Can prayer really help us?

There is nothing quite like unloading your worries when you feel you’ve hit rock bottom. Sometimes we feel powerless, we feel as if there is no way out and in moments of sheer desperation many of us reach out for something within the hope that an almighty vibration is taking note of our concerns.

Whether we believe in a higher force or not, sometimes we just have to let ourselves go and release our darkest fears or confess our dirtiest tricks to someone or something, whatever it is we believe in. In times of need we hope that there is something beyond human understanding, something such as God, Angels or the divine. Whichever one it is you believe in, you will need something in times of a crisis.

Some of us are strong spiritual seekers and some of us aren’t but even those who don’t believe have prayed during trying times. The big question is –does prayer work? Interestingly, a Professor, Leslie Francis of the University of Bangor studied 31 experiments (conducted to the "highest professional standards") into the effectiveness of prayer. The trials would typically take a group of hundreds of patients recovering from heart surgery, randomly divided into two groups, one of which is prayed for. None of the patients would know they were or weren't being prayed for.

The findings were said to be quite staggering as the studies show that patients in hospital who are being prayed for (even when they do not know they are being prayed for) are more likely to recover. One of the major aspects of prayer is self belief. If you believe something will happen, it normally does. A prayer is sometimes like a secret wish we make. We ask for something, we yearn for something and so we put our feelings out into the universe, and then plant a seed within the hope that it will come back to us and nine times out of ten, it usually it does! . Louise Hay is a well known author and encourages self belief and prayer on a variety of different levels, as she says: "If you accept a limiting belief, then it will become a truth for you." We must remember however, there is a secret theme with prayers and what many people forget is that prayers are not always answered how we want them to be answered.

Praying for an ex partner to come back for example may not be the key thing to pray for as we do not have power over other peoples’ feelings. But praying for strength to deal with a break up may well be the next step forwards. According to Dr David Laws of the University of Manchester the kind of prayer which asks God to do something is only relevant if you have a particular understanding of God and he explains that it depends on God being an intervening God who breaks into our world and mops up our mess whenever we make one." Much of the time however, we create our “God” in our own mind whether it is an energy one believes in, the concept of nature or the divine. When we pray we just have that belief and faith that there is something within us and something that guides us to our ultimate goal and purpose. Many people have opened up a new world through prayer, such as Carol S batey who started prayer as an affirmation and transformation to become a spiritual life coach. She describes prayer as being a secret step into divine dream and destiny.

She sought to transform her life at the age of 49 where she was said to have spiritually “woken up” after her divorce and her children had left home. She explains the word transformation as meaning change. She then released her childhood dreams to write books and she became a new creature as she aligned herself to God and asked for help, although in order to do this she had to let go of negative circumstances and people that were holding her back, which was all part of the transformation.

She encourages people through her own experiences and asks: “”What are your true inner wishes and dreams? Are you willing to let go of negatives in order to reach your highest point in life?
Praying does not mean writing out a wish list and nor does it mean that miracles are going to occur but it does mean that we are connecting with the higher forces and that we are communicating our concerns and our worries to something which is more powerful than are understanding of the situation or circumstances at the time. We pray because we need encouragement, guidance, enlightenment and hope. Praying does not have to be routine, in fact the beauty of prayer is that you can use it whenever you feel the need to.

Praying can help you to identify with who you are and can also release a great deal of pent up tension that then allows you to use your self expression. When we pray we feel clearer, we feel more focused and we also have a stronger understanding of where we stand with ourselves. But in order to pray we must trust ourselves and also trust in the energy we are praying to. You may have never prayed in your life, or you may be someone that prays all the time but if you have never prayed and would like to, perhaps a good start would be to think about the things you would like release from within. Do you need guidance with a certain area in your life? Do you need to ask for help for someone else? Or do you want to say thank you for your life in general? Be aware that gratitude goes a long way! Write down what you would like to pray for, close your eyes and think about how you imagine the divine to be, then once you see a clear, profound image, hold it closely to your heart, let go and simply pray.

Different methods of prayer and wishes:

Praying to God

Many people choose to firstly address God, then simply thank him and ask him. They either speak out loud to him with the prayer or speak to him through their mind and thoughts. You can confess anything to God or ask him for help and guidance, or simply say thank you.

Praying to the Archangels

There are many Archangels and you may have heard of a few already. Archangel, Michael, for faith and protection, Gabriel for incarnation, Raphael for wisdom and grace and Auriel for peace of mind. Many choose to pray to the angels for peace of mind, protection or help with love. Our angels are by our side all the time and you can use them for power and strength. You also have a special guide with you all the time that endeavours to protect you. You may choose to pray and speak to your guide on a regular basis.

Wishes

The Sun and Moon

Many people like to make wishes under a Full or New Moon and even use the Sun for inspiration to help them break out of cycles that are no longer needed or to make fresh plans for the future. Some people refer to the Sun and the Moon as the “Two great spiritual lights” and feel connected and guided by their power.

Worry Dolls

Worry dolls or trouble dolls, are very small and colorful and are traditionally made in Guatemala. The idea with worry dolls is that you tell them all your troubles and concerns and then sleep with them under your pillow. By the morning your worries are said to be lifted and that you should feel at ease again.


References:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1844076.stm
Louise Hay quote http://www.subconscious-secrets.com/famous-success-quotes.php
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/how-prayer-has-affected-my-life
http://www.artlifestylecoach.com/