My Project HOPE

Hold Onto Prayer Everyday.

Can prayer change your life? No question. You can foster a relationship with God and live a better, more determined life through prayer. In prayer there is the chance to find fulfillment and peace, away from the many distractions bombarding our days.

Think of all the promises that the material world guarantees us. They say we’ll find happiness and harmony if we buy this or that. Yet in the end, our souls end up feeling just as empty as our wallets. Cultivating a good prayer life can really change you for the better. It can turn into the most satisfying routine of your day in many ways. Of course, it might not be the easiest habit to start at first. But it is without a doubt one that your will not end up breaking once you start it. Daily prayers give you a sense of purpose. Determination and dedication is key.

Prayer is the foundation of all work aimed at guiding souls and alleviating suffering in a spirit of unity with Christ. It has often been called “the raising up of mind and heart of God.” In prayer we literally engage in divine conversation with God. There lies the wonderful opportunity to strengthen and deepen your relationship with Him. There is also the opportunity to connect with those around you by praying for their needs as well as your own.

God wants us to keep Him and to let me made our requests known to Him. Read to passage below:

Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

(Philippians 4:6-7)

In his letter, St. Paul is telling us that God wants us to share our lives with Him. From the little things to the big things, our joys to our sorrows, our successes to our disappointments, we are to talk to the Lord in both prayers for direction and prayers of thanksgiving. There is a greater reason to our prayer, beyond the particulars that we are praying for. Read it again: “will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When you read this with openness to the truth, you will understand that the only source of true peace and completion is in God. We need to receive His peace so that we may keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ and His mission for us. Through prayer, God gives us strength to better reflect his character of love and charity.

There is a multitude of ways that one can revitalize their prayer life. Here I will offer you my number one tip of the moment that has improved my conversations with God. And that is, keep a prayer journal. If you have never tried a prayer journal approach, I encourage you to take a shot at it. Here are reasons why to keep a prayer journal...

• When I write in my prayer journal I am more focused and thus able to connect with God in a more focused manner. It helps me block out the distractions and busyness.
• As I mentioned before, our prayers are certainly not just for ourselves, but also for others. A journal helps me remember those that I wish to keep in special prayer over a certain span of time.
• I can look back and see how God has answered my prayers in times of struggle. I can see how he brought things together when there seemed to be so much confusion and chaos.
• Also in having a record of His faithfulness in answering my prayers, I am able to properly offer Him thanksgiving. I can really see Him working in my life when I flip back through the pages of my journal.
•  Personally, I love to write. So writing (and no, not typing on a keyboard) is almost therapeutic for me. Being able to bring God into something I find pleasure in has a healing element to it. I know that God is there listening and guiding me. 

Communication is an important part of any relationship. Our relationship with God is no exception. God does not deeply desire our prayer for His benefit but for our own. Prayer allows us to gain a better understanding of God and in doing so, we have a better understanding ourselves, as those made in the image and likeness of God.

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; 

it is a simple look turned toward heaven, 

it is a cry of recognition and of love, 

embracing both trial and joy.” 

- St. Therese of Lisieux