Formal or vocal prayer is the prayer of beginners in the spiritual life. These include young children, recent converts, and certain very simple people. These people are “novices” at prayer.

Stage One: Formal Prayer

An old Chinese proverb says: “The journey of ten thousand miles begins with the first step!” Well, the first step on the journey of prayer is “formal prayer.” (Western Christians sometimes call it “vocal prayer,” especially when it’s prayed aloud, while Eastern Christians usually refer to it as “the prayer of the lips.”)

This is the prayer of beginners in the spiritual life. These include young children (who need to be taught their prayers along with everything else), recent converts (especially those with little or no religious background), and certain very simple people (who lack the training or encouragement to advance on their spiritual journey). These people are “novices” at prayer.

Being inexperienced at talking with God, at least with any depth to their conversation, they often feel awkward when they try to do so. They need help as to how and what to say whenever they speak to Him in prayer. An example of people looking for this help is found is St. Luke’s Gospel (see 11:1-4).

In this account we find that Our Lord had been praying. The disciples were watching Him closely and must have been deeply impressed. When He finished, one of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us also how to pray!”

He then taught them a simple “formal prayer,” yet the most perfect of all prayers, the “Our Father,” which we also call “the Lord’s Prayer.” Notice that He didn’t teach them a technique involving a certain posture or rhythm of breathing, nor a systematic method of meditation. Like most people, they weren’t ready for anything like that. They needed a “no-frills” approach, and that’s exactly what the Lord gave them.

Formal prayer, as the word implies, involves the use of a pre-set wording or formula to express what we want to say. Usually they are the words of someone else whom we believe was closer to God and knew how to express thoughts and sentiments to Him that we couldn’t put into words ourselves. Many times these prayers have a depth of beauty or inspiring quality we feel drawn to express to God.

Examples of Formal Prayers

The most obvious example of “formal prayers” are the Our father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be to the Father. These are formal prayers we use constantly because they remind us of some of the most basic revealed truths. Other formal prayers we use often (for example, as part of our morning or night prayers) would be the acts of Faith, Hope, Love, and Contrition; the Morning Offering; and table graces before and after meals.

Most of our personally “favorite prayers” are formal prayers. Many people love the “Peace Prayer of St. Francis.” Not only is it a very fitting prayer to offer to God, but it also motivates us to do good to others.

Take, as another example, the beautiful prayer to Our Lady we call the “Memorare.” It’s certainly a favorite of many people. Once you’ve prayed its inspiring introduction — “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided” — how would it be possible for Our Lady to turn a deaf ear to our need or request?

I can testify that many times in my own life I’ve received great confidence from these words. They were originally another person’s words and heart-felt sentiments, but in praying them I make them my own.

How Formal Prayers Help Us Pray

How do “formal prayers” help us pray? Many of us have probably heard St. John Damascene’s definition of prayer: “Prayer is the lifting of the mind and heart to God.” When we pray formal prayers, we focus our minds on their meaning or content. As we pray, we mentally absorb this meaning and make it our own. Many times this meaning has such depth and beauty, we could never have been able to express it to God if someone else hadn’t put it into words for us!
This meaning simultaneously stirs up in our hearts feelings and attitudes such as praise, hope, love, courage, and trust. As we pray the words with understanding in our minds, our hearts are likewise moved to offer these sentiments to God. In this way, both our minds and hearts are being not only lifted up to God, but also formed in such sublime attitudes and sentiments. Ultimately, we’re growing in familiarity with God so that someday we’ll enjoy a confidence and ease in speaking to Him in words and sentiments coming spontaneously from our own minds and hearts.

This lifting of our minds and hearts to God is no doubt the great blessing of formal prayer. But ironically, it’s also the greatest challenge of this kind of prayer. The problem most people experience with formal prayers is the problem of distractions.

For example, suppose I’m reciting the words of a formal prayer, trying to focus my mind and heart on their meaning. All of a sudden, my mind is thinking back to a movie or baseball game I saw on television yesterday. Or maybe I remembered something I was supposed to do before I went to work or school today, and I haven’t done it yet. It could be fears or anxieties or even joyful expectations that flood my mind, taking my focus away from God. At the same time, they overwhelm those prayerful sentiments until I may feel as if my heart is totally empty of any sense of love, praise, trust, or the like.

Don’t Give Up!
At this point, many people are tempted to give up praying. But don’t do that — it would be a big mistake! It’s not really as bad as it seems. Let me offer a few pointers.

First, remember that many distractions are natural. They come on their own. I’ve heard it said that the human mind can’t concentrate on something for more than twenty-five seconds without a distraction. So expect distractions, since they come from our human limitation and weakness.

Second, it’s only when we willfully allow distractions into our minds that our prayer connection with God is actually broken. If our distractions are involuntary (those that come even though we don’t want them), they don’t offend God.
Third, when distractions do come, just try gently to bring your mind and heart back into clear focus with God. Try to refocus on the meaning of the words of the prayer and offer the sentiments of your heart, too. Try not to get angry or disturbed. That would only become another distraction.

Fourth, if the distractions keep coming back, try praying gently a few more times. If the distractions are overwhelming, my advice would be to stop your prayers for awhile and come back to them at another time when you’re more settled, if you’re praying privately. If you’re praying with a group, just continue praying, and trust that your heavenly Father who sees in secret knows your trial and will reward your efforts.


The Liturgy, Divine Office, and Rosary
We will never outgrow our need for formal prayer. The Liturgy, for instance, is basically made up of formal prayers. There are the Eucharistic Prayers at Mass as well as prayer formulas for each Sacrament.

The Liturgy of the Hours (also called the Divine Office) consists primarily of praying the Old Testament psalms. These are basically one hundred fifty prayers God inspired so that we could speak to Him confidentially. The psalms, interestingly enough, seem to cover every kind of life situation or human emotion we may feel drawn to express to God in prayer. The nice thing here is that someone has already put into words the thoughts and feelings we want to express.
We also use formal prayers when we pray in common, whether it’s the family Rosary together at home or prayer with other parishioners in church. Generally, our devotions are also composed of formal prayers, such as the chaplet of Divine Mercy, which uses the words Our Lord taught to St. Faustina.

Some people use vocal prayer almost exclusively when they pray personally to God. For various reasons, they feel no need or desire to practice mental prayer. This statement by St. Anthony Mary Claret sums it up well:

Vocal prayer suits me better than strictly mental prayer, thank God. At each word of the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory, I glimpse an abyss of goodness and mercy. Our Lord has granted me the grace of being very attentive and fervent when I say these; in His goodness He also grants me many graces during mental prayer, but in vocal prayer I have a deeper awareness.

St. Teresa of Avila says that some people, using primarily formal prayer, have even reached the heights of perfection. God gives His gifts as He chooses. But those who use formal prayer effectively in their lives have already taken the first step on the journey of prayer.

Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R., is a priest of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, St. Felix Friary, 15 Trinity Plaza, Yonkers, NY 10701; 914-476-7279; www.ministryalliance.- com/youth-evang/fortunaweb.htm.