pray more

I follow many blogs, some of them from Australia. The bloggers are sharing with the world their stories of what is happening ‘down there’. First they had tremendous heat and now, these devastating fires. I can’t imagine, entire towns are gone. My prayers are with the residents of Australia, hoping that you all safely get out of harm’s way, as quickly as you can.

Prayer is neither black magic nor is it a form of demand note. Prayer is a relationship.
—John Heuss

A conversation requires two parts: talking and listening. When only we are talking, that is a monologue. When someone lectures, we listen. Prayer can be a form of conversation, yet if we examine the way we pray we may find it’s a monologue.

We pray to ask for answers or guidance, to express our gratitude, and to bless those we care for. It’s wonderful to open up a channel to our Higher Power by beginning the conversation, but unless we allow time to listen we will never really develop a dialogue.

We can begin to change our way of praying. We can limit our requests so we are not listing a series of wishes or demands. We can ask for patience to listen and then allow a few moments to listen. The answers will come to us and our guidance will be given when we are truly ready to receive them. An equal balance of talking and listening will help strengthen our relationship with our Higher Power.

I will pray and then listen, to allow my Higher Power some time to communicate with me.

I have always been told that it is wrong for me to pray for something selfish for myself, like say .. winning the lottery, but that it’s okay to pray for wisdom, guidance, willingness, understanding, patience, etc.

I have a lot of weight to lose. A lot. Is it improper for me to pray to ask God to help me with this weight loss, to give me strength and take away my pounds?

I am setting this up as a daily reminder to be emailed to me. I feel so much better after praying, but sometimes I fall asleep before I remember to do it. I don’t find it a chore at all, to me it’s a pleasurable event in my day.