EVERYBODY PRAYS

Do you know how to pray effectively? How long is it since you prayed as part of your everyday activities? In an emergency, in time of danger or trouble, in illness, and when death lurks, prayers pour forth. Just follow the daily news. There are reports that people all over the country are praying for a child stricken with a so-called incurable ailment, for peace among nations, for a group of miners trapped in a flooded mine. Later we hear that when rescued, the miners say they prayed while waiting for rescue. Certainly, prayer is an ever-present help in time of trouble. But why should you wait for trouble to make prayer an integral and constructive part of your life? The dramatic answers to prayer make headlines and are the subject of testimonies to the effectiveness of prayer. But what of the many humble prayers of children, the simple thanks-giving of grace at the table daily, the faithful devotions wherein the individual seeks only communion with God? My work with people has led me to study the various approaches to prayer. I have experienced the power of prayer in my own life, and I have talked and worked with many others who have benefited greatly from the help of prayer. The problem usually is how to tell someone else how to pray. People who are in trouble have difficulty in thinking and acting reasonably. Their problems overwhelm them and block their ability to listen and understand. They need an easy formula to follow, an obviously workable pattern that is simple and specific.