The Power of Prayer
Has anyone ever said to you… please pray for me, please pray for___________. Most likely the answer will be, yes.
I have experienced a good amount of challenges in life, challenges that I am sure would have changed the way I walk through life if it weren’t for my faith. My faith has lifted me, shaped me and defined me in more ways that I could explain and that will forever be my greatest gift.
I have had amazing role models of faith in my life. My grandmother was a warrior in every sense of the word, a human being with an impeccable understanding of faith, of her faith, and I learned a lot from her. What I also admired about my grandmother was the fact that she wasn’t forceful about her beliefs. I don’t want to use the word religion here, because I think religion and faith are two completely different things. My grandmother was born in 1919 and based on her birth date, she could’ve been very traditional and “old fashioned” about the way she practiced and viewed religion, but she was far from that. I remember days when my grandmother would be starting her night prayers and she would say to me “would you pray with me?” I loved being around my grandma, so I usually accepted her invitation to pray. Sometimes, because I was young and playful, I would joke around with her (yes, in the middle of her prayers) and she would burst out laughing and then continue her prayers. Her attitude towards prayer shaped me and encouraged me to seek more. Had she been forceful about the way she expected me to pray, prayer would’ve had a very different impact on me. I’m glad that wasn’t the case.
My mother. First, ah, how I admire and love this woman! She embodies perfection in a form of a human. Truly. But now, I must focus on the topic of faith, because if I were to talk about the impact my mother has made in my life, we could potentially be spending the whole evening here, or longer. My mother has also been a woman of great faith, and I think the fact that she had parents who were very devoted to their faith was a great contributor. She has always been the religious “to go” figure of her extended family. Family members and friends would often call her and ask her to help them pray for special needs and intentions close to their hearts and I grew up witnessing that. Seeing the impact her faith made on people’s lives, family members, friends, neighbors and strangers, lifted me up. I felt her blessings.
A few days ago I found myself at the kitchen sink rinsing a cup of coffee and the image of a particular friend that had recently shared some troubling news with me, came to mind. I paused, I said a silent prayer for her and she remained in my thoughts throughout the day. It was in that moment that I realized the magnitude of the power of prayer. Not that I didn’t know it or appreciate it before, but it made me think about the different types of prayer and the different ways our faith is reaffirmed day after day. Faith is a circle of love. When we reach out to people in the most vulnerable of our days asking for prayers, in that very moment, we start receiving the blessing of faith and prayer. When we start praying for others, we are blessed in return. My grandma always said “blessings can’t be seen, but they can be felt.” So, whatever form of prayer you might practice; traditional, silent, bringing people to mind at random times of the day or even going on a car ride at night with the windows rolled down seeking for moments of wisdom, be assured that in that very moment, your prayers, your most intimate desires and burdens are being lifted and you are not alone carrying those burdens.
Pray for me. I will pray for you.
