Catholic Prayers

Prayers bring us closer to God. We pray to change our own hearts and bring them into alignment with the heart of God. We pour ourselves out to God and know that we are heard. We also let God speak to us.

Below is a collection of prayers on this site. Prayers based on the psalms are on a separate page.

You can also find and share prayers in the Catholic Moms, Dads, Catechists, and Teachers Facebook Group.

Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina means “divine reading”. It is a practice which trusts that God speaks to us through scripture. This is a practice I started doing regularly a few years ago.

Ignatian Contemplation: Pray with Your Imagination

St. Ignatius of Loyola believed that God gave us our imaginations and could use this gift to speak to us. One method of praying in the tradition called Ignatian Contemplation, by putting yourself in a gospel scene and to see where that leads you.

Make a Gratitude List Every Day and Pray with It

Gratitude is a simple yet effective way to become more aware of God’s presence in daily life. By taking a few moments each day to recognize and appreciate the good things around us, we acknowledge the ongoing role of the divine. This practice doesn’t require much time but can significantly shift your mindset. It makes you more receptive to positive experiences and can even alter your overall attitude, making you more open to spiritual guidance.

Daily Examen

The Examen is a reflective practice that helps people review their day with a focus on spiritual guidance. It aims to help you identify moments when you felt the presence or absence of God in your daily experiences and emotions. By doing this regularly, you become more aware of the spiritual aspects influencing your choices and actions. This is particularly useful for those seeking discernment, as it offers insights into how God might be directing you in your life.

Learn Something New

It is good to keep your spiritual life fresh by trying a new technique from time to time. There are times when something less structure is helpful. And sometime a traditional method or devotion brings comfort and inspiration. See some suggestions here.

The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus prayer is a form of contemplative prayer. It ties your breath to praying, making your very life a prayer. If you do it often enough, you will be praying as you breathe, making it part of your natural rhythm.

Christ the King

This is a traditional prayer which honors Jesus Christ as the king of the universe. It can be prayed on its own or as a novena.

The Our Father (The Lord’s Prayer)

A challenge when we say the Our Father is to not say it automatically, without thinking. Instead when we pray it, try to see which phrase stands out the most. It will vary from day to day. Maybe that’s what God wants us to focus on in that moment.

The Act of Love

The Act of Love or the Act of Charity is a traditional Catholic prayer that has been used for many centuries. It is a way for Catholics to express their devotion to God and their commitment to living a life of love and service to others.

Hail Mary

The first part of the Hail Mary echoes the visit from the angel Gabriel. The middle part repeats Elizabeth’s greeting to her. And in conclusion, we ask our Blessed Mother to pray for us, just as we might ask a relative or friend to do.

The Memorare

This Memorare is entrusts our petitions to our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. In it, we ask her to pray for our needs. Download a printable version here.

The Confiteor (I Confess)

Confiteor means “I confess” or “I acknowledge” in Latin. It is one of the options for the Penitential Rite near the beginning of Mass. It is also just a good prayer to say to help remember our own weaknesses.

Night Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours

This is a really peaceful way to end the day. Some people feel like the Liturgy of the Hours is too “old fashioned” to use with teens and children, but many can appreciate it. Just use a portion of it if that is more appropriate.

The Glory Be

The Glory Be is a short but powerful expression of Catholic and Christian faith. It acknowledges the Holy Trinity and emphasizes the eternal nature of God, providing comfort, hope, and a deeper connection to God for believers.

The Apostles’ Creed

The Apostles’ Creed is an enduring and profound expression of faith, serving as a bedrock creed within the Christian Church. Handed down from generation to generation, it eloquently encapsulates the essential beliefs and principles of our Catholic faith.

The Angelus

The Angelus is a Catholic prayer which is traditionally recited three times a day—morning, noon, and evening—to honor the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear Jesus. It combines biblical verses and the Hail Mary, ending with a prayer for God’s grace. Originating in the Middle Ages, the Angelus serves as a daily reminder of Jesus’ incarnation and Mary’s yes to God. It strengthens faith, encourages reflection on Christian beliefs, and connects Catholics worldwide. This brief prayer pause in daily life helps believers remember and live their faith more deeply.

Spiritual Communion When We Cannot Come To Church

During times when we cannot attend Mass due to illness, spiritual communion offers solace and nourishment for our souls. Although it cannot replace receiving the Eucharist sacramentally, it allows us to encounter Christ in a different way, reminding us that His presence is not confined to a physical space. To approach virtual Mass with reverence, we should engage in prayer, reflection, and self-examination. By directing our intentions towards union with Christ, we invite His love into our hearts. Let us cherish and embrace spiritual communion as an integral part of our journey, strengthening our relationship with Jesus and deepening our love for God and others.

Litany of the Beatitudes

This litany helps us remember and pray the beatitudes. It also asks for our Lord’s grace so we can live these values in our daily lives.

Litany of the Call to Discipleship

This Litany of the Call to Discipleship asks our Lord to give us the grace to be His disciples. It focuses on various people in the gospel and asks for the grace to answer His call as they did.

Litany of St. John the Baptist

The Litany of St. John the Baptist is a prayer that calls on St. John for his help and guidance. It reflects on his life and mission, encouraging us to be humble, repentant, and focused on Jesus. This litany is especially useful in youth ministry, teaching young people about courage, dedication, and preparing their hearts for Jesus. By praying this litany, we ask St. John to support us in our spiritual journey and help us grow in our faith. Use this prayer to inspire and guide young people in living out their faith with strength and commitment.

Litany of the Way, the Truth, and the Life

In the Litany of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we come to realize the diverse ways in which Jesus influences our lives. He is the direction we need to follow, the truth we need to cling to, and the fundamental purpose of our being.

Litany of Humility

This Litany of Humility asks Jesus to lead us down the path of humility, wanting to be less than all others around us, so that He might be glorified instead of us.

Litany of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

This prayer asks for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is in the form of a litany, which is a prayer where there is a prompt and then a response.

Litany to the Blessed Host

St. Faustina suffered greatly in this life, both physically and spiritually. She found consolation in offering her suffering for the souls of all of those suffer, and especially for those sinners who needed God’s mercy. Her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament helped her endure much pain. This is a litany she wrote to pray while in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Litany of Belief

This litany of belief is a prayer based upon the statement of the father of the boy possessed by a demon (Mark 9:24) and the profession of faith of St. Thomas the Apostle (John 20:28). The responses are “I do believe, help my unbelief” and “My Lord and my God”.

Litany of the Names of Jesus

In this Litany of the Names of Jesus, we pray to Jesus using some of his many names

Litany of St. Joseph

In this Litany of St. Joseph, we ask this saint to pray for us so we can be more like him, especially in the way he trusted in God and cared for the Holy Family.

Rosary

The rosary is one of the most misunderstood Catholic devotions. While some non-Catholics see it as worshiping Mary, it is in fact focused on Christ. The mysteries of the rosary are based on important events in the life of Christ. When we meditate on these mysteries we consider these events and how they relate to our own lives and our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Divine Mercy Chaplet

Most Catholic youth are familiar with the rosary, but the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is less well known. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a devotion which reminds us that God is merciful and that we too must show mercy.

The Seven Sorrows Devotion

In the Seven Sorrows devotion a person meditates on the seven sorrows of our Blessed Mother. Mary experienced tremendous suffering during the life, passion, and death of her son, Jesus Christ.

First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

When Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, he promise several graces to those who practiced the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

First Five Saturdays Devotion

During the apparitions at Fatima, our Blessed Mother asked Lucia that Russia be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart through this devotion. Lucia also received another vision several years later to do this devotion in reparation for the atonement of sins.

St. John Paul II Prayer for Guidance

This Pope St. John Paul II Prayer for Guidance asks for the knowledge of God’s will and the freedom to do it. It also remembers God’s mercy and asks for solidarity among all people .

The Prayer for Generosity

The Prayer for Generosity asks God to help us be selfless and dedicated in serving Him. Its purpose is to encourage giving without seeking personal gain or comfort. This prayer is useful in youth ministry as it teaches young people the value of selflessness and commitment to God’s will. It helps them understand that true fulfillment comes from serving God and others.

Before Reading the Bible

This is a Catholic prayer before reading the Bible. It asks God our Father to send His Holy Spirit to make us ready to hear Him.

Give Me Discerning Eyes

This discernment prayer asks for God’s grace in seeing His will for us and understanding our own hearts. And then it asks us to be able to help others see.

Humility

This asks God for the grace to let go of our need to be admired and the center of attention. It is hard to put God first when we are focused on ourselves.

Peace Prayer

This is a beautiful expression of peace and abandonment of our own purpose to God’s will. “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

Teach My Heart Where and How to Seek You

Say this before reading scripture. It would also work well will a discussion of discernment or discipleship.

Holiness

The Prayer to the Holy Spirit is a simple prayer asking for guidance and strength to live a holy life. It asks the Holy Spirit to breathe in us, act through us, and guard us so we can follow God’s will. This prayer reminds us that holiness is possible when we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives. It can be used in youth ministry to teach about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how God helps us make good choices. It’s also a good prayer for Confirmation preparation and to encourage daily reliance on God’s presence and help.

Suscipe (Take Lord Receive)

The Suscipe Prayer, written by St. Ignatius of Loyola, is a short but powerful way to tell God that we’re giving up our own plans and giving everything we have to Him. When we say this prayer, we’re saying that everything about us, even our thoughts and feelings, we’re handing back to God. It’s based on the idea that everything we own or can do is a gift from God, so we shouldn’t hold onto them too tightly. Instead, we believe that God knows what’s best for us and will use everything for a good purpose.

Patient Trust

This is about waiting patiently for God. It is especially good for high school students and young adults who are discerning a vocation or possible career. We can be impatient about wanting an answer from God during the discernment process. We need to trust that God will eventually show us where we are supposed to head.

Walk by Faith

The Walk by Faith prayer emphasizes the importance of prayer in strengthening our connection with God and seeking His guidance in life’s challenges. It starts with unwavering belief in God’s plan, acknowledging the struggle to understand Christ’s teachings and finding wisdom amidst worldly distractions. Faith is the bedrock of the relationship, providing courage to face life’s trials and trust in God’s love. Seeking His guidance in decision-making and embracing His forgiveness in moments of weakness become crucial aspects. This prayer serves as a reminder of the profound relationship fostered through faith and prayer, leading us closer to God and finding true peace and joy in following Him.

Christ Has No Body

The Christ Has No Body Prayer reminds us that we are Christ’s hands, feet, and eyes in the world, carrying out His mission of love and service. This prayer encourages us to act with kindness and compassion, seeing Christ in everyone we meet. It is especially useful in youth ministry to teach young people about their role in living out their faith and serving others.

After Being Rejected

This prayer is for comfort and guidance in the face of rejection. It acknowledges the deep pain and anger that rejection can cause, expressing a desire for retaliation. However, it seeks God’s help to overcome these negative feelings, recognizing the need for divine grace. The prayer reflects on Jesus’ own experience with rejection, culminating in His crucifixion, yet highlights His forgiveness towards all, including the petitioner. It asks for a heart like Jesus’, the strength to forgive repeatedly, and for God’s presence in moments of anger, choosing forgiveness over resentment.

Battling Evil

St. Michael the Archangel, often depicted in armor, can be seen as a spiritual superhero for children, battling evil and protecting against Satan, his nemesis. This concept makes the struggle between good and evil relatable to youth. The St. Michael the Archangel Prayer is a powerful invocation for protection and strength in times of temptation or spiritual conflict. It calls upon St. Michael to defend against wickedness and the snares of the Devil, asking God to rebuke Satan and for St. Michael to banish all evil spirits seeking to harm souls.

In Times of Discouragement

St. John Neumann’s “Prayer in Discouragement” is a heartfelt plea during times of spiritual despair. It openly expresses feelings of discouragement, lost devotion, and waning spiritual thoughts, even towards the Passion of Christ and the Blessed Mother. The prayer is a candid admission of struggles with doubt, impatience, and temptation, common even among saints. It reflects a deep yearning for God’s mercy, strength, and faith, acknowledging human frailty. The prayer ends with a total surrender to God, seeking refuge and comfort in Jesus during trials, embodying a profound trust in divine guidance and mercy.

For Guidance and Protection

St. Patrick’s Breastplate is a prayer invoking Christ’s protection and guidance. It is particularly relevant for those in the military, new job starters, college students, pupils in new schools, individuals facing spiritual crises, teens under peer pressure, and anyone encountering adversity. Known also as “The Deer’s Cry,” “The Lorica of Saint Patrick,” or “Saint Patrick’s Hymn,” this prayer exists in various forms, commonly beginning with “I bind myself” or “I arise today.” The shorter version is suitable for children, emphasizing Christ’s presence in all aspects of life. The longer version elaborates on drawing strength from the Holy Trinity, Christ’s life events, and spiritual forces.

Help Me Know Who I Am

This Help Me Know Who I Am Identity Prayer seeks divine assistance in understanding one’s true self as seen through God’s eyes. It implores God to reveal His love for the individual, encompassing both strengths and weaknesses. The prayer emphasizes the desire to recognize oneself as God’s beloved child, fostering a secure sense of identity. It aspires to reflect God’s presence in actions, focusing on serving others rather than seeking self-attention. The ultimate goal is to glorify God, aligning one’s identity and actions with divine love and purpose.

For the Grace to Love

This Prayer to Love One Another seeks divine assistance to love others as Jesus loves us. Recognizing the challenge of this task, it asks for God’s grace to embody patience, tolerance, kindness, and caring towards everyone. The prayer also requests knowledge to harmonize with the universe and Mother Earth, and compassion to assist those in need. It emphasizes the central role of God’s love in enabling us to extend love to others, concluding with a plea for the blessing of God’s love.

Courage

St. George, renowned for his courage and fearlessness, is a source of inspiration for many young Catholics, particularly Boy Scouts. Though details of his life are limited, he is celebrated as a Roman soldier who chose martyrdom over renouncing his Christian faith. His legend of slaying a dragon symbolizes the struggle between good and evil. The St. George Prayer for Courage is a powerful invocation for young Catholics facing challenges, temptations, or doubts. It seeks St. George’s intercession for strength, kindness in speech, bravery against bullying, responsible use of technology, defending the Catholic faith, and resisting evil, reinforcing their commitment to righteousness.

Healing

The Healing Prayer to St. Raphael the Archangel is a devout request for both physical and spiritual healing within the Catholic tradition. It honors St. Raphael for his wisdom and grace, referencing his biblical role in aiding Tobias. The prayer uniquely allows for a personal intention, fostering a deeper spiritual connection. It seeks St. Raphael’s intercession in healing the soul and body, while also asking for the grace of purity, echoing the Catholic reverence for the sanctity of both body and soul. This prayer is a profound expression of faith and trust in divine assistance and healing.

To Be My True Self

This prayer, inspired by Psalm 139, expresses a deep trust in God’s intimate knowledge and unconditional love. It acknowledges God as the creator who understands us more than we understand ourselves. The prayer reflects on God’s purpose and plan for each individual from the moment of creation. It conveys a human desire to sometimes hide one’s true self, yet recognizes God’s constant presence and love. The supplicant asks for the courage to embrace and be their true self, the person God envisioned, relying on God’s unwavering love and support.

For Military Chaplains

This prayer asks God to bless and protect chaplains as they support military personnel. It seeks courage for chaplains and wisdom to comfort troops, especially those away from home. This invocation can also be integrated into youth ministry to teach values like service, bravery, and spiritual guidance.

For Students

This prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus seeks his guidance and support during the challenging journey of learning. It asks for strength to trust oneself, teachers, and peers, and to overcome fears while believing in personal growth. The prayer also seeks wisdom, compassion, energy, and zeal in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding in alignment with one’s gifts.

Pope Francis’ Five Finger Prayer

Pope Francis gives us a way to remember who to pray for. Download a printable PDF copy.

Before Using the Internet

Yes, internet users have a patron saint! So ask for the intercession of St. Isidore to keep us safe while using the internet.

Pro-Life

The pro-life prayer calls on the Holy Spirit to help believers protect life and reject the Culture of Death. It emphasizes the sacredness of life and encourages actions that promote a Culture of Life. This prayer can be used in personal prayer or in youth ministry, focusing on themes like compassion, mercy, and the dignity of all life. It aims to inspire young people to understand and uphold the value of life.

For an End to Racism

The sin of racism impacts all of us. Our communities are so divided. We don’t understand or listen to each other. We seem unable to make the sacrifices necessary to even the playing field for all of God’s children.

For Someone Who Has Hurt You

Praying for someone who has hurt you is difficult. This is especially powerful if you are still harboring some resentment. Pray from your heart, but if you are having trouble getting started, try the prayer given here.

For the Americas

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas. This includes themes of dedication of our efforts, justice for all people, leadership for bishops, desire for holiness, blessing for homes and families, call to reconciliation, love of the sacraments, and freedom from hatred.

For Our Holy Father

One person who often requests our prayers is our Holy Father, Pope Francis. In fact, his very first Instagram post was simply captioned “Pray for me”.

For Our Nation

It is easy to look at the divisions in our country and the injustices and loose hope. But our merciful God is first and foremost our reason for hope. Let us place our country in his hands.

For Those Who Have Sacrificed for Our Freedom

Let us remember all of the brave men and women who have given their lives for our freedom.

Putting on a Mask

Stop and pause and use your senses at the parts where it says breathe in and breathe out. Really feel your breath. It is a sign of life and a gift from God.

For the United States

The Rope Prayer for the United States is a special prayer that helps youth pray for their country. By using a rope to outline the shape of the United States, participants focus on unity and God’s blessings. The prayer involves standing, kneeling, and lifting the rope to symbolize connection and commitment. It is perfect for national holidays, election seasons, or times of trouble. This prayer can be used with youth ministry themes like community, citizenship, and faith in action.

Vocations

Giving your whole life to the service of the Church is counter-cultural and many young people do not even consider it. God calls us all to a specific vocation. So we should pray that those being called to the priesthood will hear and answer that call.

Prayer for the Homeless

In this prayer, we seek God’s love and compassion for the homeless. We ask for shelter, necessities, and protection. We pray for healing, support for veterans, freedom from addiction, guidance for teenagers, and opportunities to rebuild lives. We also ask for guidance to show love and take action by supporting local agencies. May God hear our prayer and empower us to reflect His love as we help our homeless brothers and sisters.

Popcorn Circle

A popcorn prayer circle gives everyone an opportunity to offer an intention, either silently or vocally. This is a nice way to pray if you are doing an activity where you are practicing silence. But it is also just another way to pray together, or if you want to make sure everyone has a chance to offer their whole intention without interruption.

Coffee Filter Prayer

This helps youth consider how to filter out unclean or inappropriate thoughts. This would be good to use at a meeting focused on using electronic devices or the internet.

Pretzels

The pretzel is a symbol of prayer. The twist in the pretzel is meant to look like hands in prayer. And pretzels are made with simple ingredients – no sugar, butter, eggs, milk, etc. Includes a prayer you can say together before you enjoy your pretzels.

Ball Toss Prayer Circle

Ball Toss circle is an activity to help give everyone a chance to offer an intention. It also encourages the more quiet ones in your group to participate.

Paper Chain

A paper chain puts our prayers in a tangible form. For children, this can be a good way to teach about adoration, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving.

Flashlight Circle

Flashlight Circle is a simple activity to hold attention during prayer time and to make sure everyone has a chance to offer a prayer.

Paper Towel Roll Prayers

This is a simple idea for a way to remember to pray at home during everyday activities. This would be a good activity for VBS or youth ministry to make and take home with them.

Hat Circle

You can use whatever hat fits your theme. Think of a cowboy hat, a train conductor hat, a construction helmet, a baseball cap, etc.

Create Your Own Labyrinth

A labyrinth serves as a tranquil path for prayer, where walking slowly enhances spiritual focus and calms the mind. This ancient practice, adaptable to both indoor and outdoor settings, invites individuals to engage in contemplative prayer through physical movement. Create your own labyrinth using materials like tape for indoor spaces or chalk and rope for outdoor areas. As you walk this sacred path, the rhythmic steps help to center your thoughts, deepen your prayer experience, and provide a unique opportunity to connect more intimately with God. These tips offer guidance on crafting this reflective journey, tailored to your personal or communal spiritual needs.

ABC Circle

This prompt is to discover ideas to pray about which start with different letters of the alphabet. ABC Circle is a suggestion for a group, but it could also be used as an individual prayer starter.

One Word Spontaneous Prayer Circle

This is a group prayer activity where participants say one word at a time to express their thoughts or emotions to God. This method promotes unity and inclusivity, making it ideal for youth ministry, as it encourages young participants to engage without feeling pressured to speak at length. The circle helps build community and fosters a deeper connection among members through simple of faith from the heart.

Complete the Sentence

This is a simple method to help youth talk to God by finishing set prompts. It includes different parts like praise, confession, and asking for help. This method is good for catechesis and youth ministry because it makes prayer simple and direct. It teaches young people to express their feelings and needs to God, helping them grow in their faith.

Paper Airplanes

Paper airplane prayers are a way to offer intentions in a group setting.

Fasting and Feasting (Lent)

This suggests something to fast from and then an alternative to feast upon. We don’t give something up to make ourselves suffer. We give things up for Lent to make room for something better.

The O Antiphons (Advent)

The “O Antiphons” are part of the Liturgy of the Hours for December 17 to December 23. In them, Old Testament imagery is used to proclaim the coming of the Christ child. Incorporate them into your family devotions during Advent.

Wreath Prayer Service (Advent)

Use the this wreath prayer service to make any evergreen wreath serve as a reminder of our salvation.

Advent Prayer Service

This is a simple Advent prayer service for families to say together. A prayer service doesn’t need to be lengthy. In fact, with very young children, shorter is sometimes better.

Advent Stations

Advent Stations are a devotion which is similar to the Stations of the Cross. They encourage the participant to take a journey through scripture. In the case of Advent Stations we are taking a journey which shows us God’s preparation for the coming of Christ through the ages.

Christmas Tree Blessing

Doing a Christmas tree blessing helps us focus again on the true meaning of this busy season, which is especially important as we draw nearer to Christmas and are worrying about things like purchasing few more gifts or getting ready for guests.

Jelly Bean Prayer (Easter)

The Jelly Bean Prayer uses colorful jelly beans to teach the story of Easter. Each color represents a part of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This prayer is great for youth ministry and family activities, helping kids connect to themes like sacrifice, grace, and new life. It’s also a fun way to share faith with others by making small prayer gifts to give away during the Easter season.

First Person Stations of the Cross (Lent)

This mediation will take youth through the way of the cross. They will see each station as if they were there. The prayers are meant to relate to their own lives. This is appropriate during Lent or even if you will be offering youth an opportunity for reconciliation soon.