Why
Pray?
“People
of all faiths use some form of prayer or meditation in their
spiritual practice, although it can look quite different from the
others. A prayer can be a silent meditation or a full chorus of
chanting. In some traditions people sit and pray, in others they lie
prostrate, kneel, stand, or even dance.”
Thich Nhat
Hanh (The Energy of Prayer, p.19)
I've been researching the
concept of resurrection in the stories of La Loba and Ezekiel's
valley of dry bones. In both stories, the protagonist prays—La Loba
by way of a song, and Ezekiel by prophesying. Prayer can take many
forms. I have friends who meditate every day, other's who get on
their knees and ask God for help. Others still, who practice in the
Quaker fashion of silent contemplation. Sometimes prayer is simply
raising a name up to the care of divine energy. Most of the time,
we don't know what is best for anyone—including ourselves—though
we may fervently want a particular outcome. There's no shame in
asking for what you want—even Jesus did that in the Garden of
Gethsemane. He didn't get what he asked for either, so don't feel too
bad.
So you might wonder
what's the point of praying? I can't answer that for you, but as I
see it for myself, it's a daily dose of humility which is good for
the soul. It forces me to bow to a wisdom greater than my own, to
submit my will to control both my own life and that of others. It is
an opportunity to align my spirit with a power greater than myself,
to give thanks for grace in my life, and to hold up people and places
that are on my mind and heart. Prayer for me is an energetic
transfer—the energy of our best self, our open-heart, goes out into
the world and is not limited by time and distance. I might pray for
someone I don't know, or for a swath of the world where I've never
been, and in that exchange, I send a stream of energy out that is
positive and unconditional.
Does prayer work? If that
means, do we always get what we want, the answer is no. Sometimes
things go one way, sometimes the other. So, why pray? My prayers may
not change another person's life. However, taking the time to pray
changes my life, because it changes me. It helps me to deal with
situations and circumstances I have no power over, but am concerned
about. It helps me to feel that for that period of time, I am
generating positive energy and countering negativity. Energetically,
I connect with people I care about without expressing worry to them.
Does the Divine always give me what I want? Hardly ever. But for some
reason, I feel better about not getting what I want because I feel
calmer and more grounded. Something inside me understands that what I
want may not be in alignment with the path my soul is here to walk. So, yes,
prayer works for me.
The urge to pray is
universal. It seems to be uniquely human. We may have different ways
of going about it, but people of all faiths do go about it. I wonder
about you. Have you experienced the energy of prayer? Does it work
for you?
In the Spirit,
Jane
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