Prayer is the song we sing in our hearts, it is the hope we keep in our minds, it is the music of the soul. With prayer we can overcome any havoc and find joy. We can endure difficulties and find salvation. Simply put, meditation and prayer have the spiritual properties to offer us experiences that bring us closer to the full potential of our existing beings.
Prayer and meditation are practices that humans have been using since before evolution. In fact, animal behavior today also shows admiration to something higher than themselves such as the sun. Have you ever witnessed a seagull sit still to watch the sunset? This act alone is meditative, contemplative and therefore it is considered a prayer. The act of praying or meditating connects us to a divine force using energy we all hold inside. The difference between praying and meditating is that:
- With prayer -we ask something from God, Universe, that Higher power that fulfills our spirituality. When we pray, we vocalize, we express our fears, our most inner feelings and thoughts; we lay out our intentions and our needs.
- With meditation -we listen. We simply take in the beauty that surrounds us by listening to our breath, nature, relaxing music. Anything that gives us the ability to sit still.
There are times when we forget to pray for a day, for a week, for a month, for years. But, when our soul is depleted of that energy source, we go inside our ourselves and bring back with us a need to let out a flow of prayer: even taking a deep breath is a prayer. Some people prefer the more traditional method of praying which is written expressions of community prayer. Praying is our soul reaching out to the Higher Power we believe in and ask, give thanks, and praise.
Meditation, on the other hand, is a silent mode of refilling our energy requiring us to receive. When we sit still and begin experiencing how each breath connects mind and heart to bring peace to our bodies. The biggest moment of silence is when we begin to remove the layers of daily noise and we tune out every distraction. A quiet moment is also a special time to recharge our soul.
Prayer and meditation naturally complement each other because at times we ask God for assistance, and at other times we must sit quiet and await the response intended for us. As for me, most of my life I have prayed when trouble arises, even though I grew up to daily prayers. But one thing my beloved Mother told me was "don't pray if you don't want to. Just say GRACIAS when you wake up, when you eat, and when you go to sleep." I found it simple, and I always kept this and continue to do so. But little did I know what she was doing was still inciting me to pray. So, my challenge for you is to just say ONE word that you feel connects you to a higher source. If you can't, then find a moment to take 5 deep breaths with your eyes closed and you have already refilled your soul.
<3Blessings,
TSJ