Power of Prayer (part 2)

Now, my prayers regarding my teenage battle of suicidal depression were for me. In addition, the prayers that constantly were repeated in my heart and fell from my lips were to fix the pain I inflicted and essentially bring my best friend back to me. It was a selfish prayer, but one Gd granted anyway. There are other prayers that carry a great deal of power.

We pray for people who are sick to get better. Most times we know the person and have a personal emotional investment for them getting better. These prayers are strengthen the community. It connects us to other people and makes friendships stronger. In addition to that, we can prayer for people we don’t even know to get better. We can do this because we have innate sense of what it is like to be sick ourselves or have watched a family member get sick. This too is a way for the community to rally. Prayer is a way we can help people we don’t even know no matter where we are and no matter what we have to devote to cause.

Recently several friends of mine went through break ups. There was on particular friend who was fiercely devoted to needing his girlfriend. Emotionally losing her would crush him. Over top of that, the break up rippled out to affect others in the close circle of friendship. Living a distance away, I was not able to physically be there for the finalization of the break up. However, from where I was, I knew the pain and hurt feelings that would be flying around the group. As soon as, my last phone call disconnected, I prayed. I did not stop until I knew the worse of the storm was over. My words were spilt out onto my steering wheel. As I prayed, I could feel great pain wash through me. Then, when the dust started to settle the burning need to cry stopped.

Now, again there is no way of knowing what good my prayers did. However, I would like to think that it has some impact on bring heavenly peace to the injured parties. It may have done nothing or it might have made a difference. The only one that knows that is Gd.

Now, I am human. I make mistakes. I will admit to that. Somewhere in that mess, I spoke rather harshly to a friend without understanding her emotional state. I was trying to keep the will of another friend involved, who decided to change her will without telling me. Thus, caused me to misspeak badly. This was a nice straight arrow into the center of my friend’s heart. After the whole blow, I was talking with her. I explained myself and apologized.

Looking back over the conversation and what happened, it was a blessing and answer to a prayer. What I said was sort of the last straw kind of deal or that is what she seemed to relay to me. She wanted to be stronger, stop being used and pushed around. What I said and the feelings from this drama made her put her foot down and resolved to change the way people treat her by changing how she acts. Now I pray everyday for Gd to give her help with that. I know I will be there.

Even our mistakes can be made blessings, essentially answering prayers, if we are mindful to correct our mistakes and make amends for our actions. We have the great capacity to do harm, but we also have the great capacity to do good. All we have to do is apply our hearts and our actions will follow.

Also in this conversation with this friend, she shared with me a remarkable story. She was in car, traveling with her family, during a rather particularly rainy night. The rain was falling so hard that it practically formed walls blocking out one’s ability to see one’s surroundings. Somewhere in the middle of the storm, her parents asked for a particular prayer to be recited. It is called in English the Wayfarer’s Prayer. It is a prayer recited when a person leaves the city limits asking for safe travel to their destination and their return. Once she said that prayer, the driver was able to see through the rain because it was lighten a tad and find the turn they needed. They passed under an overpass and the rain had become little more than a mild drizzle.

In danger or during moments of great fear, we reach out with hope. Hope launches prayers and brings us miracles. So long as we believe, amazing things are bound to happen. By giving thanks to Gd we express our appreciation. In our time of need, we bring Gd close lifting our spirits and making us able to accept divine help. All we need to do is believe.

Fallen Angel