thoughts on prayer

As a person of faith in an almighty creator, I have to say one thing to those who deny the power of prayer. God doesn't stop bullets or prevent bad things from happening, at least not in a reactive way. He gave us free will and two hands to make tools and choices. But prayer is for the spirit, an adjunct to the physical being. It is not to be taken separately as a physical "tool". Rather, it is meant as a tool for the spirit and heart.

To those who have no faith, you are missing the point. It has been proven scientifically that prayer can help people recovering from illness or injury more quickly and keep people alive longer who are otherwise terminal. Psychology Today reported on this here. You can read about a study from NIH here.

The power of prayer lies in the hope and peace it brings. These have been known to increase brain chemistry for the positive, decrease stress, and help provide a balance in the body that is healing. Belief in a loving God also provides a positive influence for those who truly have the word of God in their hearts (not the hypocrites who say one thing but live another or who judge others when it is only God's place to judge us, nor the extremists who have forsaken the true word of God in the name of selfishness and distorted the teachings of true love and forgiveness.)

In a world where humans are increasingly rejecting God or at least the teachings to love one another, it's no surprise that we are seeing more violence. Perhaps if we all came together in unity and prayer instead of wallowing in self-righteousness and arguing, our world would be a better place.

Don't deny the power of prayer. Many times, miracles have happened because someone believed. The energy we create because of our beliefs and actions can be used for good or bad. It's up to each of us to decide. If generating positive energy comes from prayer, it ought to be embraced and shared.