Why Connecting with a Higher Entity is Vital for a Meaningful Life
Prayer, a time-honored practice embraced across cultures, holds a unique place in human spirituality. Over the ages, there has been an unconscious bias in society linking prayer solely to religion, often portraying it as a ritual or an activity involving some archaic customs.
However, stepping out of that notion allows us to view praying more objectively; it simply becomes an act of mindfulness and gratitude, a means to draw strength from something bigger than the limited idea we have of ourselves.
When utilized appropriately, praying can be a potent force that transcends the boundaries of all religious and spiritual schools of thought, enabling individuals to tap into a dimension of divinity within themselves.
In this article, we will look at the profound impact that praying has on human life, emphasizing the significance of this practice irrespective of the entity to which one prays.
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”
- Meister Eckhart
What is Praying?
Praying is any activity where we reach out to a revered entity, offering words of gratitude, expressing our love and devotion, seeking reassurance, or drawing on it as a way to open up greater joy, faith, and peace within ourselves.
This entity could be anything symbolizing inner strength, love, or worship to us - something that feels larger than life or holds deep respect in our hearts.
Regardless of personal beliefs, prayer serves as a significant channel for conveying gratefulness, seeking guidance, solace, and forging a deep connection to something beyond ourselves.
Why should we pray?
"The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays."
- Soren Kierkegaard
The identities at play within us - be they religious, spiritual, secular, agnostic, atheist, or all-theist - don't have to limit or define the practices we adopt for self-awareness and a fulfilling life.
Having a "scientifically-oriented" mind doesn't have to exclude exploration of concepts and useful resources like devotion or praying. Similar to how we view physical exercise as essential today, praying could be seen as a form of mental exercise, another aid to gain better control over our mental space during the day.
While skepticism may be necessary for survival, we must ensure that it doesn't hinder us from accessing a deeper wisdom of Life.
Practices like praying can help with our mind’s quest towards liberation, helping us understand our true nature beyond the mind and dispel fears rooted in past habits.
Prayer organically fosters a sense of gratitude within us and humbles our egos. Everything in this world is interconnected and made of the same essence. When we extend our hearts in gratitude and exercise the muscle of praying to this essence that connects us all, we strengthen our faith in Life but most importantly, in ourselves.
It might seem delusional to pray to an unknown entity, but the bigger delusion is thinking we can control everything in this vast universe. The skeptical thoughts may say, "How can I know praying has any effect?" There is no way to truly show how our mindset change and the adoption of practices like praying changed the outcome.
But one thing each of us can experience immediately when we pray to any entity with utmost devotion, sincerity, love, and faith, is a sense of relief, an automatic lifting of heaviness from our chests.
Grace, whether from the universe, God, or the source of all life, plays a big part in the thoughts we get and our successes. When we investigate deterministic causes behind success, we can never be fully sure if it was really that one thought or one action that multiplied to provide the best outcome. There is always a 1% chance pointing to the presence of grace which put that thought into your mind in the first place. Grace which helped you show up daily, consistently, and persistently to put forth the right action.
That is why praying as an activity is highly crucial to establish a deeper connection with this grace of life.
At the same time, when things get rough in our external circumstances, by mentally surrendering all of our problems to this higher entity, we bring in a sense of acceptance, more stillness, and a state of detachment from the need to control everything, thereby dissolving anxieties in our mind. From that calm state, we are in a much better position to take the best course of action apt for that situation.
This act of surrendering reflects tremendous faith in the movement of life. When we truly start integrating it internally, we notice that our problems somehow seem to resolve on their own, much more effortlessly.
One thing to outline here is praying isn't a substitute for taking action. It is always necessary to talk to an actual person in our life, a partner, friend, family, or health care professional when the mind’s negative momentum or noise seems too strong to be handled alone and this practice alone is insufficient.
But Prayer is still one of the critical tools we can add to our kit as a fortifying supplement. So, while Prayer may not always provide us with all the answers, it can act as a guiding light to take the right practical and intuitively sound actions necessary for the present moment during challenging times.
Which entities should we pray to?
"Everything harmonizes with me, which is harmonious to thee, O Universe. Nothing for me is too early nor too late, which is in due time for thee. Everything is fruit to me which thy seasons bring, O Nature: from thee are all things, in thee are all things, to thee all things return."
- Marcus Aurelius
There is no right or wrong here. It's all about what feels natural. The divine could be whatever we believe is a higher power or bigger than our person and that seems greater than or beyond our circumstances. Anything that we can think of that inspires us and brings a feeling of deep reverence within us.
Some examples of what this entity could be for different people from diverse cultures across beliefs, customs, traditions, and identities:
God - certain forms of Gods or Goddesses
Or a formless God / Source / Creator / Deity of all Life or Energy
Higher Consciousness,
Life,
Universe,
Our Future or Higher Self,
Nature,
Our heart
A Divine plane or dimension
Animals or Spirit Animals (Totems)
The World,
Stars,
Planets,
Sun,
Moon,
Spirit Guides,
a Mentor, or Guru/Teacher you highly respect, etc.
How to Pray - Finding Your Technique
Our method of praying can be unique to us.
The idea is to make it a part of our regular self-care routine, providing a means to unwind from the stressful moments of the day.
Whether we fold our hands and offer devotion. meditate in nature or elsewhere, visit a temple, light candles at a shrine, kneel at an altar, or simply close our eyes to contemplate, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the ritual that resonates within.
It's a way we can think of to express gratitude and respect toward the divinity that connects us all.
“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
- John Bunyan
Tips for Enhanced Focus in Prayer:
Posture Matters: While your posture is a personal choice, maintaining an erect spine (straight back) helps eliminate any lingering lethargy.
Wholehearted Devotion: Pray with your full heart, embodying complete devotion, reverence, and childlike trust/faith. This intention improves with consistent practice.
Concentration is Key: Pray with conviction, striving to harness the full power of your concentration. Similar to meditation, allow no judgment if your mind wanders; gently guide your attention back to the present.
Time Flexibility: Prayer can be embraced at any time of the day, even for a few minutes. Consistency is paramount, so choose a time that suits you. Many find morning or post-shower prayer powerful. Nighttime or before sleep may work better for some.
Ritual Integration: You could also consider incorporating prayer into your shower or bath routine, viewing it as a ritual to cleanse both mind and body.
Benefits of Praying
“Prayer clears the mist and brings back peace to the Soul.”
- Rumi
Praying helps in laying our burdens down. As we practice it, we find ourselves shifting from within, releasing all the heaviness from our hearts. Positive transformation slowly creeps in to make us feel lighter, especially during demanding situations in life.
By offering gratitude during our prayer, we embrace an abundance mindset. A feeling of limitless potential naturally develops as a result of this.
Stress Reduction: Unburdening worries through prayer alleviates stress-related symptoms, reducing mental noise and revealing our inherent calm nature which leads to improved experience of mental peace.
Feel-Good Vibes: Sincere prayers for loved ones or even strangers create a feel-good boost, elevating energy levels and fostering connection.
Mental hygiene: Praying sanitizes the mind of limiting beliefs, providing better emotional control and influencing positive actions.
Practice of Praying
* We'll be using this symbol to suggest areas where you can choose to pause and actively practice the following steps
If new to praying, try this self-care ritual for a few minutes this week:
Choose an Entity: Select an entity for your prayer,
Choose a receiver: Pray for yourself, loved ones, or the community.
One interesting thing to note is that whenever we extend our prayers to others, anyone who is connected to us, someone who is suffering, our community at large, our family, friends, colleagues, etc, we increase our vibration i.e. raise our energy levels. This is felt almost immediately in our bodies. Notice the lightness you feel when you devote yourself to 5 min of praying!
Set Up a Space: You could allocate a small dedicated space in your home and create a simple shrine with photos, idols, or any other trinkets that symbolize your idea of divinity. This makes it easier for the mind to get into the right mood for praying.
Offering: Once you are mentally ready to establish a connection, think of what you would like to offer. Some ideas on what your praying ritual can involve -
You could light candles, and/or offer flowers
You could practice saying gratitude as part of praying and thank whatever entity you choose for its guidance and protection.
You could also request specific guidance after sharing your concerns mentally
You could just focus on your breath
You write instead of letting it be a mental dialogue
You could sing devotional songs,
You could dance,
You could practice positive affirmations to get clarity and strengthen your mind
You could chant mantras in the language of your choice with full focus
Individual or Group Activity: You could pray privately or as a bonding ritual with your family, whichever seems interesting to try at the moment.
All of the above are just some examples but feel free to get creative with your approach.
Even if it feels unnatural initially, do it anyway. Slowly it will start revealing its magic over time.
“God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.”
- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
To conclude, practicing prayer can be unique to each of us, defined in a way that is inclusive and non-denominational, free from cultural overtones, and based on personal choice. Setting aside prejudices allows us to leverage praying as a mindful activity and a powerful resource against fear.
Thus, adopting the habit of prayer is highly recommended as a beneficial tool for embracing the grace of the Universe and cultivating a fertile mind to attain our highest possibility in life.