Prayer is a force in our lives

The editorial published in our previous issue raised interesting comments about prayer and its actual value.

The main work of Spiritism - The Spirits' Book, Allan Kardec - devotes an entire chapter to prayer, defining this as a legitimate act of worship to the Creator of life, which importance of it for us is very high and far superior to what we usually imagine. "Pray to God - teaches Spiritism – it is think of Him, it is to approach Him, it is put yourself in communication with Him" (The Spirits' Book, item 659.)

Taught by Christ and the spiritual instructors, prayer is indeed a manifestation of the soul in search of the Divine Presence, a kind of conversation with the creator or his representatives, and therefore should be stripped of any formalism.

Prayer should be the first act on our return to activities of every day, and face it, grown daily. The Spirit of Monod thus recommended it in a message in Chapter 27, item 22, of The Gospel According to Spiritism.

We recall here some recommendations on prayer we get in the spiritual doctrine:

• Prayer, as dictated by the heart, it is always pleasing to God.

• The prayer should be secret, need not be long and must be preceded by an act of forgiveness.

• Prayer cannot be paid, because "it is an act of charity, a move from the heart."

• The essential is not to pray much, but pray well.

• The prayer should be spontaneous, objective, and robust of high feelings that need to be nurtured forever.

• The form of the prayer is useless, but its content.

• The attitude of the one who prays is intimate, eminently spiritual. Conventional attitudes, external position and ritual are expendable robes to the act of praying.

• The prayer must translate what we are really feeling, thinking and wanting at that moment, in a precise way, without that constituting a repetition of terms that, in most cases, are unintelligible to anyone who utters them.

• Prayer makes men better, because who prays with fervor and confidence grows stronger against evil temptations, and God sends the Good Spirits to assist them.

• We can ask God to forgive the faults, but only obtain forgiveness changing to proceed, since good deeds are the best prayer and acts are worth more than words.

There is an example in the Gospel of prayer that should serve as a model for all of us who habitually pray. We speak of the prayer of the publican, narrated in chapter XVIII of the Gospel according to Luke. Recall the lesson, which shows us that humility and sincerity are basic requirements in prayer:

"Jesus also told this parable to some who put their confidence in themselves as being righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee, keeping up standing, prayed thus with himself: My God, surrender myself thanks for not me being like other men, who are thieves, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess.

The publican, on the contrary, keeping himself away, he dared not, even, to lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying: My God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

I tell you that that man returned to his house justified rather than the other: for he that rises will be downgraded and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke, chap. XVIII vv. 9-14.)

Besides humility and sincerity exemplified in prayer of the publican, another essential requirement is highlighted by Jesus in his teaching on prayer, i.e., forgetfulness and forgiveness we must grant to who have harmed us. Jesus recommends us explicitly that we must reconcile ourselves with opponents before bring our offering to the Father and to Him we raise our prayer.

According to Spiritism, three things we can do through prayer: praise, asking and thanking.

Praise is recognizing and praising God for all that He created. It means to accept with joy all around us, that, with regard to the participation of the Lord in our life, it is always fair, balanced and perfect. Example of prayer of praise is the 23rd Psalm of David.

Regarding the prayer request, here's something we all do, but there are few indeed who do know it, which generally takes us to ask God what we should not. We should not ask, for example, the removal of pain, but the strength and understanding to support it.

Emmanuel gives us the purpose of it, in "Messages from Beyond", an example that we should follow in our prayers of petition: "Jesus! I recognize that your will is always the best for each of us, but if I may ask something you, I beg to help me to be a blessing to others."

In conclusion, it is good for us to remember also thank God for the blessing of life, the family we have, the friends who surround us, the health and the opportunities He gives us every day with generosity and patience of a true Father.