The Power of Prayer

What wings are to a bird, and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul.

- Corrie Ten Boom

Pray: to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to (God or an object of worship).

Prayer is one of the most ancient ways to communicate with the Gods. Used by all cultures, religions and spiritualists, there is so much power in expressing devout love and gratitude for all that exists and all that is provided to us.

My first interaction with prayer was during my childhood. I was raised Catholic and although I knew of different religions, I thought the only way to pray was to God.

I've always believed in something higher than ourselves but I never resonated with the Catholic faith. As soon as I was old enough to decide for myself that church and Catholicism wasn't for me, I stopped participating. I didn't necessarily stop believing in "God" or the "Devil", but I questioned the ethics of organised religion and the practices that I had experienced. They didn't feel like they were the right way for me to express or practice my beliefs.

Travelling to India in 2018 I was exposed to the Hindu faith, said to be one of the oldest religions in the world, dating back to 5000-10,000 BC. It really opened my eyes to the beauty of other cultures and religions and what worship can mean to people. I felt quite a strong connection to parts of this ancient faith. I am swept away by the mantras sung in praise and celebration and enveloped by their philosophies. It felt like parts of my soul had arrived home and with 5 weeks immersed in all things yogic, I left feeling the true power of prayer within me.

My most potent experience with prayer is from April this year when I attended a sacred plant medicine retreat. Over two days of ceremony I was directly connected to Pachamama (Mother Earth); ancestors of the Bundjalung land at Huonbrook, Byron Bay; Spirit; Apus (spirits of the mountains); Maestro Huachuma (sacred plant medicine of the Andes); soul guides and my team of light. I prayed to them, spoke to them, asked them questions and for guidance in which I received so much. After what had been an extremely heavy few months of my life, weight lifted, wounds healed and I was returned home to my heart. As my spiritual practice has grown and developed, so has my connection and use of prayer. I feel there is something truly beautiful about prayer, the act within itself is so humbling and I feel a deep connection with my team of light when I practice prayer often.

I pray daily if I remember (as with everything, it's all about practice and intention). I pray to spirit; to my guides; to my angels; to my ascended masters; to my ancestors; to beings of the love and the light; to Pachamama; to the cosmos; and to Reiki. I pray with love and gratitude; I pray for support; I pray for guidance; I pray for strength; I pray for safety; I pray for wisdom; and I open myself up to receive all that is meant for me.

Personally and as a collective prayer is so powerful. When you pray with love and gratitude for what you have and what you are yet to receive, you are raising your personal vibration and aligning yourself with that which is in your highest good. The more we practice this and the more those around us practice this, the more we raise the collective consciousness, bringing positive change into the world.

How can you begin to practice and experience the power of prayer?

Simply sit or stand comfortably with your eyes closed and bring your hands together at heart centre. With your intention, whisper your prayers with love and gratitude into your hands. When you are ready, seal your prayers with a kiss and release your hands to the sky, blowing your prayers into the universe. Ebony x