The Magic Of Prayer: An Intimate Connection To The Divine

When the world seems upside down, we turn to things that offer comfort. To some, that might initially be a pillow, a bucket of ice cream or a friendly shoulder to cry on. Then, we go beyond ourselves to find strength to move forward. Yet, there are those whose instinct and skills guide them directly to the magical space of prayer. 

Prayer is a conversation with a higher power, an intimate connection with the divine. Because of this, prayer has the power to sooth and to uplift. In times of need, there is little that can compare to the efficacy of prayer. 

It is Jewish tradition to pray three times a day. This ritual, service of the heart as it’s often called, is meant to connect us to the Almighty. It is a type of drawing down or channeling of energy for others and ourselves. A strengthening of the soul. 

A Daily Kosher Practice: Design Your Life For Optimal Potential 

Prayer is a daily practice. It’s a way to set the intentions for the day. It’s something I do because I am meant to do it according to Jewish law. It began as an obligation, a tool and slowly transitioned into a special time. Spiritually, prayer offers a space in which we can shift our minds into a positive state. When this occurs, we are more able to manifest our intentions in the physical realm. 

When the Coronavirus crisis struck and our lives took a temporary hiatus, prayer took on a different meaning for many people. The outbreak affected both, individuals, and families, on a financial, emotional, and psychological level. Thus, prayer became a way to sooth the mind and a place to regroup. 

Challenging times bring unwelcomed pain as our reality shifts. I quickly learned how pain has the power to break the heart. Pain makes us feel human, it makes us vulnerable so that we can connect easier with others and see the beauty that surrounds us. This ritual facilitated my connection with the divine because a part of me felt broken and longed to connect with a higher energy.  My connection became stronger because the desire was stronger. As the sages say, the lack of something allows us to draw down energy because we have a bigger vessel to fill. 

Those that pray know this well. A conversation through prayer is like no other because we can let it all out. There is no judgement, nothing to hide, and we can say and ask for anything and everything. We divulge our innermost thoughts which we wouldn’t share even with our closest friends. In other words, prayer provides us with the deepest kind of intimacy. 

Prayer: A Way to Hope not Despair 

There is one important component in this heart-to-heart talk: faith. Faith in the divine, that our prayers are heard and will be answered. We pray to connect but also because we want something in our reality to change. To pray is a call for help. A call filled with hope, love, and trust. Hope being the total opposite of despair. A call from a place of strength, certainty, and positivity. We turn to prayer because we trust that things will change for the better. We pray because we want to make a change, we commit to a future tense and an ultimate higher power. 

The magic of prayer is that we achieve an intimate connection with the divine – we trust in his or her goodness. Through prayer we reach inside ourselves to find our potential to shine and reveal goodness in our world.  

Many ways to Prayer

Prayer can take many forms. There is structured prayer, there is long conversations, brief acknowledgements like a simple “thank you” or “father please help me”. Reading Psalms (poetry) is also a form of prayer. The main point is that you have this sharing of yourself with G-d. There is no one right way. Personally, I use different forms throughout the day. For me it has become a daily routine: morning structured prayer along with conversation, afternoon reading of Psalms and evening introspection. I find that when I go on walks, when I’m in nature, it’s much easier to strike this conversation. 

Gateway to Potential: Set Intentions

Prayer is a gateway to open our divine self to a higher power. It offers comfort which can only be obtained through this meeting. It only requires your presence and can be done at any time. Prayer offers solutions and a change of perception. In challenging times, there is no better remedy and strengthening than this convocation. 

When your world is upside down, turn to prayer to find strength. When your world starts to change and you align with what you want, pray even more so that more can be revealed. Prayer is a way to reveal your essence and connect to the eternal part of you, the part of you that is divine. We long for prayer because it is the way we communicate with a higher power. We pray because we are believers. Believers in a better tomorrow.