Way to Christ" Pope John Paul II warned against "mechanical prayer" and pointed out the need for self-reflection before prayer. And in his message for the 42nd "World Day of Prayer" he said: "We have to learn to pray: as it were learning this art ever anew from the lips of the Divine Master himself, like the first disciples: 'Lord, teach us to pray!' (Lk 11:1)." In Catholic tradition, there are many legends about the power of persistent prayer. In the fourth century, Monica of Hippo is said to have prayed for the conversion of her son Augustine for fourteen years and he eventually became an influential figure in Christian thought. See also Christian devotional literature Christian prayer Catholic prayers to Jesus Fátima prayers Further reading The Catholic's pocket prayer-book (1899) Prayers and meditations on the life of Christ by Thomas à Kempis (1908) Meditations For Every Day In The Year by Roger Baxter (1823) The paradise of the Christian soul by Jacob Merlo Horstius (1877) With God: A Book of Prayers and Reflections by Francis Xavier Lasance (1911) References Catholic spirituality Christian prayer Rosary