Praying Thoughtfully, Thoughtful Prayers
Prayer is about sending your requests to God… meditating is about listening for the answers.
It is interesting to me that my work as a psychic basically brought me back to God. When I I left home at 19, I was free to rebel against my Catholic upbringing, stopped going to church, and for almost a decade, said I was an agnostic… although I believed in God, A Source of All, I didn’t feel much connection with Him/Her and “resorted” to prayer only when I felt desperately afraid. I hadn’t yet learned to separate religion from spirituality. Then I met Ruth, my teacher, a highly spiritual, almost reverent woman with a deep understanding of the Tarot – and theology. I soon discovered that to understand and work with my psychic abilities, to enhance my connections with spirit, I needed to accept my connection with God, and the Oneness. … and to learn to pray again.
I think my story is rather common, that a lot of folks disconnect from the religions they grew up with once they are on their own, and then feel a little lost until they can reconnect with their spiritual natures. Even then, it can be awhile before many people are comfortable praying regularly.
These folks often wonder: “How do I pray, can I just talk to God?” Here is what I share when asked.
Keep it simple: I wasn’t comfortable reclaiming the Catholic prayers that I grew up with, so when Ruth taught me some very simple prayers to use before a reading, I saw that simple “calls” or prayers worked: “Thank you for this day. Please bless…. and help them make the best choice for all.” “Thanks you for work I love. Please help me to do a good job today… and please send me clients who can benefit from my services.” Sometimes I just talk to God, dump my problems in His/Her hands, remind him that since we are all one, S/He mustn’t like being so fearful, any more than I do, so let’s fix this problem together…. and now please. Inspire me with solutions.
Think before praying: As I pursued my spiritual studies, I also learned that it was important to be thoughtful of what I prayed for…. for example… when I thought to pray for peace, I realized that I didn’t want peace at any price, a peace that cost many lives or imposed restrictions on people’s freedoms… I needed to pray for a loving peace… and then I recognized that what I really wanted was simply that love would inspire every soul and every action on the planet… then peace would certainly come naturally for all – and also prosperity, and unheard of opportunities for growth.
Let go of any judgments: One of the most important lessons that I learned early in my work as a psychic was to avoid judgment of my clients’ choices, to set my opinions aside so that I could offer objective, compassionate readings. This principle of respecting purpose and free will also applies when saying our prayers. So when I pray for the resolution of a conflict, I am careful to pray that a solution is found for the highest good of all, as opposed to praying that one side succeeds over the other.
Be Grateful: Thankfulness is probably the most important principle in saying thoughtful prayers. Being thankful, even for our pain and our losses, is a beautful way of elevating these experiences and opening us up to understanding, shedding light on what appears to be a setback. Coming from a place of gratitude opens us up to receiving Divine Love – and the answers to our prayers.
Be Specific – and Open: Don’t be afraid to ask clearly for what you want. If you are praying for a new job, specify how much you want to make, where you want to work, what kind of job you want, otherwise, you’re liable to find you’re getting an offer for work at the local donut shop instead of in the office next door to it. But be careful….. don’t put all your eggs in one basket. A client called recently wondering about a job that she had been praying for… what I saw was that she was so focused on praying for that particular position that she hadn’t left hersef open to something better coming to her… and when we focus so tightly on one specifc goal, too often our prayers are so laced with fear that what we want can’t get to us… I could see a good opportunity coming for her, so I suggested that instead, it would be useful to pray for “the best job for me now”…. I expect that the next time I hear from her, she’ll be working again.
Thoughtful prayers produce profound results…. and simple prayers work best.
My Prayer…
I pray to be a mirror reflecting your love and light to all who cross my path and I thank you for the energy to keep working despite my pain and my fears and doubts.
The Serenity Prayer…
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Continue reading here: On Contacting Your Spirit Guides
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