Did you know that over 75% of the United States population practices religion? Whether you’re Christian or Muslim, prayer is the cornerstone of any relationship with religion. It puts you in direct contact with both your creator and yourself.
Despite this fact, many
people forget to pray throughout the day. Or, worse, they actively avoid it.
One way to fix this problem is to remind yourself of the many benefits that
come with this activity.
But, exactly what are the
benefits of prayer? If you want to learn the answer to this question, then
you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll go over some of the ways that
prayer can positively impact your life. Let’s get started!
1. Prayer Helps
Develop Your Relationship With God
It’s important to remember
that you have a relationship with God. And, like our physical relationships,
communication is an important part of maintaining that relationship. Your
creator wants to hear from you — both during the good times and the bad.
By praying constantly you
strengthen your relationship with God. And, the deeper your relationship is
with the creator, the more likely you are to hear him in your thoughts,
actions, and beliefs.
2. Prayer Helps
Develop Your Relationship With Yourself
As we mentioned in the last
section, prayer is an excellent way to strengthen your relationship with God.
However, this isn’t the only relationship that can benefit from this daily form
of mediation.
Prayer can also give you a
better understanding of yourself. When people first start praying they often
have difficulty finding things to talk about. All too often it is difficult to
quiet the distracting thoughts that are interrupting our connection with God.
However, prayer teaches that these thoughts don’t need to be quieted.
Instead, they need to be
worked through. When you make prayer a habit it can cause you to notice
patterns in your thoughts and thinking. This, in turn, can lead to personal
revelations. In this way, prayer is quite similar to mediation. It promotes a
deeper understanding of ourselves.
3. Prayer Provides
Perspective
All too often in this
modern world, we’re so focused on others that we get bogged down with
comparison. Maybe your neighbor has a new car that you want, or your high
school friend just got promoted.
These types of thoughts can
only lead to feelings of inadequacy. So, how do you prevent them from
happening? Simple: with prayer! Studies show that prayer reduces our egos and
promotes a greater sense of humility.
Being in conversation with
our creator allows us to see just how blessed we are. Whether you have health,
wealth, family, or friends, there’s always something to be thankful for. So, if
you keep at prayer then you can turn those comparative thoughts into thankful
ones.
4. Prayer Can Bring
About Change
Many new believers make the
mistake of thinking that prayer is an instant delivery system for the things we
want. This can lead to prayers like:
●
Can I have one
million dollars?
●
Can I get the next
big promotion?
●
Can I be popular?
It’s important to remember
that prayer doesn’t work like this. However, that’s not to say that prayer
can’t bring about change in our life. God does answer our prayers. But, not
directly.
Instead, he does it by
revealing himself in our thoughts, scripture, and even the actions of those
around us. The more you pray, the more attuned you’ll become to these spiritual
answers when they reveal themselves. This, in turn, can lead to positive change
within our lives.
5. Prayer Can Bring
You In Touch With a Community
Prayer can feel a bit
awkward and silly when you’re first starting. The good news is that there are
plenty of resources online for helping you get started. For example, https://www.swrc.com/ offers a wide selection of articles and books to choose from.
Alternatively, you can also
join a prayer group to get some insight. This is nice because it puts you in
direct contact with fellow believers. It’s always nice to have a community of
friends that care about you and pray for you.
As such, one of the best ways
to feel less lonely is to seek out a community in a Church near you.
6. Prayer Can Be
Calming
The world is a tumultuous
place. It can be easy to get angry or upset about politics, injustice, and the
state of the world.
Luckily, prayer is a
respite from all these troubling thoughts. As such, it’s a great way to relieve
stress.
7. Prayer Can Help
Others
Prayer isn’t just an
individual act. It can also be a communal way of helping someone. If someone is
going through a tough time, then it’s important to pray for them. This is true
even if the person isn’t a believer.
People like to know that
they’re being thought about by others. And prayer is a great way to do that. It
allows people to know that they have a community out there that cares about
them.
This, in turn, can save
lives when people are in a dark place. There is no better feeling than praying
for someone in trouble and seeing God create a positive change in that
individual’s life as a result.
Enjoy Learning About
the Benefits of Prayer? Keep Reading
We hope this article helped
you learn more about the benefits of prayer. Many newcomers to religion often
make the mistake of expecting tangible results from their prayers. Sadly, this
is often a recipe for disappointment.
Instead, you need to think
about prayer in terms of your relationship with yourself. More often than not,
it’s not our lives that need changing, it’s our mindset. Prayer can be the
secret to arriving at this realization.
So, stick with it and
you’ll see a positive difference in your life. Did you enjoy this article? If
the answer is yes, then you’re in the right place. Keep exploring to find more
topics that you’re sure to love.
0 Comments