Pope Francis has called on Christians to pray sincerely, speaking from the heart rather than simply reciting words. During his general audience, he cautioned against prayer that is mechanical, comparing it to parrots that imitate without understanding.
The Pope emphasized that true prayer involves the heart and invited the Holy Spirit to lead each conversation with God. “Please, don’t pray like parrots! Don’t just repeat ‘blah, blah, blah’. Say ‘Lord’ with meaning; ‘Help me, Lord,’ ‘I love you, Lord.’ When you pray the ‘Our Father,’ say, ‘Father, you are truly my Father.’ Make your prayers heartfelt, not just words,” he urged.