Effective Prayer

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to figure out a format for effective prayers to a Higher Power. I'm religious though not Christian, but I'm interested in hearing from people of every religion on one condition: you prayed in a specific way/format/routine and it actually worked.

Here's what I mean by format:
- Did you make offerings while praying? (candles, bread, etc)
- Did you offer to do something in exchange for your wish being granted? (e.g. "Lord, if you grant me ____, I will feed 100 hungry children in Your name.")
- Did you follow certain steps, such as praising God, explaining your problem, and then asking for help?
- Do you need to be a particular emotional state for the prayer to work?
- If you believe surrender is part of the prayer, what does surrender mean to you?

Any examples of prayers that were granted would be helpful too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm trying to figure out a format for effective prayers to a Higher Power. I'm religious though not Christian, but I'm interested in hearing from people of every religion on one condition: you prayed in a specific way/format/routine and it actually worked.

Here's what I mean by format:
- Did you make offerings while praying? (candles, bread, etc)
- Did you offer to do something in exchange for your wish being granted? (e.g. "Lord, if you grant me ____, I will feed 100 hungry children in Your name.")
- Did you follow certain steps, such as praising God, explaining your problem, and then asking for help?
- Do you need to be a particular emotional state for the prayer to work?
- If you believe surrender is part of the prayer, what does surrender mean to you?

Any examples of prayers that were granted would be helpful too!

Don't you think that if there were an effective prayer, that those hungry children would be granted their prayer? Or shown compassion from a listening God?

[Anonymous]

For every "prayer" that worked, I'll show you 100 that didn't.

[Anonymous]

This depends what you are praying for, OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This depends what you are praying for, OP

Good point, I should've mentioned that. I was going for the category of "realistically attainable in the devotee's life circumstances, but still an aspiration" which probably doesn't need more elaboration. It's like porn: you know it when you see it.

[Anonymous]

I pray all the time. I don't recall any prayers that were ineffective.
1. Most of my prayers aren't asking for anything. 90% fall into praise and thanksgiving, with a sprinkling of penance.
2. Of the 10% that are supplicative, I rarely ask for a specific solution. Instead I tell God what I need and then say, Your Will be done. On the rare occasion that I ask for some specific solution, if I get it, great. But most of the time, God provides an even better outcome. This has happened with positions at work that I wanted numerous times.

I'm Catholic, but this works for any faith IMO because I believe there's only one God. We just call Him different names.

Sometimes, I light candles and fast, but I don't see those as essential to the payers being effective. Faith is essential. I often pray for more faith

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pray all the time. I don't recall any prayers that were ineffective.
1. Most of my prayers aren't asking for anything. 90% fall into praise and thanksgiving, with a sprinkling of penance.
2. Of the 10% that are supplicative, I rarely ask for a specific solution. Instead I tell God what I need and then say, Your Will be done. On the rare occasion that I ask for some specific solution, if I get it, great. But most of the time, God provides an even better outcome. This has happened with positions at work that I wanted numerous times.

I'm Catholic, but this works for any faith IMO because I believe there's only one God. We just call Him different names.

Sometimes, I light candles and fast, but I don't see those as essential to the payers being effective. Faith is essential. I often pray for more faith

This is really beautiful thank you for your contribution. I'm the OP. I love that you end it with "your will be done", that sort of leaves room. e.g. I may think I want a particular job but what I really want is a higher salary, which may not come from that particular job alone.

I agree that we all pray to One with different names and that faith is essential!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pray all the time. I don't recall any prayers that were ineffective.
1. Most of my prayers aren't asking for anything. 90% fall into praise and thanksgiving, with a sprinkling of penance.
2. Of the 10% that are supplicative, I rarely ask for a specific solution. Instead I tell God what I need and then say, Your Will be done. On the rare occasion that I ask for some specific solution, if I get it, great. But most of the time, God provides an even better outcome. This has happened with positions at work that I wanted numerous times.

I'm Catholic, but this works for any faith IMO because I believe there's only one God. We just call Him different names.

Sometimes, I light candles and fast, but I don't see those as essential to the payers being effective. Faith is essential. I often pray for more faith

This is really beautiful thank you for your contribution. I'm the OP. I love that you end it with "your will be done", that sort of leaves room. e.g. I may think I want a particular job but what I really want is a higher salary, which may not come from that particular job alone.

I agree that we all pray to One with different names and that faith is essential!

You're welcome. I will pray for your special intention today.

[Anonymous]

I very rarely pray for intervention, let alone a specific outcome. I pray to give thanks, and will pray for God to give extra strength and support to someone going through a tough time (including myself), but that's it. I was raised to believe it is presumptuous to ask God to do things or change outcomes, because God in his infinite wisdom can make those decisions on His own.

[Anonymous]

I was raised Presbyterian, but now consider myself more so spiritual. I begin with the prayer I used to say before bed - "Now I lay me down to sleep" and basically ask that God or whoever is out there protect me when I die (morbid, I suppose, but that's how i start). I then go down a sort of "check list" of people I pray for - a daughter that my wife lost at 17 weeks who I like to believe is somewhere watching over us. I pray that she is protected, that she knows she is loved, and that she knows we'll be with her again one day. I pray for our DS - that he continues to thrive, and that we are able to be the parents he needs for us to be to teach him kindness and courage. I pray for my wife, and the unborn child she is carrying. I pray for my parents - my mother who has Alzheimer's, and my father who takes care of her. I send out a universal prayer for anyone who is suffering or struggling with their own battle. And I pray for myself - that I can be a strong and loving partner, parent, daughter, teacher, and friend.

That's it. I say this prayer every night before bed.

[Anonymous]

"Jesus Help Me"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I very rarely pray for intervention, let alone a specific outcome. I pray to give thanks, and will pray for God to give extra strength and support to someone going through a tough time (including myself), but that's it. I was raised to believe it is presumptuous to ask God to do things or change outcomes, because God in his infinite wisdom can make those decisions on His own.

So if, God forbid, a loved one was in a dangerous situation, you wouldn't pray to God to keep them safe and alive? If you lost your job and rent is due in 2 weeks and you have $10 in your checking account, you won't pray for a job offer at a place you just interviewed at?

I agree that devotion is important, but really, it's God's job to help us when we are in need. And, being human, it's unrealistic that we won't ask for Divine intervention to achieve the goals we want in our lives. The only people who never do that are saints, and saints tend to lead completely different lives altogether.

[Anonymous]

I have a HUGE list of examples. For now, I will give a few quick examples:

I was 7 years old and camping with my family when I fell off a floating device and was drowning. I said the Lord's Prayer (silently) over and over along with "GOD, HELP ME!" Finally, I was pulled from the water just in time. I was vomiting profusely.

I was moving long distance by myself, driving a U-HAUL when I avoided an accident. It was midnight on a dark, foggy New England night and my last exit on the highway to Hyannis, MA when I nearly missed the off ramp and tried to correct my mistake when the U-HAUL tipped over on my side (on two wheels) about to turn over on the pavement. I screamed, "GOD, HELP ME!" I leaned over to the passenger side of the truck trying to distribute my weight and the truck slammed down shifting everything inside, but I was fine. Luckily no one was behind me because they would have rear ended me.

I was praying consistently about 3X daily over the course of a few months for a decision to be made in my favor, something that everyone said would not go my way. I moved about each day in a positive frame of mind, being thankful that I would be successful. I said the Lord's Prayer when I woke up and before bed. I prayed in the middle of the day. Most day's going to a church (any that I passed by) to spend an hour saying the Lord's Prayer, reading passages from the materials in the pews, and just silently talking to God about my situation. Against all odds, the decision went in my favor and I seemed to have miracle after miracle for several related issues. Everyone was in awe. I lit candles if I had a dollar on me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was raised Presbyterian, but now consider myself more so spiritual. I begin with the prayer I used to say before bed - "Now I lay me down to sleep" and basically ask that God or whoever is out there protect me when I die (morbid, I suppose, but that's how i start). I then go down a sort of "check list" of people I pray for - a daughter that my wife lost at 17 weeks who I like to believe is somewhere watching over us. I pray that she is protected, that she knows she is loved, and that she knows we'll be with her again one day. I pray for our DS - that he continues to thrive, and that we are able to be the parents he needs for us to be to teach him kindness and courage. I pray for my wife, and the unborn child she is carrying. I pray for my parents - my mother who has Alzheimer's, and my father who takes care of her. I send out a universal prayer for anyone who is suffering or struggling with their own battle. And I pray for myself - that I can be a strong and loving partner, parent, daughter, teacher, and friend.

That's it. I say this prayer every night before bed.

That's beautiful, pp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I very rarely pray for intervention, let alone a specific outcome. I pray to give thanks, and will pray for God to give extra strength and support to someone going through a tough time (including myself), but that's it. I was raised to believe it is presumptuous to ask God to do things or change outcomes, because God in his infinite wisdom can make those decisions on His own.

So if, God forbid, a loved one was in a dangerous situation, you wouldn't pray to God to keep them safe and alive? If you lost your job and rent is due in 2 weeks and you have $10 in your checking account, you won't pray for a job offer at a place you just interviewed at?

I agree that devotion is important, but really, it's God's job to help us when we are in need. And, being human, it's unrealistic that we won't ask for Divine intervention to achieve the goals we want in our lives. The only people who never do that are saints, and saints tend to lead completely different lives altogether.

I will pray for God to watch over them, but I trust him to know what his role is without my input. God is all-knowing, he knows about a loved one in a dangerous situation and about a lost job and rent due, he doesn't need me to call his attention to it or telling him what the "right" outcome is. In that sense, even asking for God to give peace, strength, support, etc., is presumptuous, but it feels less so because I'm not asking for a particular event to happen. That doesn't mean I've never prayed for an outcome in a moment of weakness (I said rarely), I'm human, it happens.