The Power of Prayer

Prayer has a vital role in shaping both our individual as well as collective lives. Poet, Tennyson, was so right when he wrote "More things are wrought by prayers than this world dreams of". True prayer is becoming aware of God within you, and communicating with him. Whatever You do, know that the Almighty has the final say, and you can tap that power through prayers.

Prayer is not a mechanical thing or a set routine. It has to rise spontaneously from one's heart. It is not demanding something from God but having the trust that He knows what is best for us, and that whatever is best will happen. Having this confidence in ourselves and in God, we need to pray sincerely and earnestly from within.

When you sit in prayer, you have to shed a lot of what might be gross in you. Otherwise, your words will wring hollow. You can pray or communicate with God without words but not faith. "It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without heart", said Mahatma Gandhi. And, in the Bible we read: "So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Jesus taught "....I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain "'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20), The power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather the power resides in God who is prayed to. No matter the person praying, the person behind the prayer, or the purpose of the prayer - God answers the prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers are not always yes, but are always in our best interest. When our desires line up with His will, we will come to understand that in time.

Prayer is a great sustaining force. It helps us survive crisis, tragedies, heart-breaks, sorrows and losses. It keeps hope alive. Psychiatric research reveals that prayer has therapeutic value, especially for mentally and emotionally disturbed persons. Fr. Patrick Peyton, an Irish priest and a zealous promoter of the Rosary, once said: "The family that prays together, stays together", and "The world at prayers is the world at peace".

Mahatma Gandhi, too, revealed how his unshakable faith in the power of prayer guided his life, and explained: "Prayer has been my moral and physical salvation in many a trying situation. I have thrown myself in God's hands and from that moment on, a soothing peace flooded my soul and made everything bearable... Only intense prayer has been able to satisfy my hunger for God, and I believe that a soul can never pray enough."

The one and only way to experience the power of prayer is to pray. We can thank God for the prayers He has answered with YES, but also for the one's that were answered differently than we expected. Each answer has moulded our lives and our fellowship with God.