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Getting Answers to Prayer

© Fiona Broome

Sometimes, people abandon prayer because they think that it doesn't work. Whether you pray to Deity directly, use formulaic prayer, read scriptures, follow rituals, or use other means, it's important to evaluate your relationship with Deity, and your expectations.

(I will use the popular terms "God" and "Deity" to indicate whatever concept you use for Higher Power/s. I'll also use the word "prayer" very inclusively.)

Think about what it's like to visit a doctor when you have a health issue. Consider the things that could go wrong:

• If you don't tell the doctor that you have a sore throat, you may have less than a 50/50 chance that the doctor will look at it closely.

• If you don't let the doctor know that relieving the sore throat is your main concern, he or she may treat other symptoms or the disease itself, rather than addressing the throat pain.

• If you don't have good communications with your doctor, and he or she doesn't tell you clearly how quickly the medicine will work, you may think that it's the wrong medicine.

  Or, you may think that the doctor didn't help you, and quit doing what you should to recover as quickly as possible.

• If you tell the doctor what to do and how to do it, as if he or she is your servant, you may find yourself out the door in a hurry.

• If you think the doctor is a quack, you may trivialize or totally ignore important health advice.

• Or, if you don't see any healthcare professional at all, the problems may linger more than they should.

Likewise, if you don't communicate sincerely with Deity, allow Deity to provide help and answers, or disregard the promptings of the spirit, it's possible that prayer will seem to fail.

Keep in mind that prayer is ultimately a communication with God and a drawing closer to Deity. God--however you conceive him or her--is not our servant. Nor is Deity a vending machine where you put in prayer and get a specific, expected product out.

Unfortunately, because some parents have not provided healthy role models, it's not always smart to treat God as one of our parents, either. But whining, complaining, trying to "work out a deal," and similar poses don't often produce the results we'd like.

Perhaps the place to start is by introducing yourself to Deity. Then, build a working relationship. This may be a trial-and-error process at first.

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