There are two things that I never discuss with others and that is religion and politics. Therefore, please understand that talking about prayer has nothing to do with a religious discussion. It doesn’t matter whether you are religious or not; you can still believe in the power of prayer and I do.
How many times have you prayed for something and didn’t receive what you requested? I’ll bet there were lots of those times. When your prayers weren’t answered, did you give up? Did you stop believing in praying? I hope not. Many times it is not easy to believe in something that does not give you the results that you wanted. However, let me suggest that you ask yourself, if you think about most of those times, did things not turn out for the best in the long run?
Of course, if you pray for something and are given it then you are quick to be a believer in prayer. That is easy. But, if you don’t get something that you prayed for, despair is not the answer. Know that whatever or whomever it may have been was not in your best interest.
For example, I remember wanting a particular job and I prayed so hard for it but it was given to someone else. I was so disappointed and sad that I must not have measured up. But, what I learned later was the person who got the job ended up resigning because her boss was so mean and nasty to her that she just couldn’t take the abuse on a daily basis. I was so grateful for so many reasons that I didn’t end up in that position because in the interim, I landed the perfect job for me.
Or, how about my prayers begging God to have my first husband ask me to marry him! I was absolutely certain that he was the best mate for me. Boy, was I wrong and I knew it when the abuse started in less than four months after we tied the knot. However, I did learn a very major lesson and I made myself a promise to never again ask for anything specific but rather only in general terms because I understood that I would never have enough knowledge about what or who was best for me because there would always be hidden information to which I had no access in order to make those big decisions.
What has resulted is beyond belief and hope and expectations. I asked that the perfect man be brought into my life and I have now been married to him for 18 wonderful years. I have been provided with a job that provides for me a living and life that allows me the freedom to have a personal life. And I asked for the opportunity to be able to do something, along with my husband, that would help others and I was given breast cancer. Yes, as a result of the cancer, I started to write and with the help of Kirk, a first website was born and here we are, some 6 ½ years later, spending my personal time doing what I love the most.
I could have made many choices along the way if left to my own devices that would have ruined my ability to reach the place where I am today. There were so many places where I could have derailed the perfect plans if I had insisted on having my own way. But, I never stopped praying to be given the perfect people and opportunities that would give me the perfect life for me. And it sure has worked.
Of course, if you pray for something and are given it then you are quick to be a believer in prayer. That is easy. But, if you don’t get something that you prayed for, despair is not the answer. Know that whatever or whomever it may have been was not in your best interest. There are always many ways to reach an ultimate goal so you must be open to them. And just keep praying and praying and praying because when you achieve the goals that set, you will understand that prayer was the hope and inspiration that kept you going when you had no other reason to keep on trying.
Barbara Jacoby is an award winning blogger that has contributed her writings to multiple online publications that have touched readers worldwide.