Prayer

When I woke up this morning, I had my mind set on writing today’s blog about prayer. And of course, today presented me with a thousand reasons to pray. And of course, I often forgot to pray. I wondered to myself, “how can I write a blog about prayer when I can’t even remember to pray myself!” Like everything, it’s a work in progress (as am I).

Several years ago, I had a very powerful dream about prayer. In this dream, I was surrounded by angry people. They were getting angrier and angrier, yelling and scowling. Somehow amidst this furor I remembered to start praying. I started saying the first prayer that popped into my mind, the Our Father. As I prayed, I began rising. I rose and rose until I lifted up into the clouds and was in the end surrounded by happy people hugging me and smiling. It was an affecting dream that I remember vividly to this day.

Though it was just a dream, it was a parallel for my real life. My prayer saved me from the negativity I had been bombarded with. It’s during times like these, when we are confronted with that which we are not, that prayer is so important. Prayer connects us to our hearts and to the heart of God. It reminds us of who we are and why we are here.

I find prayer especially important during times when I’ve lost my way. When I’m surrounded by sadness, depression, or difficulty, prayer rings out like a bell leading me back home. Some of my favorite prayers are simple, and many of them are made up. I will say something along the lines of “thank you God for being with me,” or whatever feels right in my heart. I also like to pray for others by sending them love and saying simple prayers for them. 

I love prayer because it is a simple and effective way of lifting back into God’s love. Prayer can open your heart and your life.