Pray

Pray is a verb of connection. For some of us, we pray as a connection to our faith. For others, to pray is a source of quiet reflection. The verb meets us in our most vulnerable spaces. It is a verb that listens and also responds. I have experienced the power of prayer and I don’t know many people who would deny what prayer can do in our lives. There is something larger than our individual striving that surrounds us and influences us in ways we may not always fully understand.

For much of my life, I have thought of prayer as words offered upward. I have prayed to make requests, to express gratitude, and to plea for strength. As I have grown in my faith, I have come to see prayer as more than speech. It is a conversation, and as I mentioned before, it is a connection. I can’t imagine not having the ability to pray as part of my journey. It is a way of bringing my spirit back into rhythm.

In a world full of noise, pray invites me to stillness. It calls me to notice what is shaping me, what is draining me, and what is restoring me. It encourages humility because it reminds me that I do not control everything. It also offers hope because it reminds me that influence does not come only from what is visible or tangible. Love influences us. Peace influences us. Fear influences us. Faith influences us. To pray is to intentionally turn toward energy that connects to something greater than self.

Although prayer is part of my Christian faith, I don’t believe prayer excludes. Anyone can experience the power of prayer. I can’t quite explain the sense of euphoria of closing my eyes, taking a deep breath, and saying “Thank you.”

As I move through the day, I want to treat prayer as a practice as a posture. I want to remain open to divine wisdom and be mindful of how I carry that energy into the lives of others. Perhaps that is part of the power of pray: it changes what we ask for and how we show up. Today I am pondering how prayer will shape the energy I bring into the world.

96 days to go.