Prayer - Why You Should Really Get Around to Doing That

Today I'm linking up with Blessed Is She to talk about the power of prayer.

When I was in middle school and early high school I was heavily involved in discernment activities and youth group at our parish. Through these things I was exposed to a lot of different modes of prayer, and met a lot of people who devoted a significant portion of their lives to prayer.

This prayer life looked very different, in practice, from person to person. Some, like some of our fabulous youth ministers, prayed through singing in their band (this is also when I learned that it's a thing for people to jump in the shape of a cross at Christian music concerts.) Others loved the rosary. I like the universality of the liturgy of the hours. 

What matters seems not to be the mode of prayer, but the consistency of that open line of communication with God. The frequency of their prayer seemed to act like a buffer against disappointment or despair in those times when the answer to their prayer was "no" or "not yet." 

I find that still to be true in my own prayer life. 

It is much more difficult to let God work in my life when I'm not actively listening to him. I wouldn't expect my relationship with my husband to be going well if I just ignored him except for one day a week through which I was part way listening. We need lots of little opportunities to check in with each other. Same with God.

The power of prayer is that we are invited to an open communication with a person so much bigger than anything we could possibly imagine. It's not so much about the physical miracles, cures, and protection - though I believe those things happen. But they happen as a physical sign for us to remember the awesome power of God. 

We are not owed miracles, we are not even owed an answer to our prayers, but we are invited to open the discussion.