Post 7: What does prayer do?
By: Katarina M
Tags: Prayer, Christianity

Since I have been flirting with the idea of god and the spiritual world, I’ve been praying from time to time (by the way, I know that “flirting” with the idea is probably disrespectful to people who truly believe in and stand by god, but I don’t care because this is my blog and my post and my journey). Prayer has been long-held as a way to get through hardship and tough times. Many people become more religious and prayer-ful as they become ill or start getting old. It is seen as a “last resort” or a dying man’s last hope. However, millions of people around the world pray in various ways. Devout Muslims pray 5 times a day in the direction of Mecca, my boyfriend prays before meals sometimes and uses very casual vocabulary (he doesn’t think that god gives a damn if he curses), and others use meditation as a form of prayer. Prayer can be done in large groups or when someone is alone in a room — although they don’t believe they’re alone because god is with them. Prayer can be seen as a direct line to communicating with god or whoever exists as a higher power to an individual.

When I have prayed, I have used a form that I have seen people around me use. I clasp my hands together, look up to the ceiling, and begin with “God…” I am sure to use thanks and gratefulness in addition to asking for help or guidance. I usually do this when I’m going through something difficult. I rarely pray when things are going well and I’m not thinking of tough stuff. Afterward, I always feel better. I have been advised to pray when things are difficult. My boyfriend has said, “When something is too much for me to handle, I say, ‘God, please, I can’t deal with this right now, I’m giving it to you.’” This works for my boyfriend, and it makes a lot of sense. If you mentally remove something negative for a few minutes, a few hours, or days, it may be easier to see what solutions are available after getting some clarity or perspective. It also takes away the weight of the issue so that you might see clearly in that moment. Believers in god feel that god will answer the prayers and happily take the worry off of their shoulders immediately.

I have prayed usually in times of desperation, but I have also prayed when things are going well. Praying when things are going well has been enormously helpful to me too, as it inspires me to be more grateful and content with the way things are.

Prayer has a huge number of health benefits. When a person is going through physical illness, prayer gives them the hope that the illness happened for a reason or that they will get through it and come out stronger. Hope is a major factor in the healing process, and I think that prayer is an excellent source for hope. When one has hope, they have the strength and the ability to imagine their life with less suffering, or simply imagine they have the strength to get through difficulty. The state of the mind has a huge effect on the health of the body, and this can be seen across the world. I have met a girl who was told she would never walk again, but she had a divine feeling that that was simply untrue — and now she walks. My stepmother’s stepgrandmother was in a terrible accident that was to leave her completely paralyzed. She ended up being as mobile and healthy as she was before the accident, and lived to be 90 years old. Both of these women had the will and conviction to get better and to heal, and prayer was their outlet.

Prayer makes me feel better. Prayer in large numbers gives people a sense of community and support. Prayer brings people closer to god. Prayer gives people hope.