First and foremost, prayer is laid on a foundation of the ability to speak to God, our Father who loves us, knowing that He will listen. That He loves all prayers, including and especially simple conversation style prayer.
Jesus, I'm having a hard day. Would you help me please, Lord? I love you so much!
2. Catholics Pray By Reciting the Scriptures
Catholics pray by reading/saying/reciting the Scriptures, especially the Psalms. A very common way to do this is to pray the Divine Office, also known as the Liturgy of the Hours, wherein several psalms are prayed several times a day. For example, yesterday morning, millions prayed Psalm 33, an excerpt of which is below:
Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp, with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
O sing him a song that is new, play loudly, with all your skill.
3. Catholics Pray By Saying Rote Prayers to God
Rote prayers are prayers that you don't just make up yourself, they are prayers that you've memorized or read that someone else composed. Many rote prayers are traditional and widely popular. Catholics don't believe that all prayers have to be thought-up on the spot, we are happy to pray the words of others, we just make them our own each time. One rote prayer frequently said by most Catholics is the prayer that Jesus taught us, the Our Father.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. Catholics Pray By Asking Mary, Angels, and the Saints to Pray to God With Us
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
5. Catholics Pray With Posture and Gestures
Posture and gestures can be filled with meaning. Waving at someone means hello, for example. Catholics pray via gesture and posture in many ways. The most common gesture in prayer is the Sign of the Cross. The Sign of the Cross, while usually accompanied by a verbal prayer - "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" - the gesture is itself a prayer. By making the Sign of the Cross, we recall our Baptism, the event that washed away our sins and imbued an indelible mark upon our souls declaring us to belong to Christ.
By making the Sign of the Cross, we symbolically say to the Lord and to ourselves "I have been baptized: I belong to the Lord."
6. Catholics Pray By Listening to God in Silence
Part of prayer is listening, and to listen, it help to be quiet. Silence is a big part of Catholic spirituality. One of the times when Catholics are most likely to pray in silence is when adoring the Blessed Sacrament. Such prayer has been compared to sitting and soaking in the sun, but instead we're just soaking in the radiance of Christ's presence.
7. Catholics Pray By Singing to God
Like for most Christians, singing is important for Catholics. We sing at Mass and elsewhere. Many prayers are sung or are accompanied by hymns. At Sunday Mass, we usually sing (or always at least say) the Gloria, the first few lines of which are below.
Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace to men of good will. We praise You. We bless You. We adore you. We glorify You. We give You thanks for Your great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty.
8. Catholics Pray By Meditating
Meditating is important to Catholic prayer. In Catholicism, meditating can be described primarily as dwelling deeply on God's truth and/or His presence. It's more than thinking, it's something like being in love.
9. Catholics Pray By Speaking in Tongues
Speaking in tongues isn't typically associated with Catholic spirituality, but millions of Catholics pray in tongues frequently. I'm one of them. Speaking in tongues fits very well into the meditative style of prayer common to Catholicism. Much like when we say rote prayers, especially during the prayers like the Rosary, praying in tongues allows the ability to focus beyond the words and instead to focus on the spiritual connection happening with God.
10. Catholics Pray the Holy Mass
Above all, Catholics pray the Holy Mass. The Liturgy is the source and summit of our spiritual lives. Many of the above types of prayer are part of praying the Mass, but there's even more to it. By being prayerfully attentive at Mass, Catholics present themselves at the Foot of the Cross. When we receive Holy Communion we experience the most intimate union with Christ possible. The point of prayer is connection with God, and the greatest connection we ever could ever have with God on Earth is by praying the Holy Mass.
