The Power of Prayer

My spiritual journey never ceases to amaze me. Twenty minutes before a meeting to deal with a difficult situation created by a church member, my pastor (P) calls me in tears and asks me to pray with (P). I have led prayers in church that were written or that I prepared. I have also been called on in the past by church members to pray extemporaneously at events when a pastor wasn't available. I was actually called on with little notice to pray at a wedding of a cultural situation I was unfamiliar with. I recently had a friend call me to pray for me and with me on the phone about my cancer and the health issues this person was facing. I was surprised and didn't add to the prayer.

This was most surprising though, to be called by an ordained minister to pray for and with this person on the spot, with no explanation except for what I knew of the situation. I don't remember what I prayed. I realize now I didn't give them space to pray. Before I knew it, I said Amen, and I was probably thanked before the person said goodbye and hung up. I think of the tremendous trust this person put in me to see them in such a vulnerable situation. They were also not afraid to put me on the spot and with no lengthy explanation, they just had the confidence I could do it.

I think it's a bit challenging to talk about prayer in Buddhism because the word is such a western concept and you pretty much have to be praying to something or somebody, typically God. I looked back at these blog posts and also did a fresh Google search on prayer today as I thought about what happened.

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While externally, Buddhism has the trappings and rituals of prayer, the idea is not to petition an external being for assistance in our daily lives. The Buddhas and bodhisattvas are perfect role models, who show the path from where we are now, to full enlightenment. By praying to Buddhas and bodhisattvas, we derive inspiration from them and awaken our own inner capabilities: the limitless compassion, love, and wisdom that we all have the potential for inside of us.

What Is Prayer in Buddhism?

Dr. Alexander Berzin, Matt Lindén

Keep praying: Prayer is reminding us that God is with us - Blog post