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,