Prayer...... the definition of prayer according to Merriam-Webster is as follows:
1. an address (as in a petition) to God or a God in word or thought; a set order of words used in praying
2. the act or practice of praying to God or a God- kneeling in prayer
3. a religious service consisting chiefly of prayers
4. something prayed for
5. a slight chance - haven't got a prayer
Prayer can be the simplest thing to do and yet the hardest at the same time. Many of us grew up in a household that said "grace" before our meal or a prayer before going to bed. It was part of the routine, just something we did because our mother or father said we were supposed to. As we grew older many of us carried on these traditions in our own families but somewhere along the line some of us forgot about prayer....at some point our children stopped saying grace and giving thanks for the things they have. We ourselves became lax in our own prayers and only prayed when there was a problem that we couldn't solve.
I must admit there was a time in my life when I did not pray at all. I shied away from church and any form of belief. I wandered through my life lost and alone even though there were people around me all the time. I was always worried about how I was going to make it and how I was going to pay the bills which seemed to keep piling up no matter how hard I worked or how much I made. It was never enough. Every time I thought I was getting ahead another expense popped up to push me further behind. I had constant headaches, and not just simple ones either. I'm talking severe, make you vomit, put you to bed migraines!!!! I even kept my hair cut short because the weight of my hair would make my headache worse. I lived on over the counter migraine meds for a long time. I kept to myself and tried to "fix" my problems and obstacles that life threw at me by myself....... looking back, I laugh at how foolish I was.
One day a friend told me to pray about my problems and have faith that God would answer my prayer. Personally, I thought "yeah right" but then I thought "what could it hurt?" so I prayed. Later on, I had a really bad migraine and my friend asked if he could pray for me. I agreed and he laid his hand on my head (which by the way kind of freaked me out because no one had ever done that to me before!) but as he prayed, I actually felt my headache go away! I had this incredible, completely indescribable, feeling of peace flow from the top of my head to the tips of my toes!!! I have not had one migraine since that day, and I even let my hair grow long for a while. It was at that moment that I realized how important prayer was in my life. I realized how remiss I had been in my relationship with God. I was so busy trying to do everything on my own terms in my own way that I lost sight of how important it was to pray and have faith in God.
From that day on I prayed about anything and was thankful for everything! I always thought that prayers were only for the big problems but now I realize they are for the little things also. Sometimes my prayers are lengthy and sometimes they are one-liners. Every Sunday I pray in church with others but many times I pray when I'm doing other things. Sometimes I pray in the shower, or the kitchen, every night before I go to sleep, and every morning before my feet hit the floor I pray and give thanks to God for giving me another day to do what He has planned for me to do. A prayer doesn't have to be a memorized group of words, only said while kneeling, or spread out on the floor facing the east. All this tradition is good don't get me wrong, but it is not the only way to pray. Sometimes just shouting out loud or thinking in your mind " God please help me" is all that is necessary. And many times, tears are silent prayers that are heard only by God.
I apologize for the length of this blog, but I am very passionate when it comes to praying and giving thanks to God. Some of you may not believe in God but whether you believe in God, Allah, or some other higher power, or maybe even Karma......just give thanks to the power higher than you and know that you are loved. and remember "Prayer changes all things, starting with the one who prays"
Until next time, take care of and love others, and remember most of all to love yourself......after all you are a child of God and He already loves you just the way you are.......cracks, dents, scars, and all.... God Bless.
Written 28 February 2017 and I'm still passionately praying!
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