EFFECTIVE PRAYER

Thomas Itty Corepiscopa, Houston


Prayer is a concept that is very profoundly associated with each and every individual irrespective of his religious affiliation. Persons belonging to all religions pray and prayer is considered to be a holy exercise by all religions. True and meaningful prayer of the devotee is helpful in enriching every area of human life. Distress in life stimulates and encourages prayer and results in emotional well being. Or in other words prayer is very effective in bringing in positive results arming the faithful with ability to face situations that are unusual or beyond control.
Prayer means different thing to different people. In the orthodox tradition attending Sunday liturgy is prayer; yet to another spending some time in solitude immersed in divine thoughts is prayer where as to yet another one it is meditation and control of mind and thoughts. To some reciting written prayers at a regular time of the day is prayer whereas some others pray using the words that come out of the heart. What ever be the meaning of prayer to an individual, it is clear that prayer is an inevitable and necessary consequence of belief in God. At the very fundamental level prayer means two things: manifestation of hope in human beings and acknowledgement of human limitations. These lead to the search of a power higher and wiser to guide, which we name as God, through prayer the medium of communication.
Prayer as Manifestation of Hope:
There are situations of varied nature take place in human life. There are days of joy and days of sorrow. Some times we mourn, some times we laugh. Some times we feel desperate and some times blessed and great. There can be situations so terrible and unbelievable to face and probably feel lost and with out hope. On such occasions every body has a tendency to turn to God and Prayer. It is the manifestation of hope that we see in that situation and prayer. Thus prayer encourages the faithful not to lose hope and confidence even in the midst of adverse situations instead to be brave and trustworthy of divine power and graces. Helplessness and adversities leads way for prayer.
Prayer as Acknowledgement of Human Limitations:
We are living in scientifically and technologically advanced society. We are under the impression that all things are possible by human efforts and human smartness outsmarts divine wisdom. But life situations bring us to a point where we have to acknowledge and agree that our wisdom is nothing and the interference of a power wiser and greater to assist us is imperative. Prayer in other words is an open confession of our weakness and limitations in front of the Almighty and our willful ability to say that we do not know everything. Here we see a submissive attitude instead of a proud and universal treasure like wisdom. In prayer we must exhibit humility and humbleness.
Belief in God is the prerequisite for prayer. Beliefs are convictions. Convictions without commitment are meaningless. So also in the case of prayer mere convictions are not enough. Religious beliefs are two kinds: Extrinsic and Intrinsic. The kind of belief we are committed to has a whole lot to do with the effectiveness of prayer. In the orthodox Christian background we need to have a prayer pattern which is a mixture of both extrinsic and intrinsic beliefs.
Extrinsic Beliefs:
Our faith and tradition proposes extrinsic beliefs. Extrinsic beliefs include things such as, bare membership in a church, recitation of regular liturgy, or affirmation of a particular statement of faith. The disadvantage with the extrinsic belief is that it remains in the head and very seldom makes it to the heart. Unless we are so immersed spiritually in liturgical prayers it is too hard to accomplish a touch of the heart. Various studies have concluded that extrinsic beliefs fail to improve spiritual status, and emotional well-being. But our church inherits centuries old rich spiritual heritage and the life and acts of the saints of the Holy Church is an open book to acquire faith and be strong in extrinsic beliefs.

Intrinsic Beliefs:
Intrinsic beliefs include qualities such as profound spiritual commitment, a devotion to heart felt prayer and an urge for a truly transformed life. When the prayer comes from the heart the faith of the devotee is reassured and commitments are generated. A prayer to be effective whether it a product of extrinsic belief or intrinsic belief, that has to come form the sincere and peace seeking heart. A contrite heart will bring forth effective prayer.
Inner belief is the key to real spiritual power. Intrinsic and extrinsic beliefs have the ability to enrich every area of human life. The effectiveness depends on the individual as to how sincere and how committed a person is. Prayer to be effective, that has to come from the heart. Church attendance shall not be a mere fashion, it should be a commitment. Love towards each other shall be genuine and meaningful. A prayer that comes from the heart that professes peace, seek God and love the neighbor is nothing less than an effective prayer.
We must pray and pray effectively. Every day and always we should pray. We must open our heart when we pray. We must pray not only for us but for others. Our prayers shall not be selfish. When we pray we should not set boundaries. Our prayer shall be for the fulfillment of divine will in our life. There will be no grace and no peace with out prayer. That is why Mahatma Gandhi said: “Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening. There is no peace without the grace of God, and there is no grace of God without prayer


Published in St. Ignatius Church, Dallas; Souvenir 2002