Prayer

By Trish Briggs

I came across the most recent definition of prayer being used in documented research protocols today. I found it very interesting. It is meant to be broad, to encompass many spiritual and medical applications, yet it doesn’t take away from the power of prayer. I want to share the definition and my thoughts.

Prayer is “willful conscious intent.”

In the protocol, each word is defined as follows. (I added the chakra reference.)

WILLFUL : Ability to influence through mental powers (Third Eye)

CONSCIOUS : Knowledgeable stream of awareness (Crown)

INTENT : Concentrated attention to a specific purpose (Heart)

In this definition, I clearly see the alignment of the third eye, crown, and heart chakra (energies) for a specific purpose. Add in vocalization of your prayer and you add in the energy of your throat chakra for that extra punch. This completes the alignment of all your spiritual chakras (energies) and opens the connection to universal Divine energy. Ah, there is the source of power! 

Prayer is very powerful and divine when these spiritual energies come together, and this is why miracles are possible through prayer.

Many people don’t understand or fully acknowledge the power of prayers. The three most common reasons people pray are 1) to keep something from happening, 2) to get out of something that they don’t want to do, and 3) to get through something they couldn’t stop from happening. None of these reasons come from an empowering standpoint. Think about how much more powerful prayer would be if it came from an empowering perspective!

Let’s take a different but simple approach to start. We could pray before instead of after. For example, we could pray at the beginning of a medical procedure, with the attending medical staff beside us, instead of afterwards. We could pray for everyone, including ourselves in the room for steady hands, knowing minds and the best outcome. Many sport’s teams do just that prior to their game. It doesn’t always translate to a win but perhaps the best outcome given the circumstances. 

When I first became a nurse, my greatest fear was that I would cause harm to another through lack of knowledge/experience. I made a habit of sitting quietly for at least half hour before leaving for work each night to pray for both my patients (even though I had not met them yet) and myself. 

My faith in the power of prayer gave me the boost I needed to be the best nurse I could be that night. This didn’t translate to a night of roses and rainbows. Some nights were rough and some nights the outcomes were not great, but I moved through them with confidence. I knew in my heart that I would do my best, be alert and hopefully not make any fatal mistakes. I also left in the morning, feeling like I had made a difference for others, patients, and co-workers alike. 

I felt the power of my prayer with me throughout the night.

Prayer is a powerful segue way into my inner strength and can be for you also. No matter your religious or spiritual affiliation. When I am in a challenging situation, I pray for “ease and grace” as I move through whatever it may be. Prayer is also powerful in its reach. From a quantum perspective, the energy of my prayers in my living room instantaneously reaches the person that I am praying for across the country (or in that hospital bed). Amazing!

So, I will end this blog with a prayer. I pray that you find, feel, and/or renew your faith in the power of prayer! In the power of "willful conscious intent!"