“If you have time to worry about it, you have time to pray about it.”
-Chance the Rapper, via Twitter, January 2017
I can’t argue with that.
When I first read that tweet three years ago, I was going through a series of personal challenges that knocked me down pretty hard. I was also just starting to get into Chance’s music at the time, coincidentally.
Even though my personal beliefs about God, religion and prayer have shifted over the years, that tweet stuck with me.
Here’s the thing: I don’t fully understand how or even if prayer works, but I do believe it is powerful.
I don’t pray so God will hear me. God already knows what I need. I pray because it helps me.
I understand that prayer is a topic close to many people and it has just as many meanings and forms as practitioners. I don’t believe any one method of prayer is right or wrong; it’s a personal thing and everyone has a right to pray however they want.
For me, prayer isn’t about asking for miracles. I don’t think it works that way. Yes, I believe prayer is powerful, but I also believe in the power of hard work and going after the things we want in our lives.
We’ve all been told that we shouldn’t worry about the things we can’t control, but it’s easier said than done. That’s why I pray.
Whether or not it directly changes the outcome is beyond me, but anyone can tell you that worrying does absolutely nothing but steal precious time and energy away from the things you can control.
It’s not the prayer itself that helps me. It’s the act. It’s taking a moment to acknowledge that some things are beyond my control. It’s about letting go and trusting that whatever the outcome, I will be okay. It’s saying, “Hey God, I don’t know what to do. I’m giving this to you because I trust you know what’s best for me.”
You don’t have to believe in magic to pray. You may not even have to believe in God. I’m not here to debate theology. All I’m saying is I think it’s healthy to acknowledge that some things are beyond our control, and whether prayer, meditation, exercise or something else helps us cope with things beyond our control, let it be. We don’t have to fully understand something to believe in it.
There are a lot of things that help me deal with my own anxiety and prayer is only one part, but it’s an important part. Just a few quiet moments can bring me so much peace, and reminds me that worrying is a waste of time.
Even if worry and prayer are both completely ineffective, we might as well pick the one that makes us feel better and allows us to live more fully in the present moment, the only thing we have some semblance of control over.
Good read! O by the way you are a prayer answered. I prayed to have a daughter after I had my son and the Lord granted me my request. 🙂