By Elisabeth Fayt, founder of rnr Wellness
Two lone survivors of a ship-wreck were floating on driftwood in the middle of the ocean. After a few days of weathering the elements one said to the other. “You know, I haven’t lived the most righteous life. I’m going to pray to God that if he saves us, I’m going to change my life!” A few moments later, his companion responded “Oh better stop your prayer, brother, I think I see a ship on the horizon!”
This reminds me of the real-life scenario that took place in September of 2001 when the twin towers in New York were hit. For a few weeks following that tragedy, churches were packed. And then eventually, things dwindled. The need for prayer dwindled.
We’ve all been there, deflated and in a moment of despair have cried out for Divine aid. What I want to talk about today is the importance of making a connection with God a daily habit.
The sun will rise and set without praying for it. Things will go on as they are, so why bother praying, unless things go wrong. So some may think that it’s impractical and simply not necessary to pray. Well in the words of my Guru (Paramahansa Yogananda), he says: “It’s impractical not to think of God.”
He explains it like this: We couldn’t raise our hand, think, breathe or move without Divine energy flowing through us. If that Divine energy (call it God) decided to stop beating in our hearts, we would no longer live. So it’s highly practical to be in tune with our Source, not just when the sea gets rough, but in good times too. Any time.
I find that when I remember to pray and be in tune, my day flows more smoothly. Little frustrations don’t bother me, I easily arrive on time for things, my meetings are successful and my relationships harmonious. On the contrary, when I have moments of forgetfulness (momentary loss of connection with the Divine), I can get off track. It might show up as someone disappointing me, a minor setback or a feeling of unfulfillment.
So I’ve made prayer (and tuning in with the Divine) a habit, because happiness is something that I want. Not once in a while, but every day, all the time actually. And that’s how I’ve found it. Now it doesn’t mean that everything is always perfect. It’s not. But it can help you handle anything that comes, without losing your peace of mind.
So don’t wait for something to go wrong to pray. Begin now to make prayer a daily habit. If you don’t know how to get started, I highly recommend WHERE THERE IS LIGHT by Paramahansa Yogananda. It’s chock full of positive thoughts, especially when you’re facing a challenge. And stay tuned for a future blog, I’ll be giving some more instruction on this topic soon.
Namaste,
