10 Ways Praying can Help You
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Whether you are an atheist or a religious person, you have wished at some point that things would change (be it for the better or for worse). A prayer is simply an act of hoping against all hopes that your life would change, even if it is just for a tiny second. If you have faith in a higher power, a prayer can prove effective and give you solace. Here are a few ways a prayer can help you.
1. A way to manage negative emotions
Most people pray because they feel inept at handling the negative emotions that surround them and their heart from time to time. When you pray, it is an attempt at managing the negativity and channelizing your energy towards the positive.
2. Complete surrender
The process of prayer involves surrendering the situation, the people, the actions, the desires, and most importantly, yourself. When you completely surrender all that you are, it relieves you of a number of negative emotions. You feel at peace with yourself and your thoughts.
3. A realization that you are not alone
There are times when you feel that you are all alone against the world. However, when you pray, you gain a sense of strength. Your faith in God or a higher power lets you feel like there is someone out there who understands what you are and what you are going through.
4. A listening ear
When you turn to God and pray, you are turning to someone who will lend an unconditional and non-judgmental ear to all that you have to say. Sometimes, all one needs is to talk to someone and there might be times when you have no person to share your worries with. In times like these, you know that God will be listening to you, every time you pray.
5. A break from the outside world
As you fold your hands and begin concentrating on what you wish to say, it acts as a distraction from all the bad things that are happening around you. It acts as an escape from the outer world and helps you connect with the inner you.
6. A form of social interaction
Those who are introverts or shy or are not that good at the “set norms” of social interaction find solace when they convey their thoughts to a higher power.
7. A sense of hope
After you pray to God and wish that things were different than they currently are, you are filled with a certain amount of hope. Even during the darkest of times, a prayer can give you a ray of light in the form of hope. And sometimes, that is all you need to continue fighting this battle called life.
8. A feeling of gratitude
A prayer can be a way for conveying your thankfulness for all that is good in your life. This feeling of gratitude fills your heart with love for life and lifts your spirit. It also gives you a feeling of contentment.
9. Prayer increases forgiveness
While you seek forgiveness from God over a wrong action, you realize that you are not perfect. It also leads to an understanding that no one is perfect and you end up forgiving those who have wronged you. This eases you of your pain and leaves you at peace with yourself.
10. A release of suppressed emotions
Many a times it so happens that you could not cry when you wanted to or you may not get to laugh as much as you wanted to. Every day we suppress a number of emotions to fit ourselves into the social norms. But when you are one with yourself during the act of prayer, you know you can be yourself and give vent to all the suppressed emotions.
