Doing Gratitude--Say a Little Prayer

     In 1967 Dionne Warwick sang,  "The moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup, I say a little prayer for you." (lyrics by Burt Bacharach and Hal David).  When I think of all the ways there are to express our gratitude, praying for those we love strikes me as being one of the most important and powerful ways of showing our concern and appreciation for them.
     Because prayers do have the power to call down the influence and intervention of our Creator, they constitute, in my mind, a wonderful combined effort in behalf of those we care for--our energies, combined with God's unfailing wisdom and support, to heal, encourage, remind, or in any other way intercede to bless lives.

     There are several things I love about sincere prayer:

• it has a calming and settling affect on the emotions of the one who is praying.
• in some studies, it has been shown to be effective in helping others to heal, even when they are unaware of the prayer (http://www.healingtherapies.info/prayer_and_healing.htm.)
• prayer does, indeed, connect to a higher power that has the ability to intercede in our behalf, or in behalf of the one for whom we are praying.
•   prayer is an act of humility and obedience to sacred direction, "Ask, and it shall be given you."  
• we are praying to our Heavenly Father, who loves us and is concerned for us and for those we love.  We are His children, and He is our Father, and we can be assured that He is listening.  Because He wants only the best for us, He will answer our desires in the way that will be for our greatest good.

 
     In the book, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, Aibileen, a courageous black maid, writes prayers asking for divine intervention in behalf of her friends.  Minny, another maid, says that Aibileen's prayers are powerful, and that many of their group have been blessed by her unique gift to have her prayers answered. No doubt, as Aibileen wrote her prayers she was focused on the needs of another, and attempted to express, in words that would reach the ears of God, her desire for her friends to receive needed blessings.
     Whether we write our prayers, or humbly kneel in prayer, or prostate ourselves in prayer, or join with a group of friends to pray, our prayers in behalf of others can create change.  Without question, prayer in behalf of others is an unselfish act of love, an expression of our gratitude for having them in our lives, and an outward display of our concern for their welfare.  Prayer does, indeed, have power!

TODAY'S GENTLE ENCOURAGEMENT:  Consider taking a few moments today to reflect on the needs of someone you love.  Write or say a prayer for that person, pouring out your desires to God in their behalf.