“Notice, we never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray! For prayer is a great deterrent.” --- Leonard Ravenhill

Consider the times that you open your heart to someone else as a form of prayer. You probably take time to wish for a friend to heal from an illness, or to spend a compassionate moment with a family member who is down. You may offer words of sympathy and encouragement at a funeral. And, you might visit a friend in the hospital and hold his or her hand. All of these things can be considered a form of prayer. They are all moments when you connect with your heart.

Many people pray simply because they say that it helps them to feel better. You can view prayer as a communication between yourself and God, or it could be a way to develop a greater sense of compassion and caring in your own life. Prayer can also be a way for you to deepen your own spirituality. However you think about it, I encourage you to visualize prayer in a way that best works for you. It's about allowing yourself to have hope, faith and a sense of humanity.

There are many ways in which you can pray. You might schedule a regular time each day to pray. You might pray during quiet moments in your daily life. You might simply send thoughts of ‘good will’ to a friend in need. Some people use words to pray, while others use thoughts, images or feelings. However you pray, it’s about opening to a mystery that is greater than ourselves. In a way, it is a process of letting go and giving a problem over to life, God or fate.

When you take the time to sit down and open your heart to pray for another person, you can begin to bring compassion, growth and expansion into your own life. Praying for another person not only helps that person find reassurance within their difficulties, but also helps us recognize our own blessings, and helps us to connect with gratitude.

Within the world of science there have been many projects to determine the effectiveness of prayer. Some of these projects have been inconclusive. One doctor, Dr. Sherwin Nuland, thinks there is room in the world of medicine for change. He says, “Perhaps philosophies may be required beyond those that have been so successful since the scientific method became a major current of Western thought.”

Another researcher involved in expanding the role of religion and spirituality is Dr. Joanna Maselko. Her studies involve the connection between a deeper sense of religion, faith and mental health. She says that, “Everyone has some spirituality, whether it is an active part of their life or not; whether they are agnostic or atheist or just ‘non-practicing.’ These choices potentially have health implications, similar to the way that one’s social networks do,”

I feel that Dr Maselko’s research points to a need for us all to be responsible for our own spiritual growth and development. If we want to have good psychological health, then we need to want to grow, and we need to find ways that encourage and foster our growth. I feel that prayer offers me one way to do this, and it helps to deepen my own spirituality. In my own experience, I’ve also found that prayer has helped me to connect with my own sense of purpose.

Within Numerology, you might like to review the guidance that your Maturity Number provides. It can indicate areas of your life that require self-acceptance and balance. If you’re a stubborn person, you can pray for compassion or kindness. Following the guidance of your numbers, including your Maturity Number, is about honoring yourself and your real nature. Working with prayer you might begin to open a space in your heart that can allow for the dreams and wishes that you have told yourself were unachievable. But, they might be within your reach! Prayer might encourage you to take a leap of faith and to follow your dreams.

During July, the people in the prayer group prayed for one another and for those who placed prayer requests. The prayer group is now looking at taking the next step and bringing prayer into our lives as a part of a regular daily practice. We’ll pray with one another for the next four months. When I have participated with other groups, we’ve all had powerful experiences that allowed us to connect with one another more deeply. The prayer group, might be a way for you to have a similar experience. It can be an opportunity for you to develop a greater sense of compassion and spirituality. As we continue our prayer practice together, we can be part of a powerful and enriching experience. Come and join us.

"Praying is no easy matter. It demands a relationship in which you allow someone other than yourself to enter into the very center of your person, to see there what you would rather leave in darkness, and to touch there what you would rather leave untouched. " --- Henri Nouwen

Tags: Prayers Health Growth Healing Spirit

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