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The Meaning and Power of Prayer

Prayer, in it's simplest definition is a conversation that we have with God, our Father; with Jesus, our Master; with our spiritual friends. It is a silent, humble, dialogue in which the small, imperfect child speaks with the all- Powerful and Benevolent Father. At any given point, prayer is an act of praise, of thanks, or of a request.

Here we'll look at the value of prayer - how it benefits us and others- and how we must pray in order to insure these heavenly blessings.

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WHY SHOULD WE PRAY ?

Our religions teach us that God is present always and in all places, that He sees all and knows all. So why do we really need to pray? We might wonder, if God knows everything about me, what I am thinking, and what I need at all times, is it really necessary for me to spell it out ? And after all, don't God's blessing extend throughout all the universe?

If someone asks you such questions, ask them what they believe the true purpose of prayer is, because we must not be confused. The objective of prayer is not to call God's attention to us. It is, rather, to bring ourselves (our minds and our thoughts) closer to him. This changes the perspective a bit doesn't it?

It's true, God's blessings are all around us, but think about this. What happens if you stay in a pool for a long period of time, surrounded by all the water you could ever need, but you don't ever open your mouth? You die of thirst. Well, the same thing happens with prayer. It's like our way of opening our mouth, Spiritually speaking, and becoming receptive to God's infinite blessings that are always there, ready for the taking.

So what kinds of blessings are those ? Well, to begin with, prayer is one of the greatest resources that we have to confront the problems that we face here on Earth, to conquer obstacles that previously seemed unbeatable.

Imagine, if you will, a man alone, climbing a mountain-- hot, hungry, tired, and weary. He stops his travel temporarily to rest under a tree. This tree is a blessing for him, for the shade cools him, and he's able to rest his weary body and mind, with time even for introspection. The fruit from the tree relieves his hunger. Soon after, with renewed energy, he is ready to pick up and move on to conquer the next piece of the mountain.

Just as this tree does for the mountain-climber, prayer does for us. It gives us renewed energy and strength. Keeping our minds turned to God, we remain strong in our faith, confident that we will overcome our trials, and conscious that we always have a spiritual mentor at our side.

When we ask God for help, he never neglects to come to our aid. A request for help can be as simple as tuning into the suggestions that our spiritual friends give us, by way of our intuition, in order to solve the little problems that arise here and there. Alternatively, it may be asking God to help us remain calm in a moment when our real urge is to react with aggression, to swallow our pride when acting in a roll that calls us to submission, or to understand rather than judge another person. By turning our thoughts to God in prayer, we are automatically turning away from those negative tendencies.

Our request for help can be as significant as the very last straw of hope that we have to cling to in those times when the world seems to have turned against us and we find ourselves feeling alone, trapped in darkness of desperation, worry, sadness. Sometimes things get so difficult that it's all you can do to just behumble yourself and pray, "Oh God……please", and turn your problems of to Him.

And isn't it awesome when from somewhere in that apparent darkness, shines this light, promising to guide you out of your suffering, and you feel God in your heart. He speaks to you and says, "don't worry, it's going to be OK." And somehow, you don't know how or when, but you just know that you'll make it through.

When you pray on a daily basis, in good times and bad, you establish a strong link with God and the Spiritual Realm , so that in difficult times, this voice, this promise of support sounds loud and clear in your heart. The faith that you develop through this bond will give you strength and courage, the energy you need to overcome you problem, however trivial or serious it may be.

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HOW DOES PRAYER WORK TO HELP US RESOLVE OUR PROBLEMS?

The mountain climber mentioned above not only regained his energy in his rest under the tree. At the same time, the shade relieved him of the heat and the fruit took care of his hunger, two problems that were drawing on his strength and impeding his climb to the top.

So if our prayer Is like that tree was to the mountain climber, then in what ways does prayer work to help us resolve our problems?

Our call for help is answered with the aid of our spiritual mentors. They are at our side, giving us strength and offering support-using our intuition by day and in counsel during our visits to the Spirit Realm by night, as our physical bodies sleep. These friends suggest ways of resolving our problems. This is how God helps those who help themselves. The choice of whether or not to follow the advice is ours, and the decision we make represents the exercise of our free will.

Yes, it would be a lot easier if once in a while they could spell it out for us in big neon lights-- DO THIS!! But unfortunately, in that case, there would be no merit for us, for we had to make no choice, and we've done nothing to show that we know what is right and we have the courage to follow through.

Here fits an example from "The Gospel According to Spiritism" - another traveling man, this time in the desert. He's lost his way and eventually faints from exhaustion and thirst. He prays to God for help, but no angels come to give him water. Instead, they inspire him, through intuition, to lift his tired body and travel a little further down one of the nearby paths which ends up leading him to a stream. This man learned that God would help him to make use of his own strength. And being unconscious of the help he was given at that time, his trust in God and observance of His will was tested.

A person of faith would thank God for the guidance and strength they received. A person without faith would vainly pat themselves on the back for the great idea they had or attribute their fortune to chance.

SO how far does this help from prayer and good spirits go? Kardec asked the question in the Spirits Book, "As we pray for ourselves, can we prevent our trials from taking place or change their nature?" The spirits respond by first reminding us that prayer always helps by giving us strength and a positive outlook, that many of our sorrows are actually self-inflicted, and that some trials, as part of a bigger plan, we are better off going through. However, they tell us that God DOES have instruments to intervene in our favor, but we must have patience and not look for quick miracles, because help usually comes so naturally that it seems to be the result of the ordinary course of events.

Keep in mind that prayer can also help us avoid suffering by keeping us in tune with Spiritual Counsel which often warns us when we're heading down the wrong path or when we have the potential to make mistakes. We can also pray to God and our Spirit Guides and ask them to steer us from those painful errors. Then it's our part to heed their warnings.

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PRAYERS OF APPRECIATION, PRAISE, AND REVERENCE

We're not always asking for something when we pray. The other two elements are appreciation and praise. It is important that we thank God for the many blessings that we have in our lives, be they welcomed, positive, events, or blessings in disguise through trials that will help us grow. And again, this isn't for God. It is for us. Giving thanks on a daily basis keeps us focused on the positive side of events.

Too often, when all is going well, we start taking several things for granted and we forget about God's graciousness…. until tragedy strikes-something that jolts us with the realization of how short and precious life is, bringing us to thank God for jus the sound of a loved one's voice, for the warmth of the sun's rays, the chance to reach out and help a neighbor in need. Let's not wait for these events to happen to remind us how lucky we are. Let's remember and be thankful in our prayers daily.

Likewise, our prayers will include a statement of reverence, as Jesus taught us in the Lord's prayer, with the opening verse, "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be thy name." We often begin a prayer with such a phrase, praising God for his benevolence and justice, lifting to our Creator our respectful and appreciative thoughts, with confidence and sincerity.

Praying with both praise and appreciation for God's justice and benevolence with help us to maintain a mindset that strengthens our affinity with Good spirits.

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PRAYERS FOR OTHERS

So far, we've been talking about prayer for ourselves and the benefits it brings to us. But it would be very selfish of us if we were always think of ourselves in our time of prayer. In fact, Spiritism teaches us that as human beings evolve, they pray more for others than for themselves. We read in the Spirits' Book that if we wish to do good and we pray for others, we will attract compassionate spirits, who share our intentions and will come to the rescue of those for whom we are praying through strength and guidance.

Our compassionate and empathetic hearts naturally lead us to pray for our friends and loved ones, for their protection and guidance, especially when we see them suffering, and at the time of disincarnation and passage to the Spirit realm; this is a natural extension of our love for them.

It's also important that we pray for those who are not so loved (our enemies) and those who we do not know at all (complete strangers). Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies- - an act of forgiveness and charity that will begin our process of making amends, keep the feelings of anger and rancor out of our hearts, and bring positive energies to our offenders or those who we have offended. And there are many suffering beings that we do not know personally, but who can benefit greatly from our prayers-- incarnate spirits, undergoing difficult trials or expiations for whom we ask God to comfort, strengthen, and guide. We may even ask that we be given opportunities to serve God and bring support and aid to such beings that come into our lives.

There are also many discarnate spirits who need our help-- some who suffer their own self-inflected torment for they still have not awoken to the good and continue to act out of their moral weaknesses. They need our prayers to inspire them to see the error of their ways and the happiness that could one day be theirs, and to begin the process of repentance and "amends." And there are many discarnate spirits who do not admit the death of their mortal bodies and who believe themselves to be alive in the sense that we know it on Earth. We pray that the good spirits go to their aid and guide them to places of recuperation and schooling in the Spirit Realm, so that they may come to the realization that they no longer pertain to the Earthly life.

Lastly, do not forget to pray for those who are undergoing trials that bring them not necessarily suffering but rather the potential to do a lot of good-- those who are in the financial and/or social position to help many people and those who are already reaching out and making a difference. Pray that they have the strength and courage to follow their hearts and carry out God's will.

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HOW DOES PRAYER WORK AND HOW MUST WE PRAY ?

When we talk about the value of prayer, it's very important to talk about HOW we should pray, because if we pray in the wrong way, our prayers will not have the value that we are expecting.

Before we jump into the HOWs of praying though, let's just remember how prayer works. Consider first, that all beings, in both the physical and spiritual realm, are immersed in the Cosmic Principle. This is the subtle, fundamental substance or medium that permeates throughout the universe and acts as an intermediary between spirit and matter, and gives rise to phenomena like heat, magnetism, and electricity, and to matter itself.

The Cosmic Principle reacts to impulses of will. When a thought is directed from an incarnate to a discarnate being, or vice versa, a current of energy is established between them that travels through the Cosmic Principle and transfers the thought from one to the other, just as air transmits sound waves. Thought, unlike sound however, can travel infinite distances. This is how spirits communicate with one another, and it is how our prayers reach the beings to whom we direct them. What actually determines the power of that energy current is the strength of our own thought and desire.

When we address our prayers to God, they are heard by superior spirits who are responsible for executing God's will. Likewise when we pray to those spirits charged with great tasks in the aid of Humanity, like Bezerra de Menezes, Emmanuel, the Virgin Mary, and others, those prayers are answered by a team of collaborating spirits that represent them and work in their name.

We can also pray to a friend or family member who have disincarnated. However, sometimes they are unable (due to their moral or mental state) to receive our prayers. In that case, the superior spirits will either direct our thoughts to our loved ones or will, themselves, answer our prayer.

André Luiz refers to such a case in the book [with translated title of] "Between Heaven and Hearth" when he tells the story of a young girl named Evelina.

Evelina's mother had died a few years prior and her father had remarried., but things were very difficult at home. Her younger brother died in an accident and her stepmother, who blamed herself went into a severe depression. Her father, unable to handle it all was on the verge of desperation.

Evelina prayed to her mother each night asking that she come to the rescue of her family. Unbeknownst to Evelina, her mother was terribly jealous of her husband's second wife and had been chasing after her with mental torture.

But Evelina's prayers were so heartfelt and sincere that even though they found no receptivity in her mother, they did reach, through a phenomena called refraction, a supportive institution in the Spiritual Plane. And from there began a rescue expedition by a team of loving spirits that were able to answer Evelina's prayers and bring tranquility to her family's home.

Evelina's story shows us that when we pray with sincerity, we can be confident that our prayers will be heard by God and the friendly spirits. What else can we do to see that our prayers are heard and answered? Spiritism answers that question by teaching us about the true and sincere prayer, which is not just said or thought, but felt as well.

One of the moist important points to remember is that our prayers must come from the heart. This is what will give that energy current the power to travel to the being that we are addressing. It means that our prayer should be in a language we understand, and in our own words, flowing naturally as a true expression of our sentiments. Kardec writes, "The spirits have always said, 'The form means nothing, the thought is everything. Say your prayers in a way that is in harmony with your convictions and in the way most inspiring to you, because a good thought is worth more than countless unfeeling and unfelt words.' "

Likewise, we should avoid the habit of repetition which requires no concentration and becomes an easy movement of the lips with beautiful words that flow from the brain to the mouth with no involvement of the heart.

One who prays sincerely, does so with no desire to gain attention or impress others. As Jesus said in his sermon on the mount, "When you pray, do not be like those hypocrites, for the love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. "

When Jesus told us to go to our room to pray, he was not referring to a fixed place for communion with heaven, for many people do not even have a room to lock themselves in. What he meant to say, is that we seek a place where we can be alone and look inside ourselves to establish a one-on-one dialog with God. We can find examples of this in the passages about Jesus…like "Jesus left his disciples and went to pray…." Or "Jesus arose in the early morning and went to a far away place to pray…." Or "Jesus spent the entire night praying to God."

A sincere prayer must not be lengthy for the number of words says nothing about the quality of the prayer. Nor must they include big fancy words, for we are not lawyers making a plea bargain. To this point, Jesus also told us not to use words in vain or talk on and on like those who believe that God likes to hear long prayers, for in truth, God knows what we need even before we ask.

A passage in the book, "Voice From the Mountain" (wrriten by Richard Simonetti) tells the story of an old African slave in Brazil, who despite the abuses of his owner, revealed a deep serenity and unstoppable optimism. Every morning he awoke and headed out to the fields to begin his work. But before he began, he would always take off his hat and place it on his chest, look to the heavens and say, "My Lord, the Old Black Man is Here." And that was his prayer- a few simple words, without complaints of hardships or sorrows…. without any demands. Intuitively he was aware that his creator knew his needs even better than he, and so he looked to God only as a child that doesn't want to start the day without asking for the blessing of his father, confident that he will be taken care of. A similar attitude is what would guarantee us access to God's blessings, maintaining our balance and peace.

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WHAT CAN OR SHOULD WE ASK FOR?

As mentioned before, we should include words of praise and gratification in our prayers. But in times when we are making a request, what kinds of things can we or should we ask for?

Jesus told us, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; know and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7) Does this mean that we can ask for anything we desire? We have the tendency to ask for the things that WE think we need and/or deserve. So, when we don't get what we asked for, we feel that God hasn't answered our prayer. But like any good parent, God doesn't give us everything we ask for, but he will always give us what we need.

In a simplistic analogy, if your child who hasn't eaten all day and is very hungry were to have his/her own way, he or she might ask to eat a few candy bars, a bowl of potato chips, maybe some cake, etc. Now that might be a temporary fix to the child's hunger problem, but it will only hurt them, not help them, in the long run. As a parent, you would instead give your child a healthy meal, food that will satisfy their needs and help them to grow.

Another example would be the doctor that allows us to undergo surgery that involves a painful recuperation period, because he knows that in the end, we will cured of our medical condition. As human beings we don't usually see the bigger picture that shows what is truly best for us, and what we think we need may not be the best solution.

Sometimes this bigger picture involves trials or atonements that we must undergo. Protected by the veil of forgetfulness, we do not remember the events of our past lives, and rather than being handed the solution to our suffering, it is using our free will to overcome our temptations and trials, to accept our struggles with bravery and faith that will give us merit and allow us to grow. In this case we are reminded of the famous Serenity Prayer that says, "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."

Instead of asking for material things or quick solutions to our problems, our prayers of request will have more value if we ask for moral support from our Father and our spiritual friends. When Jesus said, "ask and you will receive", "The Gospel Explained by the Spiritist Doctrine" explains to us that we should interpret that to mean that: If we ask for the light that will show us the way, God will give it to us. If we ask for strength to resist wrongdoing, we'll receive it. If we ask the good spirits for help, they'll go with us and be our guide. If we ask for good advice, we will never be denied it.

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THE INTENT BEHIND OUR PRAYERS

The "The Gospel Explained by the Spiritist Doctrine" tells us that our prayers are rewarded on intent, devotion, and faith. We've talked about devotion and faith, but what about intent?

An example given in the book "To Live the Great Message" is this: If I am sick and I ask God for good health, only because I don't like being stuck in bed, my prayer, inspired by very human desires, will reach the proximities of the Earth. If I ask for a cure because I'm worried about my responsibility of taking care of my family, my prayer, reflecting a sense of responsibility, will reach higher levels. And finally, if I seek organic stability because my heart beats with the desire to act in benevolent and charitable service, then my prayer, inspired by elevated feelings of fraternity, will reach celestial regions. The last case would be the prayer most answered, because it is the highest and most altruistic intentions that bring us the most concessions from the Spirit Realm.

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THE EXAMPLE LEFT BY JESUS

There is no magic formula that will make the perfect prayer, because to follow a formula is not to follow one's heart and follow one's own thoughts. However, as an illustration or model of how to pray, Jesus left his disciples with the famous example from the Sermon on the Mount that we now refer to as the Lord's Prayer.

The "The Gospel Explained by the Spiritist Doctrine" begins the Chapter 28 - A Collection of Spiritist Prayers- with this model prayer, and after each verse, illuminated spirits have suggested a commentary to reinforce its meaning and tell us how to embrace it in our daily lives. Without going through each commentary in it's entirety, here a sampling of the comments on each verse.

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name…
This is the line of praise that we talked about earlier. It means "Oh God, we believe in You, because everything around us reveals Your goodness and Your power."

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
God has given us laws of wisdom and justice that govern our universe, and these laws are written upon the conscience of each of his children. The day will come when we will all believe in God with a strong faith, respecting and abiding by his laws willingly through the use of our free will...whereby, our planet Earth will become a peaceful world of loving and charitable beings.

Give us today our daily bread
We ask god to give us the means of providing for our needs through our own work and the and the moral support and spiritual nourishment for our inner growth.
We ask that he help us to not to complain about our destiny, that he bless us with courage and strength. In turn, we make every effort to take responsibility for the suffering that we have caused ourselves, to do our part seek solutions to that which we can change - and to accept with serenity that which we can not, trusting God's divine providence, and seeking to act without envy or ill-will toward others.

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
We recognize that each infraction of God's laws is a new debt that we must redeem. We ask him for his forgiveness and make the effort on our part to try not to incur new debts. We also recognize that we have no right to ask for God's merciful forgiveness if we cannot give the same to those who have wronged us. And we know that our suffering at the hands of others is part of our trials here on Earth.So we ask God to give us the strength to erase all the resentment, hate, and bitterness inside us…. and we make the sincere effort to do so.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
We ask God to give us the strength we need to resist the suggestions of misguided and ill-meaning spirits who seek to take advantages of our imperfections and weakness. And we ask that the good spirits inspire us with the desire to correct our imperfections and guide us in the right direction.

Amen / So be it.
We close our prayer in which we have solicited God's blessings for ourselves and for every suffering spirit, both incarnate and discarnate. And we know that we have asked for the realization of our desires, but we are respectful of God's infinite wisdom and justice, and therefore accepting of his will.

Kardec, Allan. "Ask And It Will Be Given To You." The Gospel Explained By The Spiritist Doctrine. Trans. Allan Kardec Educational Society (translated from 3rd edition in French). Philadelphia, PA. Allan Kardec Educational Society. 2000. 255-266.

Kardec, Allan. "A Collection of Spiritist Prayers." The Gospel Explained By The Spiritist Doctrine. Trans. Allan Kardec Educational Society (translated from 3rd edition in French). Philadelphia, PA. Allan Kardec Educational Society. 2000. 267-306.

Camilo (Spirit Author), Teixeira, J. Raul (Medium). "O Direcionamento Da Oração" [The Adressing of The Prayer]. Correnteza de Luz [Current of Light]. 3.ed. Niterói-RJ, Brazil: Frater. 1999. 159-164.

Peralva, Martins. "Almas Em Prece" [Souls in Prayer] Estudando A Mediunidade [Studying Mediumship]. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation].1998 (20th ed). 170-173.

Peralva, Martins. "Eficácia da Prece" [Efficacy of Prayer]. O Pensamento de Emmanuel [Emmanuel's Thoughts]. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation].1998 (20th ed). 159-164.

Schubert, Suely Caldas. "A Prece" [Prayer]. Mediunidade: Caminho Para Ser Feliz [Mediumship: The Path to Happiness]. Votuporanga- SP, Brazil. Casa Editora Espírita "Pierre-Paul Didier". 1999. 92-97.

De Angelis, Joanna (Spirit Author), Franco, Divado (Medium). "Da Lei de Oraçã" [On The Law of Prayer]. Leis Morais Da Vida [Moral Laws of Life]. 3. ed Salvador-BA, Brazil. Livraria Espírita Alvorada. 1986.

Joanna de Ângelis Responde [Joanna de Angelis Responds]. 2. ed Salvador-BA, Brazil. Livraria Espírita Alvorada. 1999. 165 (q.135), 171 (q.141). Compilation of Answers from the Spirit, Joanna de Angelis in various texts (through medium, Divaldo P. Franco) / compiled and organized by José Maria de M. Souza

Simonetti, Richard "Oração" [Prayer]. Para Viver A Grande Mensagem [To Live The Great Message]. 6 ed. Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil: Federação Espírita Brasileira [Brazilian Spiritist Federation].1995. 125-128.

Simonetti, Richard "Oração" [Prayer]. Não Pise Na Bola [Don't Step On The Ball]. 9 ed. Rio de Matãp-SP, Brazil: Casa Editora O Clarim.1999. 150-152.

Simonetti, Richard "Ante A Oração" [Regarding Prayer]. A Voz Do Monte [The Voice On The Mountain]. 9 ed. Rio de Matãp-SP, Brazil: Casa Editora O Clarim.1999. 117-120.

Simonetti, Richard "Como Orar" [How To Pray]. A Voz Do Monte [The Voice On The Mountain]. 9 ed. Rio de Matãp-SP, Brazil: Casa Editora O Clarim.1999. 121-124.