Schedule your Time
While growing up, my family went to church regularly. In fact, we went to two different churches. We were taught to pray at home, and I prayed each night before going to bed. Mostly, though, I just went through the motions.

Although I was always very drawn to the ceremony and rituals of the services, by the time I was in my teens, I had become disillusioned with church and organized religion. I stopped going altogether once I left home for college. By this time, I had also stopped praying.

My reasons are probably like those of many others.

  • If you go to church, shouldn’t you be a good person, or at least trying to be a good person?
  • Why is there so much evil in the world?
  • Why do people I love suffer or die?
  • What’s the point?
  • Is there really someone there?
  • Why do bad things happen to good people?
  • Why do good things happen to bad people?
  • What’s in it for me?

Once I began my path with the Modern Mystery School I became reintroduced to ceremony, rituals, and prayer. I saw that, although the Modern Mystery School does not adhere to a particular dogma or religion, there are many common threads among religions and traditions throughout the world. Prayer is one of them.

I was once again drawn to the ceremonies and rituals, some of which I remembered from childhood. But it took me a bit longer to come back to prayer.

I found that prayer is a conversation between me and God (or whatever name is right for you). It’s not a one-way conversation; I am not giving a speech. It’s a two-way conversation; I am also listening.

What I have found important:

  • Pray every day. The where and when aren’t as important as the what.
  • Be honest and truthful. Set your personality and ego aside.
  • Speak from your heart. Don’t follow a script.
  • Be grateful. For anything and everything.
  • Be reverent.
  • Offer praise.
  • Ask for forgiveness for yourself.
  • Ask for and offer forgiveness to others.
  • Ask for help. Can be something big or small, but make it for the betterment of you, others, or our world.
  • Listen for answers.
  • Make promises. And stick to them.
  • Be grateful (Yes, I meant to add that a second time. It’s that important).

If you are like me and let prayer fall away in your life, or if you never started, give it a try. Sit or kneel or stand or bow and just have a chat.

Love and healing,
Catherine