The Old Testament
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified
Meeting God in History (2568)
God's first call was to our first parents after they sinned. "Where are you? What is this you have done?" (Gen 3:9, 13). Jesus responded to this question, "I have come to do your will, O God" (Heb 5-7). Prayer is man's encounter with God within history.
Abel - Noah - Abraham (2569)
In the Bible's first nine chapters, prayer deals with the offering of creation. Abel offered the firstling of his flock (Gen 4:4) and Noah offered holocausts of the clean animals and clean birds (Gen 8:20). God blessed all creation in Noah's offering (Gen 9:1-17). The special revelation of prayer begins with Abraham.
Abraham's Tested Faith (2570-2572)
The Lord directed Abraham (Gen 12:4). His heart was submissive. At first, he prayed in deeds (building altars at each stage). Later, Abraham spoke to God of seemingly unfulfilled promises (Gen 15:2). Prayer always involved a faith which was tested.
At Mamre, Abraham welcomed a mysterious guest into his tent (Gen 18:1-15). Once he received God's plan, Abraham realized God's compassion and interceded more boldly.
Abraham's final purification of faith involved the sacrifice of his son, Isaac. Abraham believed that God could provide a sacrifice (Gen 22:8) and "was able to raise men even from the dead" (Heb 11:19). So, Abraham was conformed to God.
Jacob (2573)
God renewed his promise to Jacob (the ancestor of Israel's twelve tribes) when he wrestled a mysterious figure. In this story, the Church sees prayer as a battle of faith and a triumph of perseverance.
Intercession of Moses (2574-2575)
The prayer of Moses became the most striking example of intercession, ultimately fulfilled in the "one mediator... the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5).
God called Moses from the burning bush (Ex 3:1-10). In this primordial image of prayer, the living God revealed himself and made Moses his messenger to save his people. Only after long debate did Moses attune his will to God.
Face to Face (2576)
"The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Ex 33:11). With this contemplative prayer, Moses remained faithful to his mission, conversing at length with God. God spoke "clearly, not in riddles" and Moses was more humble "than anyone else on the face of the earth" (Num 12:3, 7-8).
Bold in Intercession (2577)
Seeing that God was slow to anger and abounding in love, Moses grew determined in his intercession. He interceded during the Amalek battle (Ex 17:8-12) and asked that Miriam be healed (Num 12:13-14). After the Israelite apostasy, Moses stood "in the breach before God to save the people (Ex 32:1-34:9). Moses' arguments have emboldened intercessors of the Old and the New Covenant who saw that God will not forsake his people.
Samuel - David - Solomon (2578-2580)
The leaders and the prophets taught Israel to pray. The infant Samuel learned from his mother, Hannah, how "to stand before the Lord," and from the priest Eli, how to listen to the Lord (1 Sam 3:9-10).
David was a model of prayer in his submission to God's will. In the Psalms, David is the prophet of both Jewish and Christian prayer.
At the dedication of the temple, Solomon's prayer relied on God's promises and recalled his mighty deeds. The king begged for the peoples' daily needs, so that the nations would know God.
Temple Ritualism (2581)
The temple was the place for education in prayer. Pilgrimages, feasts, and sacrifices (signs of holiness) were really ways of prayer. Because ritualism encouraged an excessively external worship, the prophets had to call for a conversion of heart.
Elijah (2582-2584)
Elijah taught the widow of Zarephath to believe in God's Word and confirmed her faith by bringing her child to life. At Mount Carmel, Elijah prayed, "Answer me, O Lord, answer me." This was the decisive test for the people's faith.
Elijah, like Moses, hid himself in the cleft of God's holy mountain until God's presence passed by. Only at the Transfiguration, did Moses and Elijah see the unveiled "face of Christ" (Lk 9:30-35).
The prophets received strength from their encounters with God. They did not fly from the world but were attentive to God's Word.
A Deepening - The Psalms (2585-2586)
The Psalms are the Old Testament's masterwork of prayer. They nourished and expressed the prayer of God's people. The Psalms embrace all creation. They recall the past and extend to the future. They commemorate God's promises and look for the Messiah. Prayed by Christ himself, they remain essential to the Church's prayer.
God's Words (2587-2588)
In the Psalms, God's words became man's prayer. The Psalms whether individual or communal, lamentation or thanksgiving, are a reflection of the Psalmist's experiences. Every psalm can be prayed in truth by everyone.
Blessings on Our Lips (2589)
The Psalms have the characteristics of simplicity, spontaneity, and a desire for God. They portray distraught persons who still believe in God and submit to his will. Collected for the assembly's praise, they sing "Alleluia" ("Praise the Lord"). "What is more pleasing than a psalm? A psalm is a blessing on the lips of the people, is the voice of the Church and a confession of faith in song" (St. Ambrose).
The Fullness of Jesus' Prayer (2598)
The full drama of prayer is revealed in Jesus. We must approach Jesus contemplating him and asking him to teach us to pray.
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