When I was a little girl, praying meant getting down on my knees on the side of the bed, closing my eyes and pressing my palms together in front of my chest. It always started with “Dear God, please….” and ended with “Amen”. That sort of sealed the deal, the amen part at the end. I also said the “Now I lay me down to sleep..” prayer but with a different ending. My father didn’t like the original – “If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take.” And so he created a new ending. The whole thing went like this: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord in health to keep, all of those who are to me, a warm and loving family.” Nicer, don’t you think? I said that every night as a child with either my mother or father sitting on my bed. It was a comforting way to begin my slumber .
In my teens, 20s and 30s I still prayed but not down on my knees and the prayers were of a completely different nature. But they were still asking for something. And when I was finished, I left everything to God, whether or not my prayers would be answered.
Fast forward to my 40s which is when I learned about Science of Mind or Religious Science. It is NOT Scientology but is similar to Unity, Unitarian and actually many religious beliefs. The founder, Ernest Holmes, took what he thought to be the best from many religions to form Religious Science. It teaches of the power we each hold to change our lives for the better. One of the things I learned early on was that prayer is not enough. You must take the actions necessary to get what you have prayed for.
If there is something you want to attain or accomplish you pray about it but not as if you are asking for a favor. You see it as possible. You see it as already given to you. You give thanks for having it. And then you follow up by taking the steps that will bring it to fruition. By believing in the possibility, your mind starts giving you ideas of how to make it happen.
Example, I want to win blue ribbons at my level in Dressage this year in one or more shows. It doesn’t stop with me praying for that. I can’t just want it to happen and then wait to see if it does. I state it and then I must “move my feet” or take the action required to make that happen. It starts with a commitment. I must practice, work with my trainer, focus on what she teaches me and work at it until it is as good as it can be. Then I will have done everything in my power to achieve my goal. Does that mean I am guaranteed to win a blue ribbon? No, of course not. But without my commitment, without my work and dedication, the desired outcome will be less likely.
“God helps those who help themselves.” Ever hear that one? You come up with the goal, the dream. You pray about it. Ask for guidance, for clarity, for ideas. You wait. You figure out what needs to be done in order to give you the best chance of getting what you want. And then you do it. You take the steps, one at a time, so that you are in the best possible position to win.
Prayer + Action = Results.
“Vision without execution is just hallucination.” Henry Ford
No matter how you choose to pray, realize that with the exception of things you have no control over, some kind of action must follow the prayer in order to achieve the desired results.
And when you get what you want, don’t ever forget to say “thank you”. Gratitude, like amen, seals the deal. :))