Does Prayer Work?

Regardless of religious affiliation or denomination, many people turn to prayer in as a way of communicating with the Divine. While some only turn to prayer in a time of crisis, many use daily prayer as a way to express gratitude, request assistance or acknowledge the work it takes to build and maintain a spiritual relationship.

By definition, prayer is “a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.” This broad definition opens the door to many spiritual practices found in all religions. While it comes as no surprise that the act of prayer is found in all manner of beliefs, at some point in their lives the question “does prayer work?” always comes up.

This question can be difficult to answer as each, and every, person has an opinion about the efficacy of prayer. For some people a prayer is only answered if, and only if, they see the exact results that desire. This narrow thinking often leads many people praying to their higher power for a winning lottery ticket, true love or a clear answer on any of the questions that they hold in their hearts.

If you are looking for a clear and straightforward answer to your prayers, you may find yourself waiting for quite awhile. You'll rarely encounter the answers you served to you on a silver platter with clear instructions on what to do next. Instead, it may be able to detect the subtle responses you receive.

There are several ways that you can better understand the answers you receive. To gain a better perspective on how prayer works in your life; try the following practices to help you see the power of prayer at work in your life.

Meditation

A dedicated meditation practice can help you connect with your inner self and the divine forces at work in your life. This connection will help you pick up on the spiritual energy and vibrational changes in your life.

Gratitude Practice

A gratitude practice will help you become more aware of the blessings that already populate your life. Listing and acknowledging what you are grateful for will help you shift to a positive mindset that will make you more receptive to the answers.

Open Your Heart

If you take the time to open your heart to possibilities and opportunities, you will begin to see that the Divine forces often answer prayers in a multitude of ways that may be difficult to discern upon first glance. While these forces may not answer your prayers in the way that you wanted or anticipated, that doesn’t mean your prayer went unanswered. Remember, “yes,” “no,” and “not now” are all potential answers.

Even if you receive an unexpected answer to your prayer or things don’t turn out the way you want, prayer can be a very powerful tool in connecting with the world around you. No matter what happens, the answer to the question about the efficacy of prayer lies within you and your faith in the power of prayer.