Heart-centered Praying and the Benefits of Praying for Others
by Poornima Kadambari
In my first article, I introduced the power of prayer, which included chanting on my own and relying on Silent Unity for prayer support. In this article, I will briefly share some approaches to prayer that work for me, and some benefits of praying for others individually and/or with others. Here is the main wisdom I learned about prayers over the course of my journey. Prayers are always heard and are always answered according to divine timing. According to spiritual author Doreen Virtue, “Everything operates according to the Universal Laws of Divine Timing. This means that certain pieces of the puzzle must first fall into place so that other parts can come to fruition. If you try to skip or rush certain pieces or parts, the whole plan will lack a solid foundation” (Virtue, 17). Essentially, the divine has its own sense of timing that does not always fit with our sense of time. This has been a tough lesson for me to learn over the years, as patience is not my strong suit; however, I respect divine timing, because I notice that when my prayers are answered, the timing always seems perfect. So instead of worrying about when a prayer will be answered, I focus more on praying sincerely and with gratitude for the higher power I am praying to, knowing that my prayer has been received and will get answered in its right time. I make sure to thank the higher power in advance for hearing and answering my prayer either mentally, verbally, or in my heart. This heart-centered way of praying is what has given me a deeper sense of a higher connection and patience, and has cultivated surrender within me. Surrendering demonstrates faith and confidence in the divine and ensures that I am out of the way to let the higher power go to work on my behalf. Note that this way of praying is effective when praying alone or with others.
I was accustomed to praying by myself, but the long and winding road of my life brought me to learning and experiencing the benefits of praying within a group.
After I moved back to Canada from the west coast and finished my degree in Therapeutic Recreation, I was confused about how to proceed on my life’s path. While I was figuring out what to do with my life, I discovered some online courses offered by Ananda Sangha, a spiritual organization founded by the disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda, the spiritual teacher who first brought Kriya Yoga to the west in the 1920s and wrote the book “An Autobiography of a Yogi.” Ananda Sangha deepened my knowledge of the benefits of meditation and healing prayers and reconnected me to my fulfillment of praying with a group. Yogananda taught that praying as a group for the same person, people, or situation amplifies the healing and accelerates the benevolent outcome of what you are praying for (Ananda Sangha Worldwide). He also said that the channel is blessed by what flows through it, so when we are praying for others, it brings blessings and healing to ourselves. Know that praying for yourself or even asking others to pray for you is still selfless, because the more you heal, the more you are helping others to heal, hence you are following the wisdom of the phrase “Healer, heal thyself!”
So dearest reader, if you would like extra prayer support for yourself or for someone else or you would just like a dose of high positive and powerful energy, we cordially invite you to join the Tigerlily Prayer Circle every month. And remember that you can always call the free 24/7 Unity Prayer line at 1-816-969-2000, or submit a prayer online at unity.org/prayer for additional support too where you can submit a prayer for yourself, or for others.
Works Cited:
Ananda Sangha Worldwide, https://www.ananda.org/author/anandasanghaworldwide/. Accessed March 4, 2020.
Virtue, Doreen. Healing With The Angels Oracle Deck, Hay House 1999.
