For the most part, I’m a practically minded person. I don’t really believe in magic or supernatural. But, I do believe in prayer. Not that I believe if you say, “Dear God, give me what I want,” you’ll get what you want (even if you believe and pray really hard). What I believe is that when thoughtful, sincere prayer is a part of our daily life, miraculous things happen.
When we communicate with our God on a regular basis, we begin to think about our wants and needs as they might appear through the eyes of God. We review our challenges and struggles with the best listener in the universe. We can’t help but gain greater consciousness of God’s presence in our lives. And therefore, our faith strengthens.
Faith is the foundation of all miracles. It inspires us to accomplishment. It motivates us to face challenges we might otherwise fear. Fear is, by far, the greatest obstacle that stands between who we are and who we want to be. Faith squashes fear, and regular prayer intensifies faith.
Thoughtful, Sincere Prayer
Reciting a memorized prayer before going to bed each night is better than not praying at all and has some benefits. But, thoughtful, sincere prayer puts us in a conscious conversations with our God, and like any other relationship, our relationship with God grows with good communication.
We don’t pray to God to inform Him of our needs and desires. God is already aware of our desires and knows what we need. We pray to God to express and reinforce our gratitude and our willingness to hear God’s will and to prepare ourselves for God’s guidance.
The Benefits of Prayer
People who pray regularly live longer, get sick less frequently, heal from illness more rapidly and experience lower stress levels than those who do not pray regularly.
Additionally, prayer …
- … builds faith.
- … keeps us in contact with a God who loves us consistently and will not die or leave us.
- … helps us find direction and purpose.
- … builds courage.
- … builds humility.
- … helps keep our spiritual actions focused.
- … strengthens our motivation.
- … arouses inspiration.
There are not many things in life that offer so much for such little effort.