Pray. Okay, you can eat and love too, but the very act of prayer gives comfort and hope. When I feel I have no control over my life, when I feel powerless and helpless, I pray. Since I was raised Roman Catholic, I've been saying a lot of Hail Mary's lately. It's a mantra that soothes me in uncertain times. I also have a fool-proof Little Flower Novena (a prayer for nine days) to St. Theresa that I seem to be saying on a constant basis for different people and causes. Even if my prayers aren't "answered", I get something just from the act of praying. I try to do it first thing in the morning, to put my priorities in order. When my grandmother died and I moved into her house, I found a stack of prayers to different saints tucked away in her nightstand, right next to her "exercises to be done in bed". You always knew you were in trouble if she prayed to St. Jude for you. (St. Jude is the patron saint of impossible causes.) She was praying to St. Michael for Cancer patients (my Dad) at the time she died. Of course you don't have to be Catholic or any particular religion to pray. Thank you is quite a nice (and easy) prayer.
Here are a couple of my favorite quotes on prayer:
"Pray and let God worry." Martin Luther
"Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays." Soren Kierekegaard
1 comment:
pray without ceasing
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