Seven Reasons to Pray
eSession 1

Number One: It's good for you.

"…prayer helps us achieve health and wholeness - physically, mentally, and spiritually…"
-The Healing Power of Prayer, by Dr. Chester Tolson & Dr.Harold Koenig

According to a cover story in the November 10, 2003 cover story in Newsweek, recent scientific studies indicate that people who regularly attend church or pray live significantly longer than those who don't! I really don't find that surprising. People who see themselves as a child of God, with a special purpose in life would logically be expected to outlive someone who's essentially just waiting to die. (And there are a lot more of those people than you would think!) The very art of praying - of handing things over to God is in itself stress reducing. This is an important consideration because stress disables our immune system and is widely believed to be a primary factor in everything from the common cold to cancer.

Duke University's Harold Koenig, Andrew Newberg from the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard's Herbert Benson and the National Institute for Health Research's David Larson are just a few of the prominent researchers who are now documenting that in the words Dr. Larson, "Statistically God is good for you." Larson succinctly sums up the case for prayer: "praying regularly helps prevent illness - both mental and physical".

Number Two: Prayer centers us on what's truly important.
When we pray we commune with the creator of everything in the world - including us. In those few quiet moments our spiritual umbilical cord is connected to the most powerful force in the universe. As we pray for and receive God's wisdom and insights, we re-focus our lives on what's truly important: Loving God, ourselves, and others; making a difference in someone else's life and relying on God for strength and guidance, these are the eternal principals that lift us above the mundane of everyday life. In addition, meditating (focused attention) on God's love and purpose for us, calms, reassures and empowers us for the day ahead.

Number Three: Healing works.
"…Prayer may be the synergistic agent that brings it all together and makes
healing happen…"

"…Prayer heals because it links us with God, who created us. We believe that all healing is "divine healing," where natural or supernatural…"

-The Healing Power of Prayer, by Dr. Chester Tolson & Dr. Harold Koenig

Millions of dollars are now being spent by numerous foundations (from the National Institute of Health, the Institute of Noetic Studies, to the Templeton Foundation) documenting the healing power of prayer. In addition to the thousands of dramatic healings reported in the media from Time magazine to Redbook as well as numerous other books on this topic, a major 2003 study showed that not only did prayer increase the recovery rate for patients who knew they were being prayed for, but also those patients who did not know that they were being prayed for as well! (To be prayed for by God on the Net prayer network please visit our Prayer Forum)

Number Four: Praying for others is good for them - and you!
"…prayer helps us to release our anger and resentment by enabling us to forgive others and to accept forgiveness ourselves, which neutralizes excessive guilt that can only damage us physically, emotionally, and spiritually…"
-The Healing Power of Prayer, by Dr. Chester Tolson & Dr. Harold Koenig

When we pray for our loved ones and our friends it brings us closer together. We are bonded in God's love through all eternity. When we surround them in our minds eye with God's love and care we are more appreciative of their physical presence as well. Consequently we are kinder and more thoughtful and generally more pleasant to be with.

And guess what? When we pray for the "difficult" people in our life our attitude shifts making the situation more tolerable then it was before. You may also be surprised at how the party in question may change as well.

I remember a particular difficult and complex business negotiation involving breaking up a large partnership. My team was ready for an all- out battle which could have significantly harmed the business. As an alternative I prepared a five step buy-out plan which I didn't have much confidence the other side would accept. But we prayed a whole lot. When the fateful day arrived, before I even opened my mouth, the partner in question proposed my exact plan. Needless to say there was not a dry eye in the room. Twenty years later this event still stands out in my mind as one of a dozen very dramatic answers to prayer that I have experienced in my own life.

Number Five: Consistent prayer reshapes our behavior.
"…When we pray we are changed and act more in harmony with the divine plan…"

"…In summary, when we pray we are changed…"

-The Healing Power of Prayer, by Dr. Chester Tolson & Dr. Harold Koenig

When we trust God, instead of relying on our own strengths and resources, we are less anxious, insecure and controlling. As we become more in touch with our spiritual center we become happier, more balanced people. Second, when we follow Jesus' example of praying with faith and gratitude as if our requests have already been met, it forces us to imagine and actually see our prayer answered in our minds eye. Jesus taught "when you pray, believe that you will receive your answers and you will have them," Mathew 7:7 (also see James 1:6, Philippians 4:6, Mark 11:34). This "visualization" process repeated daily, mobilizes every cell in our body as well as the extremely potent power of our subconscious to bring about the desired result. Of course, this particular process maybe more effective in praying for something you have direct input into (improving your relationships, attitude, finances, etc.) - as opposed to say creating world peace.

Number Six: Gaining wisdom.
"God is always ready to give you a bountiful supply of wisdom"
-James 1:5
Wealth, beauty, intelligence and talent don't in themselves guarantee happiness. In fact the opposite is often true. So what does bring us happiness? Wisdom! Only wisdom gives us the ability to consistently make the right life choices, to interpret life events objectively and to manage our relationships (whether it's with other people, God, money, etc.) successfully. Only with God's wisdom can we be sure we are fulfilling our destiny.

The truly good, even amazing news is that the holy scriptures of both Jewish and Christian tradition tell us that God will supply us with wisdom if we will just ask for it (James 1:5). Of course, as with most promises with God there are conditions. And they're nothing unusual. In most cases I think God expects us to do our best and he will do the rest. And the same goes for securing wisdom. We just don't casually ask for wisdom and then sit back and wait until - presto we are downloading the wisdom of the ages without any effort on our behalf. In biblical language, wisdom is a great treasure which must be diligently and consistently sought after.

If we have to work at it, then why is it a gift, how is it an answer to prayer? Here's how it works. Once we faithfully ask God for wisdom and begin actually seeking it, the right books, lectures and tapes and even the right people begin to cross our path. But if we aren't looking we won't even notice the books that we are staring at, or the person that we are talking to who may have some words of wisdom for us. Of course, obtaining wisdom is a lifetime journey, not a one-stop destination.

Number Seven: We pray to maintain our spiritual connection with God.
"…Prayer also gives us greater self-confidence because it connects us to an omnipotent Friend who loves us and wants to help us…"
-The Healing Power of Prayer, by Dr. Chester Tolson & Dr. Harold Koenig

How do we stay connected to anyone? Communication. The more ardently and frequently the better. What happens when we fail to communicate? We feel lost, alienated, disgruntled, and generally unhappy. Failure to communicate is a major cause of divorce, family feuds, broken relationships, bankruptcy lawsuits and job terminations.

When we fail to communicate with the source of our very being the well spring of our spiritual, intellectual, and emotional well being our relationship deteriorates.

We begin to think, for better or worse, we are on our own. We get over-confident or under-confident. We forget about God's ground rules. And without God's rule book we soon forget the rules. Disaster can ensue.

Without prayer we cannot even say thanks, nor can we ask for help. We can't confess our shortcomings and failures and receive forgiveness, so we are stuck with our guilt, regret and shame. Unable to say thanks we can't receive the joy contentment and happiness that expressing gratefulness always brings.

Start practicing prayer today, just find a quiet place for even five minutes and speak to God from your heart. Remember if you are asking for something, you need to pray with the faith that your request has already been granted (assuming it's truly a need, one that's good for you - and not just a desire). In your minds eye visualize every detail of your prayer being answered. Hear the words spoken or even feel the sensations that will occur when your prayers are answered. Do this in the morning and the evening until your prayer is answered, your situation changes, or you realize your request may not be in someone's long term best interest.

Check Out: The Healing Power of Prayer, by Dr. Chester Tolson & Dr. Harold Koenig

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