Power of Prayer

THE POWER OF PRAYER IS GREATER THAN YOU THINK

Dana Ullman

(This article by Dana Ullman, M.P.H., is so “right on” we include it at this time because we, all of us, know how important prayer is. Dr. Bella Karish)

You do not have to clasp your hands together in order to pray. Every thought is a prayer. Every thought creates biochemical processes that subtly and sometimes significantly change the way you are. Simply visualizing or wishing for something can be the first step to making it happen.

The most powerful prayers, however, are more than just thinking, visualizing, or wishing. They are profound expressions of the soul’s desires, or deep expressions of gratitude.

People commonly pray for health, either for others or for themselves, and research has shown that prayer can have significant healing effects. Whether it’s because an outside force helps the person heal or because of the healing love that the person experiences from themselves or others, prayer can work.

“Every time I pray to god, I find that I am talking to myself.” Peter O’Toole

To whom or what one prays seems to be secondary to the act of praying. For every person who says that his God is the most effective healer, there are others who say the same about their God. And for every person who claims that an external force has healed them, there are others who believe that the healing came from within. One belief system is probably no more valid than the other, for if this force is all pervading as most people claim, perhaps everyone is talking about the same force. but using different names.

A prayer usually contains a goal, an image, and a profound desire for something to happen, but you must always be willing to accept what happens, to surrender to the truth, and to the selflessness of love behind the prayer in order for the prayer to have the best chance to work its wonders.

As we think, and wish, and pray, we create the initial building blocks that lead to action. A thought or prayer is the Pavlov’s bell that gets a person salivating for what he wants. Once this salivation begins, the hunger must lead to action. Just because you’re hungry doesn’t mean you’ll get fed. A thought or prayer will lie dormant unless you act to achieve it or put yourself in a position to receive what you’re asking for.

As some people believe, Determination + Prayer = Result. Without the determination and action, prayer alone usually remains visualization without manifestation.

Praying for health requires a certain non-attachment to the goal. A woman, for instance, may pray for relief from her headache, but if she is extremely anxious in her prayers, this anxiety can impede healing. Likewise, a father may pray so desperately for his sick child that his fears may be felt by the child and interfere for the potential for healing.

You must be careful what you pray for; you might get it . . . literally.

The good news (and the bad news) about prayer is that you often get much more than you pray for. Like the athlete who prayed for less pain in his sprained ankle but then injured it more seriously when trying to go back to competition too early. Or like the person who prayed for less severe psoriasis symptoms, but then developed a more painful arthritic condition. One must remember that whatever you pray for, you also get the baggage that comes with it.

A certain amount of clarity, openness, persistence, and trust can always improve your chances for getting prayers answered. However, whether you get what you are praying for or not, it would be wise to keep in mind the words of the Rolling Stones: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.”

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Latest update: 09/01/2010