How do You Pray?

First off I want to say that prayer or meditation is one in the same. It really doesn’t matter what you call it because they both are for the same purpose – to ask for something and then to allow God or the Universe to bring the situation to its perfect conclusion. For the sake of this article I will be using the words prayer and God.

Unfortunately most people don’t know how to pray. We tend to complicate it by thinking we have to beg….”Oh, please God, please…” or “Why God, why…”

We have rituals… “Get down on your knees…” or “Lie face down” (on the carpet that you have no idea of when it was last washed). Or my other favorite…”thanking God in a restaurant, out loud, making a spectacle of myself”.

Now if you want to pray like this, by all means do so – it’s your choice. If you are comfortable with it, that’s fine. For me it’s a personal thing, not a public display.

The focus of this article is not regarding public prayer, there is a time and place for that. It’s about what we want on a personal level for ourselves and others.

How can we pray more effectively? What is it that we do or don’t do that causes our prayers to seem to go unanswered?

Two of the most common mistakes I’ve seen (and done) are begging and controlling.

We Beg

Don’t do it. You are not a little child who has to beg and cry to get their way. You are a mature individual who has been blessed to be made in the image of God; who by the way is the perfect creator – and has all power – and all knowledge. Now don’t you think that if we are made in his image that we also, already, have the same qualities He has?
Get a grip – then use the knowledge.

We Control

Sometimes things happen that we feel we need to control, and usually its about other people and their circumstances. “We” think it should happen this way, exactly the way “I think” it should be…ah – no! The only thing you will get out of trying to tell God how to do His job is frustration; and the thought that God doesn’t listen. Oh but he does listen. He’s just waiting for you to shut-up. It’s like telling someone how to raise their kids, but you have never had kids – thus, no experience. God has been at this prayer answering business a lot longer than you’ve been praying.
Let it go. You want a perfect solution? Then let him do his job.

Praying Effectively – Simple is best

First of all think about what you are asking for. I think about the situation, all the individuals that may be involved, and then I write a simple prayer. Such as this example:

Joes mind is clear and calm,

He is now filled with unconditional love and understanding,

He is now listening to his heart.

All is perfect – all is well.

I close my eyes and picture the person in my mind; I see a breeze flowing around and through him. At the same time in my mind I repeat my prayer. I will continue to do this until I feel that “All is perfect-all is well”. Sometimes it only takes one time; on other occasions it could take a few days or weeks.

Notice that not once did I mention the situation in my prayer or how I wanted it resolved. Because you are not begging or trying to control the out come of the situation you are allowing it to be resolved in the perfect way which will benefit all persons involved. By trusting in God to do His job in the most perfect way we allow the perfect solution. This is what trusting God is all about. This is when prayers are answered.

Ah, a life with less stress – keep it simple.