Japa, kirtan, and prayer — what's the difference?

Japa is the quiet, personal repetition of a mantra — often with a mala, often alone, often silent. It is a contemplative practice, close to what many traditions would call meditation with a sacred word. Kirtan is the opposite in mood but the same in essence. It is call-and-response singing of divine names, usually in a group, usually with music. Kirtan is the mantra let out into the room. Prayer is different again. A mantra is a sacred sound repeated for its own vibration and meaning; a prayer is a personal address to the sacred. Many practitioners weave all three into their practice. None of these is higher than the others. They are simply different postures the heart can take toward the sacred sound.