![]() Prayer is actually one of the most active spiritual tools out there.īe not forgetful of prayer … prayer is an education. Because of that, I shut myself off to prayer for a long time.īut this mistaken belief about the power of prayer could not be further from the truth. In fact, the very act of prayer itself seemed pointless to me, particularly after I left fundamentalist religion. I always thought that saying a few words didn’t really change anything. Prayer is also not a “passive” thing, as is so commonly believed. After all, prayer is a direct bridge to the Divine. The truth is that our lives would change drastically if prayer was the FIRST thing we turned to in a time of need, or even in a moment of gratitude. Only after we’ve dried out our last spiritual resources do we think of praying. In reality, prayer is often the last thing we resort to when in a crisis. And of course, the multitude of damaging associations with prayer and its murky past.The belief that God/Divine/Source is a spiteful, ruthless, and fearsome force, which makes prayer dangerous.The belief that you’re not worthy of help in the first place.The idea that it makes you a failure (because you have to ask for help).Common misconceptions about prayer include: We currently value self-sufficiency, strength, and power over all else.įor this reason, prayer can be perceived as somewhat “weak” and self-effacing to the modern mind. After all, we are the “do-it-yourself” society. So you see, prayer always seems to get a bad rap.īut I think one of the main aversions that we have to prayer is our egotism. If it’s not associated with bible-bashing and religious extremism, it’s associated with childish new age forms of spirituality. Prayer is a black sheep in the spiritual community. I mean, how many times have you read, heard about, or seen (non-dogmatic-religious people) proclaim the power of prayer? Probably not much. (And I read through a lot of self-help material out there.) In fact, I will go so far as to say that prayer is rarely even written about in the self-help field. Of all the spiritual gifts and paths out there, prayer is probably one of the most - if not THE MOST - undervalued. Pretty amazing for such a simple and unassuming path I’d say! Why the Power of Prayer is so Undervalued Whether you’re undergoing a dark night of the soul, existential crisis, or spiritual awakening, prayer is always there for you.īy helping you to let go, practice humility, and get out of your own way, prayer teaches you to align with the core qualities of growth and spiritual healing. Prayer is an ancient practice that deserves a central place in your life. Allow your prayer to come from the heartīefore we go any further, I want to start out by saying that prayer doesn’t need to be just a side hustle when it comes to undergoing major life shifts. ![]() Pray for what you need, but also what you’re thankful for Be willing to surrender your previous ideas about prayer Why the Power of Prayer is so Undervalued.I’d love for you to rediscover its beauty again too. Rediscovering the power of prayer has been a humbling yet empowering journey for me. I want to invite you to find the magic in it once more. I want to invite you to see prayer in a different light, untainted by its somber past. Without being open to changing your definition of prayer, you’ll continue to perceive it through the lens of your religious, cultural, or societal conditioning – and usually, those associations ain’t that great! Whatever background you come from, it’s likely that you need to unpack, reimagine, and rejuvenate your thoughts and beliefs about prayer. You might also associate prayer with people like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons and his progeny, or those squeaky clean Jehovah Witnesses that knock on your door every now and then.Īnd still, for some people who don’t come from a Western context, prayer might be associated with Salat (Muslim ritualistic prayer), or even the traditional honor of gods and goddesses. I’m talking about that muffin-baking, holier-than-thou, goodly-housewife-born-again-Christian kinda vibe. I couldn’t understand why talking to God was so openly pious, but inwardly hollow.įor others, prayer is linked with a chintzy, cute, and immature form of spirituality.
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