORD, go unfulfilled. Thus all Israel from Dan to since the word of the LORD had not yet been Beer-sheba came to know that Samuel revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD. Luke 5:4-11 After He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. Simon said in reply, Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets. When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon 2 Growing in Prayer Directions: Growing in Prayer The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, manifesting himself to Samuel at Shiloh through his word. Samuel s word spread throughout Israel. Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Him. 3 Read the following quotations and reflect on how you can apply them in your own life. Then thoughtfully and prayerfully answer the questions below. Directions: St. Read Thérèse the following of Liseux, quotations quoted and reflect in CCC on how 2258 you can apply them in your For own me, life. prayer Then is thoughtfully a surge of the and heart; prayerfully it is a simple answer look the questions below. turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. St. Thérèse of Liseux, quoted in CCC 2258 For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look CCC 2559 turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing Only both when trial we and humbly joy. acknowledge that we do not know how to pray as we ought, are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. Man is a beggar before God. CCC 2559 Only when we humbly acknowledge that we do not CCC 2560 know how to pray as we ought, are we ready to receive freely the gift Whether of prayer. we Man realize is a it beggar or not, before prayer God. is the encounter of God s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him. CCC 2560 Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of Madonna in prayer, by Sassoferrato CCC 2562-2563 God s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him. According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.... The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human Madonna heart in and prayer, know by it Sassoferrato fully. The heart is the CCC 2562-2563 place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life According to or Scripture, death. It it is is the the place heart of that encounter, prays. If because our heart as is image far from of God, we the live words in relation: of it is the place prayer are in of vain. covenant.... The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life CCC 2565 or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant. In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. CCC 2565 CCC 2565 In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond The life measure, of prayer with is the His habit Son of Jesus being Christ in the and presence with the of Holy the thrice-holy Spirit. God and in communion with Him. CCC 2565 The life 4of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with Him. C. Have your students turn to God s Call (page 2) and ask volunteers to read aloud 1 Samuel 3:4-10, 19-21 and the passage they just used for Lectio Divina, Luke 5:4-11. D. Then have your students write on the worksheet what Samuel and Peter did before, during, and after their conversations with God. Walk around the room, offering help, answering questions, and keeping students on task. E. Once students are finished, ask a few students to volunteer their answers and then lead them in discussing the following questions: Prayer is a conversation with God. In these Bible stories we have read, who initiated both conversations? What does that teach us about all prayer? God did. God always invites us to pray first! Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for Him (CCC 2560). How did Samuel and Peter show openness to God? Samuel was open to whatever the Lord said. Peter trusted the Lord and threw his nets over again. How did Samuel s and Peter s lives change after their encounters with God? Samuel became a prophet, and Peter became an Apostle and the first pope. Activity 2 A. Have students turn to Growing in Prayer (page 4). If possible, play some calming music and/or lower the lights to create a prayerful atmosphere in your classroom. B. Ask students to quiet their minds and listen closely. Read aloud, or have students read aloud, the quotations on Growing in Prayer. Then ask students to quietly and prayerfully answer the questions. Offer help and insight as needed. 4 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
SESSION PLAN C. Show the video ShareJesus Lent Video 9: 3 Ninja Tricks to Listen to God, found at the following link: SophiaOnline.org/3NinjaTricks. Then ask your students the following questions: What are the three tricks to listen to God? Know the lie/claim the truth, tune in to the voice of Christ, and carve out silence. What are some lies that you have believed in your life? What does it mean to tune in to God s voice? What other voices do we tend to tune in to? What is one way you can find silence in your life? Activity 3 A. Explain to your class in a mini-lecture: There are several types of prayer. First, we must always remember that the Holy Spirit is a part of our prayer. It is through Him that we are able to call out to God as our Father. The five types of prayer are: blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. Blessing and adoration is man s response to God s gift. We bless Him for having blessed us, and we take on the perspective of creature to Creator. Petition is a prayer of asking for our needs. The first need we must ask for is forgiveness. Then we should ask God for His Kingdom to come and whatever is necessary to cooperate with its coming. Intercession is prayer for others. We can pray for our family, friends, or whatever is on our mind. Prayer of thanksgiving is just that thanking God for all that He is and all He has given us. St. Paul teaches us to give thanks in all circumstances, so even in times of difficulty we can thank God for the beautiful plan He has and how He brings good out of our mess. Lastly, praise recognizes that God is God and we are His children. We can take quick moments in our day to pray in a specific form. For example, as we are getting on the bus, we can pray, Lord, please bless Miss Wanda, our bus driver. Or we can make every action in our day a form of praise and thanksgiving. When we are helping our mom take out the trash, for instance, we can offer it up as a sacrifice and prayer for her holiness and health. Also, we can take specific time out of our day for prayer. We can incorporate all of these types of prayer into our prayer time, always beginning with the Sign of the Cross and recalling the presence of the Holy Spirit. Maybe you have also noticed that prayer can be expressed in different way. Sometimes in class we pray a vocal prayer (aloud). And sometimes you re asked to close your eyes and meditate on a certain Scripture passage or scene. God even calls us to become so close with Him that we enter into contemplative prayer, which is when we just sit with Him and be in His presence, bringing our hearts and minds to Him completely. Session 13: Prayer 5
SESSION PLAN Types of Prayer Directions: Read the definitions of each type of prayer, and then write an example of each. You may use your class notes for reference. 1. Blessing and Adoration: Because God blesses our human hearts, our hearts can bless Him in return as the source of every blessing. Blessing and adoration is our response to God s gift. We bless Him for having blessed us. B. Have your students turn to Types of Prayer (page 6) and work individually to complete the handout. C. When your students have completed Types of Prayer call on several students to share aloud their examples of the different types of prayer. 2. Petition: Petition is a prayer of asking for our needs. 6 3. Intercession: Intercession is prayer for others. 4. Thanksgiving: Prayer of thanksgiving is just that thanking God for all that He is and all He has given us. 5. Praise: Praise recognizes that God is God and we are His children Activity 4 A. Write the following quotation on the board: For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. ST. JOHN DAMASCENE B. Explain any of the words your students might not know and then ask them the following questions: What does St. Johm Damascene say that prayer is? What does it mean to look toward Heaven? Why is it important to embrace both trial and joy in prayer? C. After your discussion, write this question on the board: What is prayer and why is it important? D. Have your students answer this question on their own paper. Give them time to reflect and write their responses in their own words. Then choose a few volunteers to read their responses. Get Ready for the Next Session Photocopy and cut out enough strips from Catechist Resource: Saints on Prayer Strips (page 24) for each group of three or four students to have one set. Review the upcoming session. 6 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes By JaCOPO BaSSaNO (1545) National Gallery of art, Washington, Patrons Permanent Fund 1997.21.1 1 Session 13: Prayer 7
God s Call Directions: As a class, read together the Bible verses below. Then on the next page, write what Samuel and Peter did before, during, and after their conversations with God. 1 Samuel 3:4-10 The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, Here I am. He ran to Eli and said, Here I am. You called me. I did not call you, Eli answered. Go back to sleep. So he went back to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. Here I am, he said. You called me. But he answered, I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep. Samuel did not yet recognize the LORD, since the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, Here I am. You called me. Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So he said to Samuel, Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and stood there, calling out as before: Samuel, Samuel! Samuel answered, Speak, for your servant is listening. Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to go unfulfilled. Thus all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba came to know that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD. The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, manifesting himself to Samuel at Shiloh through his word. Samuel s word spread throughout Israel. Luke 5:4-11 After He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. Simon said in reply, Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets. When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Him. 2 8 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Before During After Conversation with God 3 Answer Key Accept reasoned answers. Below are possible answers. Before During After Samuel was alert to the voice. Samuel listened to the Lord. Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him. Samuel said he was listening for whatever the Lord said. Peter spent a long night working unsuccessfully. Peter obediently put the net in again even though he was weary. Peter was amazed by Jesus and realized that Jesus was mighty and powerful. Peter was humbled in Jesus presence and saw himself as a sinful man. Peter spoke of his unworthiness to Jesus. Samuel became a great prophet of the Lord. Peter pulled in the great draught of fish. Peter accepted Jesus words and followed Jesus, becoming an Apostle and the first pope. Session 13: Prayer 9
Growing in Prayer Directions: Read the following quotations and reflect on how you can apply them in your own life. Then thoughtfully and prayerfully answer the questions below. St. Thérèse of Liseux, quoted in CCC 2258 For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. CCC 2559 Only when we humbly acknowledge that we do not know how to pray as we ought, are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. Man is a beggar before God. CCC 2560 Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him. CCC 2562-2563 Madonna in prayer, by Sassoferrato According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.... The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant. CCC 2565 In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. CCC 2565 The life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with Him. 4 10 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Answer Key 1. Accept reasoned answers. 2. Accept reasoned answers. 3. Accept reasoned answers. 4. Responses should reflect the sense that prayer is fundamental to the Christian life. 1. Which passage from the Catechism stands out most to you? Why? 2. What new habits can you cultivate, or what old habits can you improve, to act on the teaching of this passage in your life? 3. How do Samuel and/or St. Peter give you examples of how you can grow closer to God through prayer? 4. We can sometimes feel like we are too busy to pray. From all you have read and learned, is prayer something extra we should try to do from time to time, or is it essential to the Christian life? Explain. 5 Session 13: Prayer 11
Types of Prayer Directions: Read the definitions of each type of prayer, and then write an example of each. You may use your class notes for reference. 1. Blessing and Adoration: Because God blesses our human hearts, our hearts can bless Him in return as the source of every blessing. Blessing and adoration is our response to God s gift. We bless Him for having blessed us. 2. Petition: Petition is a prayer of asking for our needs. 3. Intercession: Intercession is prayer for others. 4. Thanksgiving: Prayer of thanksgiving is just that thanking God for all that He is and all He has given us. 5. Praise: Praise recognizes that God is God and we are His children 6 Accept reasoned answers 12 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
CATECHIST RESOURCE Guide to Lectio Divina 1. Choose a passage to focus on. Aim for five to ten verses. The Gospels are usually the best place to start when introducing someone to Lectio as they contain the most vivid images of Christ. 2. Create a prayerful atmosphere in the room or take students into a church/chapel. 3. Give students an opportunity to quiet down and focus themselves. Have them close their eyes and remove distractions from their mind as best they can. 4. Say a short prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide this time of prayer and meditation. For example: Come Holy Spirit, open our minds and our hearts to what Our Lord wants to say to us today. Give us ears to listen and help us to be open to receiving whatever Christ has for us. Help us to remove any distractions and allow us to come to know our Lord more deeply during this time of prayer. 5. Prepare to read the passage aloud once slowly. Have students simply listen to the words the first time through, and especially for any word or phrase that jumps out at them. Have them write down that word or phrase after you finish reading. Give them two to three minutes of silence after you have completed reading it. 6. Prepare to read the passage a second time. Before you begin reading, ask the students to really imagine the scene as best they can. Tell them to engage all their senses. For example: What does the scene look like? What colors do they see? What are people wearing? What does the ground look and feel like? What do they smell? What sounds do they hear? What do the people look like? What does Jesus look like? How does His voice sound? What is the weather like? Sunny? Cloudy? Rainy? and so forth. 7. When you are done reading, have your students write down one sensory image that stood out to them. Give them two to three minutes of silence after you have completed reading it. 8. Prepare to read the passage a third and final time. Before you begin, have your students imagine themselves as a particular person in the passage. Are they an onlooker? Session 13: Prayer 13
Are they one of the Apostles? Ask them to listen for what Jesus is personally trying to tell them through this passage and write that down once you are finished reading. Give them a more extended period of silence after this third reading, perhaps five to ten minutes. 9. Have students make a resolution to put into practice what they received in prayer. For example, will they: go home that night and do something extra for their parents? go to confession in the next week? commit to spending extra time in prayer this week? commit to doing some volunteer work? perform a particular Work of Mercy? pick a particular virtue to work on cultivating? work on their relationship with a friend or family member? Challenge them to pick something based on what they heard Christ say to them. 10. Close in a short prayer of thanksgiving. 14 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Grade 7 Student Workbook Sample Pages
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes BY JACOPO BASSANO (1545) National Gallery of Art, Washington, Patrons Permanent Fund 1997.21.1 Session 13: Prayer 1
God s Call Directions: As a class, read together the Bible verses below. Then on the next page, write what Samuel and Peter did before, during, and after their conversations with God. 1 Samuel 3:4-10 The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, Here I am. He ran to Eli and said, Here I am. You called me. I did not call you, Eli answered. Go back to sleep. So he went back to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. Here I am, he said. You called me. But he answered, I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep. Samuel did not yet recognize the LORD, since the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, Here I am. You called me. Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So he said to Samuel, Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and stood there, calling out as before: Samuel, Samuel! Samuel answered, Speak, for your servant is listening. Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to go unfulfilled. Thus all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba came to know that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD. The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, manifesting himself to Samuel at Shiloh through his word. Samuel s word spread throughout Israel. Luke 5:4-11 After He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. Simon said in reply, Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets. When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Him. 2 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Before During Conversation with God After Session 13: Prayer 3
Growing in Prayer Directions: Read the following quotations and reflect on how you can apply them in your own life. Then thoughtfully and prayerfully answer the questions below. St. Thérèse of Liseux, quoted in CCC 2258 For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. CCC 2559 Only when we humbly acknowledge that we do not know how to pray as we ought, are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. Man is a beggar before God. CCC 2560 Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him. CCC 2562-2563 Madonna in prayer, by Sassoferrato According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.... The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant. CCC 2565 In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. CCC 2565 The life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with Him. 4 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
1. Which passage from the Catechism stands out most to you? Why? 2. What new habits can you cultivate, or what old habits can you improve, to act on the teaching of this passage in your life? 3. How do Samuel and/or St. Peter give you examples of how you can grow closer to God through prayer? 4. We can sometimes feel like we are too busy to pray. From all you have read and learned, is prayer something extra we should try to do from time to time, or is it essential to the Christian life? Explain. Session 13: Prayer 5
Types of Prayer Directions: Read the definitions of each type of prayer, and then write an example of each. You may use your class notes for reference. 1. Blessing and Adoration: Because God blesses our human hearts, our hearts can bless Him in return as the source of every blessing. Blessing and adoration is our response to God s gift. We bless Him for having blessed us. 2. Petition: Petition is a prayer of asking for our needs. 3. Intercession: Intercession is prayer for others. 4. Thanksgiving: Prayer of thanksgiving is just that thanking God for all that He is and all He has given us. 5. Praise: Praise recognizes that God is God and we are His children 6 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS