THE POWER OF PRAYER
A Marie Williams, Ph.D.
I doubt anyone has trouble finding things to pray about these days. My list keeps growing, and I suspect that is true for all of us. COVID 19, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, terrorist acts and threats, safety for our troops, concerns for the people in Afghanistan and other parts of the world all loom toward the top. Let’s not forget our president, other leaders in our country, and church leaders. In every aspect of our lives, it seems we are surrounded by chaos and division.
My belief that prayer is the only answer to our discontent only continues to grow and strengthen as I age. The form of that prayer has also grown. As a young person, I learned a great number of memorized prayers and Bible stories. However, when I prayed, I always seemed to do all the talking. Somewhere as a middle-aged adult, I finally realized I needed to shut up and listen. This change made all the difference in my prayer life and relationship with God, as well as other people.
Just as. “The poor will always be with us…,†I suspect the chaos and suffering in this life will continue. However, I do believe there is much we can do to bring about peace in ourselves that can spread throughout the world.
People of faith unanimously believe that there is great power in prayer, and I certainly agree. However, I have found that the greatest power in prayer is experienced when I can open my mind and heart to the Spirit that has much greater wisdom than I. This sounds easy, but it is really very difficult. It means casting aside my own thoughts, my own judgments, and my own will. It requires an openness to change that can be extremely challenging and uncomfortable.
What if we could all do this? What if we could trust in the Spirit to move us together, to bring us to a place of unity, peace, and joy? Surely, it could make a world of difference in each of us and could change the world.
A Marie Williams, Ph.D.
FOOTNOTE: A. Marie Williams is a retired school teacher, principal, and school superintendent.
