When you’re stressed and things look hopeless, remember there’s always a way. And in tough times, prayer can be a powerful tool for hope, renewed faith, and yes, stress relief.
Here’s how prayer works to give strength and hope in the darkest of times.
Whatever your belief system may be – if you believe in God or a Higher Power of any name, praying will help.
Here is the phone number of a prayer hotline that I highly recommend (Unity):
1-800-NOW-PRAY
It’s free, the people who will pray with you are wonderfully calming and reassuring, and they’ll even send you an encouraging letter afterwards. Meanwhile, your name will be held in prayer for 30 days after your call. You’re not alone.
Another wonderful Prayer Line is staffed by Science of Mind practitioners. It too is free, and you can call them around the clock at 1-800-421-9600.
Of course, you can also pray by yourself. In fact, that’s a very good idea.
Here are my two favorite books that have helped me learn how to pray more effectively:
Adventures in Prayer – Sharon Connors
Handle with Prayer – Alan Cohen
Both of them have their spiritual roots in Unity, which isn’t exactly a religion but more of a non-denominational spiritual movement of seekers, with strong emphasis on inclusiveness, and very compatible with The Secret and Abraham-Hicks teachings. I find it very life-affirming. No matter which religious background, if any, you come from, you will likely get some peace of mind from prayer.
In terms of how to pray: “Please help!” is always appropriate. Of course, “Please help me out by bringing that $10,000 I need to pay my Amex bill right now!” may not be the best approach, especially if you don’t believe it’s actually possible. However, “Please give me guidance on what to do at each step of the journey, and please give me the strength to handle whatever comes my way, and the faith and trust that everything will turn out for the best” may help a lot.
Even more importantly: Give thanks for the blessings already received and for those you anticipate. Pray as if you had already received them, as if you knew that the best outcome for all concerned (including you) were just around the corner and had already been provided: “Thank you for your divine guidance, and for keeping me safe.”
Feel free to pray to your guardian angel as well (provided that it fits with your faith). Or to other deities. It all depends on your beliefs. Ganesh, a Hindu deity, known as the destroyer of obstacles, for example, is very popular for obvious reasons.
Ready to let go of all that extra stress? You’re invited to download my FREE Easy Intro to EFT and get started right away. Why EFT? It’s an extremely powerful tool for stress relief!