Prayer is a concept that is worth practicing in your life.

You don’t have to be religious in order to experience the limitless benefits of prayer (more on that later).

What it means is that you are tapping further into your spiritual being and putting your focus and hope on something greater.

Prayer is defined as a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.

While a lot of people pray to God or a higher power, it’s possible to have an alternative method that is effective for you.

Incorporating moments of reflection into your day – on your life, and all the stress and joy along with it – will clear your mind and shift your focus to more soothing thoughts.

If you’re open to the idea, there can be great meaning and plenty of benefits that derive from the types of prayer that exist.

Meaning of Prayer

Prayer has substantial meaning. How much and what kind depends on who you ask.

To me, prayer is a religious gesture and a way of life. Growing up in a religious atmosphere and receiving a Catholic education through high school, it’s something that I have been around for a long time. I’m grateful for it. It has helped me immensely, through both the ups and downs of my life.

When I pray, my purpose is to express gratitude for all of the good things and seek help for any of my problems, all while recognizing the overall blessing of being alive and well. It’s talking to God.

You will either resonate with this meaning and relate to it, or you will have a differing view.

There are many people without any religious background and no desire for one. And that is just fine. But prayer can still carry with it an important meaning.

Regardless of the underlying meaning, it can be utilized as a form of reflection or meditation. Consider it a time to shut down your mind and think deeply about the thoughts that have been occupying it. It allows you to prioritize the important things and set aside time for you to pump positivity into your mind by recognizing your blessings.

Whether the thoughts are good or bad, prayer gives you an opportunity to sort through them, allowing you the chance to acknowledge the good and fix the bad.

Another beauty of prayer is that it’s not all about you. You have the ability to pray for other people and wish them blessings. If someone is sick, pray for their healing. If someone is well, pray for their continued success.

Praying for others will also, in turn, bring blessings unto you. It’s similar to the saying in life – the energy you put out into the world and other people usually circles back around to you.

It is known that prayer has the power to work wonders in this way.

Below is an excerpt from a chapter called “Try Prayer Power” from a book titled The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale:

People are doing more praying today than ever before because they find that it adds to personal efficiency. Prayer helps them to tap forces and to utilize strength not otherwise available.

A famous psychologist said, “Prayer is the greatest power available to the individual in solving his personal problems. Its power astonishes me.”

Prayer power is a manifestation of energy. Just as there exist scientific techniques for the release of atomic energy, so are there scientific procedures for the release of spiritual energy through the mechanism of prayer.

This passage validates the fact that prayer can have a positive impact on you. It won’t have the same meaning to everyone, but that’s no different than other concepts in life.

If you believe in God or a higher power, make time for prayer and relay your thoughts to God.

If you don’t, or you aren’t sure, pray to yourself and send this powerful energy out into your mind and into the world.

The power of prayer is real.

Types of Prayer

For reference, in the Catholic church, there are four common types of prayer: (1) Prayer of Adoration/Blessing, (2) Prayer of Contrition/Repentance, (3) Prayer of Thanksgiving/Gratitude, and (4) Prayer of Supplication/Petition/Intercession.

If you are religious, you’ll understand these meanings in terms of the church. They’re common forms of prayer that most people utilize. But if not, their meaning still applies to everyday life.

Instead, they might turn into prayers of praise, prayers of forgiveness, prayers of gratitude and prayers of help.

You can reflect on all of these things. You can reflect on everything in your life that you appreciate and consider a blessing. You can reflect on the things you haven’t done well and seek to forget them or learn from them. You can reflect on all of the things and people you are grateful for in your life. And finally, you can reflect on the things you need help with and are anxious about.

Whether you believe in God or not, these factors in life are important to consider. Expressing appreciation will fill you with positivity and attract additional feelings that enhance your spirituality. Pondering what you’ve done wrong and what you need help with will take the load off and provide you with the opportunity to work on making things better.

You can pray about anything on your mind, good or bad. If a thought won’t go away and is bothering you, say a prayer of supplication. If something incredible happens to you, say a prayer of thanksgiving.

And if you do believe in a higher power, trust that your problem is being offered up to the Most High, who has a plan for you. This simple fact should leave no room for worry or doubt.

In addition, pray for your loved ones and all other people in a similar manner. The four types of prayer apply to this as well. Take time to send out little prayers for everyone you know in need of it, as well as those that are on your mind.

It’s all about reflection. Reflection can help anybody. So next time you’re struggling with a situation in life, or you feel the need to give thanks for a person or an occurrence, consider prayer as the engine that fuels your mind.

The Wrap Up

Praying for just 10 minutes every day can have a positive impact on your life.

Regardless of the type of prayer or the way you do it, your mind will be stimulated in the process and bring you peace.

According to Health Fitness Revolution, the many benefits to prayer include obtaining a better sense of self, heart health, an increased lifespan, improved attitude, easier forgiveness, more hope, relief of stress, stronger mindset, better recovery and keeping a positive outlook on life.

These things are all crucial in the efforts to live your best possible life. While they can be found in many other practices as well, prayer is a simple way to support these areas of your life.

If you understand the meaning it has, realize the difference it can make in your life and relate to the different types that can be leaned on, prayer should become a part of your daily routine.

“When life is rough pray, when life is great pray.”