Remember when you were little and you would pray to God? I used to ask for things like: a good grade on a test, a new toy, or I would pray that I wouldn’t get in trouble for something I did wrong.
When I was a child prayer calmed me down and most of the time my prayers came true. I stopped actively praying once I became an adult. I was too busy and at that time didn’t believe in a higher power. The few times I did pray was only in emergency situations.
About two years ago I started incorporating prayer back into my every day life. The results for me have been profound. Through regular prayer and meditation I feel a sense of calm around me and a knowingness that everything is always okay. I hear whispers from God/my intuition giving me direction. I am not a religious person, but after my daily prayer I feel as though I’ve given my burden to a power greater than me for assistance. And most importantly I have faith that I am being heard and helped.
I pray every morning as part of my meditation practice. I mostly pray for people I know who are struggling. I pray for the well being of my husband and children as they go about their day. I pray that we as brothers and sisters of our world see the goodness in each other and act from love. And at the end of my prayers I throw in a couple of my own wishes.
When we pray it’s as if we have a direct line to God/source. Prayer heals. Prayer calms. Prayer strengthens. Prayer balances and restores order. In the words of my favorite spiritual author Sonia Choquette, “Prayer attracts solutions that we could never imagine possible, which is what we call miracles. Prayer is a direct link to heaven that keeps us plugged into our source.”
She also says, “When you pray you ask your personal ego to step aside and you surrender your personal energy over to a Higher Power, asking it to work through you, to bring about balance and healing.”
How to pray?
The answer is easy– Pray however you would like. There is no wrong way to pray. The idea is to create a ritual where you say your prayers before you rise in the morning and before you go to sleep at night. To feel its effectiveness you need to do it regularly, close your eyes, and get quiet.
I pray everywhere– in my bed, in the shower, taking a walk, driving my car, even sitting on the toilet. Any place that I create a quiet moment for myself I pray. Pray so it becomes automatic.
What should I pray for?
Another easy answer. Pray for whatever you want. Pray for guidance, pray to find your keys, pray to heal your cancer, pray to afford your bills, pray to help others, pray for world peace, pray to have more patience, pray to open your heart, pray to find the right bathing suit. There is no wrong way to pray and there is no selfish prayer.
The only rule of prayer is it is most effective the more often it’s practiced.
There are no instructions when it comes to prayer. Pray whenever you feel like it, about anything you feel like, and in whatever way you feel like. Don’t worry if you are doing it right. God knows better than you what you mean and need. The point of prayer is not so much what you pray for or how, but allowing for God/source to enter into our hearts and into our lives to straighten things out. Prayer is about relinquishing your control and turning it over to a higher power.
In Light,
Hilary of Hilary’s Mindful Living
