The Power of Prayer

In addition to intention, prayer is a very powerful tool that connects us with the divine. You'll notice that the 6-Step Intention Prayer Process can be used as a combination of prayer and intentional affirmation.

What makes prayer so powerful?

Let's back up for just a moment. Have you noticed that in many traditional religions, the focus is on surrender to God's will? This can be a very powerful, transformative process, learning how to surrender.

Surrendering to God acknowledges a "something bigger" than ourselves. We can "let go and let God," and not take on the entire burden of the universe on our puny little shoulders.

When we pray to God, it also gives honor and respect to that divine energy that created and sustains us. It reminds us of our source.

Alternatively, New Age/New Thought traditions tend to focus on the individual as creator, as a mini-God of sorts. While these traditions do not necessarily deny the existence of God, they often see people as parts of God or as expressions of God.

Learning how to be a creator in your life can be extremely empowering. Instead of feeling like victims, we feel like we can take control and transcend our circumstances.

So when we do affirmations, we aren't praying but simply "affirming" that we are going to become that which we dream to be. Or we "affirm" that what we want will be provided to us. But the focus is not on an external God, but our own divine power.

So which is right? Should we surrender to God? Or should we act as creators, as if we were God ourselves?

Without answering the full theological question about the true nature of God and our relationship to Him, consider that perhaps the answer is a little bit of both. Perhaps there are times when it is up to us to create, and there are times when we need to surrender.

Creation puts us into a place of personal power. Surrender teaches us humility, patience, and above all, trust.

For those especially who have been turned off of religion, returning to prayer may be a good practice as a way to find the peace of God that may have been missed in the religious trappings.

Try using both prayer and intention in your daily practice, and see what happens.