Prayer: It Works

 My prayer life used to consist of various forms of “why me?”. It felt as thought the answer was less “why not you?”, and more like the old joke: “Ah, something about you just p*sses me off”. I prayed to Santa Daddy, and I wanted specific answers. When I didn’t find the answers I wanted, or when the answers showed up in ways that presented new challenges, I was underwhelmed with the whole process.

I think that it’s perfectly acceptable to hold the image of that which is desired, to ask for that or something better, then to release it. I’ve asked; now is the time to take any necessary action on my part and surrender the results. Is what I’d like to see in my life in alignment with my higher good? With the higher good of others? If yes, excellent! If not, I pray for acceptance, and I find ways to express gratitude for what is. When I pray for others, I ask the same for them: may they rise to their challenges, and may they find their way. If there is tangible action for me to take, I ask for clarity. The action I can always take is to ‘hold space’ for them to find their own strength to learn whatever the current lesson is and come out the other side stronger.

Prayer is, to me, an emotional cleanse. I dump my worries, my fears, my hopes and desires; now I can breathe and take the next indicated action. That action starts with “Thank you”.