The Power of Prayer

Consider the word “prayer”. What comes to mind? Many of us will immediately jump to religion – for some of us that may provide comfort and for some it could be off-putting. Regardless of your spiritual inclination, prayer can benefit anyone and everyone. Ask yourself about your conception of God and what you consider that word to mean. Perhaps you believe in a God or Gods that are part of an organised religion, or alternatively you believe in particular energies outside of yourself. Maybe you don’t believe in anything at all. No matter where you lie on the spiritual spectrum, the act of praying could be incredibly beneficial to you.

The third step of the Alcoholics Anonymous program is to “make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand him”. Whether you’re an addict or not, this advice can help us to feel more at ease in our lives. It’s important to consider that this advice encourages you to connect with God as you understand him. If you’re religious you may already have a close connection with God and a solid idea of who he is. If you’re secular, you may feel distant from the idea of God and your conception of him may be vague. In this case you can decide on your own “god”. Whether it’s an intangible energy, the moon, the cosmos or even friends and family, your God can be anything you feel connected to that is bigger than yourself and your psyche.

Prayer is an appeal to this higher being or force. Conversing and connecting with your God can not only give you an effective outlet to voice anything that’s on your mind, but also help you to feel more connected to the world around you. It can also be a powerful manifestation tool. The energy that you put out in the process of praying can help you to attract the positive energies that you may wish to be surrounded by. Though many may not believe in the power of manifestation, it has been proven that it at least has positive psychological effects.

In praying you can find strength. Feeling less alone and more supported by a force outside of yourself can be incredibly motivating and can significantly improve your mental health. Nourishing the spirit through prayer can help to inspire feelings of gratitude, compassion, forgiveness and overall satisfaction with your life. These feelings are essential to healing and wellness. Keeping an open mind and trying out prayer may help you to find greater purpose and comfort.