Words express our thoughts, opinions, emotions, they can help us, guide us, lead us astray, they are passionate, sympathetic, and hurtful; words have the power to change the course of destiny, or to destroy another human being. Some individual words are so powerful they do not require the assistance of other words to convey their strength or their meaning. One of those words is PRAYER, in itself a highly potent power, but unlike other words, its only use is for the good of humanity.
Unfortunately, many people do not know how to pray, and are too embarrassed to try it or even discuss it. The act of praying is not something to hold in awe or something of which to be fearful. It is not a structured, word-for-word recital; it does not have to be perfect. Prayer is a completely informal conversation between a loving parent and child. The only requirement is that it be honest and come directly from the heart.
Emotion plays an important part in prayer. When we are troubled, our Father in heaven feels our pain. The intensity of our feelings as we pray determines the speed and quality of our connection to Him. It is similar to the difference between UPS Ground and UPS Next Day Air. Fear of God, drilled into us from childhood, makes praying an uncomfortable experience for some. Traveling through history's long and turbulent path, the fear of God lost its original intent as a warning to those on a collision course with His wrath. This unnecessary fear imbedded in our minds, is a stumbling block to communication with our Father in heaven.
Your true knowledge and understanding of God comes not only from the written word, it stems from within the core of your being. Just believing that He is the creator is not enough. Examine your thoughts in reference to Him. How do you picture God in relation to yourself? Do you visualize Him as a kind, loving, patient, and tolerant parent, or do you believe He is always watching over you with a critical eye waiting to punish you for any misdeeds? Your impression of Him has a tremendous impact upon the way you pray and the outcome of your prayers.
To really know and understand our Father, let us start at the beginning. As true believers, we accept the fact that God created all that is, all that has ever been, and all that ever will be. Negativity is NOT a force involved in creation. It is a destructive power useful in sustaining balance in the universe. Creation on such a grand scale can only evolve from love and all things pure and positive. God is the essence of love in its purest and truest form. He is kindness, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, truth, and all the positive things that sustain the flow of life in a state of peace and calm. Knowing this, do you really believe He is sitting around just waiting for you to err so that He can zap you with a bolt of lightening?
THE WRONG WAY:
We are all God's children, and as children, we do all the things children do. We misbehave, refuse to listen, do as we please, and run to our Father for help when we find ourselves knee deep in the problems we created by embracing negativity. Then we compound our mistakes by blaming Him for our troubles! That is a great way to get Dad's attention, but not His help.
THE RIGHT WAY:
Are your prayers only concerned with what you want? Do you ever consider praying for others or honestly saying the words that would melt the heart of even the angriest of parents, “I love you”, “thank you”, “I'm sorry”? Everything in the universe has its balancing counterpart. Yin and yang, love and hate, good and evil, day and night, selflessness and selfishness, humility and arrogance, to name a few. Prayers also have to contain the right balance to be effective. Begin by telling your Father how much you love Him, how grateful you are for all that He has blessed you with, and pray that He fills the lives of those less fortunate than you are with health, happiness, and abundance. Always pray for His blessings for those you love and for the fulfillment of their needs.
If you truly seek something that will benefit someone you love or you personally, do not say, “If you let me have this, I promise not to miss mass ever again.” He knows you never keep your promises. Be completely honest with Him and talk with Him the way you would with your best friend, because HE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND! Notice I said talk “with” Him, and not talk “to” Him. You can talk “to” an object (as long as no one else is around), but you talk “with” God. He knows your needs before you ask, but acknowledging them and seeking His help keeps us in contact with our Father and makes us more receptive to His blessings. God will always answer you, not in words, because they are our physical means of communication. His answer becomes a permanent spiritual, emotional, and physical part of you and your existence. You may not be aware that events are unfolding to put your request in motion, but one day you will suddenly realize that your prayers have been answered. Some refer to this as a miracle, but it is just our Father doing what father's do, helping a child in need.
We all experience times when we have prayed fervently and desperately for something even more important than our own lives, but believe our prayers have fallen on deaf ears. Suffering places a thick, impenetrable wall around us, crushing us in endless darkness, confusing us, and smothering us with pain. The only word we can hear ourselves endlessly repeating is “WHY?” The answer to that question is beyond the comprehension of mortal man. We know that all of existence involves a balance of forces and that certain events are necessary to maintain this balance. Some of us become aware of the reason for our suffering in this lifetime, but most of us will have to wait for the answer until we have completed our journey through life.
Faith, another powerful word, is a tool given to us by our Father. It is the raft carrying us through the floodwaters of emotion and pain during times of extreme suffering. Faith is God's extended hand guiding us through the turbulence and letting us know that He is with us always. As surely as day follows night, the light will return to remove the shadows and darkness that have accumulated in our hearts, minds, and souls as the result of anguish. For those seeking answers, faith helps us to know the answers do exist.
