The power of prayer is certainly mighty. And, not for the reason you might think.
For me, the power of the prayer is not in the fact of whether or not it is answered. It is in the self love and faith that creates that desire for us to call out to something more powerful than us. It is our daily tribute to what is, or what will be.
For me, prayer serves two main purposes. The first of those is gratitude. I find myself more than a couple of times a day, pausing and reflecting on how outrageously great my life is. How many gifts that I have present in my life. How terrifically (?) I am cared for in the world. How grateful I am to have open eyes and open heart to all that life has in store for me. Full, profound gratitude.
The second way in which prayer is most helpful for me in my daily life is in turning it over, letting go and letting God, as it is said. How true, and how it works for me.
I dislike flying immensely. To put it bluntly, I HATE IT. I have determined that the reason that I hate it so much is that I am afraid about being that out of control, that powerless, to the outcome of a situation. When we were preparing for our trip a few weeks ago to Florida, about a week before we left, I was driving and started thinking about the flight, and became so filled with fear and panic that I thought I would have an anxiety attack. This last for a couple of minutes, until I finally said, and prayed the words, “I trust you, Lord. It is in your hands. I am turning it over to you.”
I immediately felt a calm wash over me, because I knew, I had given it to the right person. I knew that in my powerlessness, I turned over my fear and worry to whom was the driving force. A power greater than myself was at hand, and I was admitting that and letting go. What a relief!
I have prayed at times to a higher power for an answer, or to get something that I wanted or thought I needed. But, more often than that, the prayers and petitions that I have put forth are out of thankfulness, and seeking the strength to carry whatever God has put before me.
Prayer is not for special occasions, or dire need alone. It is for every day, because we all can benefit from that connection, each and every day, as many times as we can a day.
And, pray in your way. Raise your hands, with palms together. Open them up wide and stretch your arms to the sky. Close your eyes and reflect. There is no right or wrong way to do it.
It is just important to make time for it, every day.
You will be so glad that you did.
