Say A Little Prayer

I've blogged before about prayer being a powerful tool for personal change but I find the subject endlessly inspiring, which suits well the primary purpose of this blog. So keep an open mind because it's going to come up a lot!

I heard a great story once from a man who had major reservations about praying. He was not a religious man and he thought if he prayed it would mean he'd have to become a Bible Thumper.

Part of his story was about the woman who taught him how to pray. She showed him that prayer doesn't have to be connected with religiosity. It can simply be a request followed by an expression of gratitude.

This man was having a very bad time in his life. The woman suggested to him that he go to the window each morning upon rising, open it up, stick his head outside and yell, "HELP!"

She then went on to suggest that before turning in at night, he return to the window, open it back up, stick his head out once more and yell, "THANKS!"

The man said that the more he asked for help, the more he received it, in untold ways, and the deeper and more truthful his thanks became.

Love this story! It shows not only that we do not necessarily have to believe in anything to begin to use prayer as a tool but that even a process as rudimentary as this man's can be effective.

I always say, "I don't know how prayer works, I just know it does."

A while back a gentle reader posted the following comment after a post that mentioned prayer:

"... Prayer gives you conviction and a new perspective in life..."

So true! I've heard it said that prayer isn't for the one being prayed to, it's for the one saying the prayer.

The same reader also commented on the idea that people generally resort to all sorts of problem-solving rather than using prayer as a tool to work things out. This was certainly my own experience before I began yelling out the proverbial window.

I was always trying to figure it out. Whatever "it" was. I still try to do that.

But I have learned that there is nothing more effective than asking daily for help and guidance. When I pray for solutions to problems, when I pray for courage, acceptance, forgiveness, whatever, it comes to me.

And then I stick my head out the window and yell my thanks.

Inspiring Message of the Day: I do not have to figure everything out by myself. If I ask for help today I will receive it in untold ways.