Guest Articles >> Religion

11 Amazing Emotional and Psychological Effects of Prayer

In prayer we connect ourselves to God and seek for a deeper and more meaningful purpose of our life. Prayer is always related with self-reflection and introspection, because in order to find God, we first need to discover who we are and what our true nature is. That's the internal aspect of prayer. And, because our true nature in its essence is Divine, prayer, if done right, also means connecting with the entire God's creation. That's the external aspect of prayer.

Prayer performed the right way brings a number of beneficial emotional and mental effect. These effect are primarily seen in people who use positive religious techniques like acceptance of their life purpose and God's plan. This, as a rule, translates into acceptance of our current life circumstances, no matter how grave or difficult they seem to be.

In contrast, people who connect prayer and religion with God's punishment and guilt, for example because of their sins or wrongdoings from the past, are less likely to reap the psychological and emotional benefits of prayer.

Here are some of the aforementioned positive effects:

1. Prayer brings optimism, hope, and a range of positive feelings. All of these positive emotions come from the inner realization that the life you live has a deeper and broader meaning than what your superficial mind can grasp. On top of that, you will get a sense of security from being connected to a depth in your life.
   
   Prayer for the Power of Optimism, Hope & Joy

   Dear Father, help me to choose to live a life devoted to you, trusting you to protect me and alert to the blessings you bring each day into my life...

   If you need to emphasize the qualities of optimism in your life, read the entire prayer here.

2. Prayer helps you show gratitude for all the wonderful people you are surrounded with. It also makes you grateful for all the good and positive things that come to your life. If you can reflect truthfully in your prayer, you will see that there are always more things to be grateful about than things that you should complain about. If you are overwhelmed by God's kindness, you should offer up a prayer of gratitude to God.
   
   A Prayer of Gratitude

   Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could ever have imagined.

   Check out the entire prayer here.

3. Prayer makes you less vulnerable to stress and offsets the negative health effects related to everyday stress, including stress in the workspace. This is true only for prayers that are less self-centered and more oriented toward the well-being of other people around you.
   
   Prayers to Help With Anxiety or Stress

   In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters...

   If you need to make yourself less vulnerable to stress check out the entire set of prayers here.

4. Much like meditation, prayer can and should calm your mind, so you can have a greater control over your impulsive actions. Prayer gives you time to reflect and stop yourself from making harmful decisions.
   
   A Prayer for Peace of Mind

   Almighty God, We bless you for our lives, we give you praise for your abundant mercy and grace we receive. We thank you for your faithfulness even though we are not that faithful to you...

   See the entire prayer here.

5. This is my favorite. Prayer changes your personality and makes you a nicer person. If you think this is a strong statement, you are right. Surely, such transformation won't happen over night. But if you are consistent, and make a habit out of it, in time, you will reduce the amount of negative emotions toward the outside world. You will upgrade your personality into a better version of yourself.
   
   Prayer For Personal Transformation

   Dear God, It is fruitless to rail against the world. The world I inhabit is a reflection of my own self, for macrocosm always mirrors macrocosm.

   Read the entire prayer here.

6. Prayer can be of great help if you want to increase focus and concentration. In this respect, prayer is just as efficient as meditation. By dedicating a time for being closer to God, you can train your brain to focus on the present moment. While praying you can learn how to detach yourself from the constant chatter of thoughts and feelings, and regroup your energy. Then, you can start using it much better and for the right purpose.
   
   Prayer to focus

   What is really important? God, help me to focus on what is really important. Help me to focus on what will give life.

   Check out the entire prayer here.

7. Prayer can help you build or increase trust. If you pray together with a friend, you naturally increase the feelings of trust and unity. It can be a way to build relationships and bring people closer to one another.
   
   Prayer For Trust And Love

   O Lord, we ask for a boundless confidence and trust in Your divine mercy, and the courage to accept the crosses and sufferings which bring immense goodness to our souls and that of Your Church.

   Check the rest of this prayer here.

8. Prayer can help you improve your self-control. If you pray regularly, you will keep your mental energy at a higher level and you will be less likely to feel mentally exhausted. Prayer helps resist various temptations, like overeating, using harmful substances, or abusing alcohol.
   
   Prayer for Self-Control

   Please help me to secure my mind; to protect it from being polluted by the evil of nowadays. Help me, Lord, to recognize the power of my mind and to use it to make the world a better place.

   Check out this prayer here.

9. Prayer can reduce irrational fears and anxiety. In prayer you reestablish the long forgotten connection with the Divine worlds. You realize that your essence is Divine, eternal, and ever blissful. This realization brings freedom from any type of fear or anxiety. You know what you truly are. You know that you are protected and loved. Love instantly negates any type of fear.
   
   Prayer for overcoming fear

   ...Yet I hold onto your truth. You have told us not to fear, for you have overcome the world. So I cling to you, I trust in your promises, that you will never fail me, never forsake me...

   Read the entire prayer here.

10. Prayer can be one of the ways to increase your creativity. God is the source of all and every ingenious or creative idea. Therefore, there is no better way to increase your creative way of problem solving than prayer.
    
    Prayer for Creative Work

    ...O most Glorious and Blessed God, I present myself and this work into Your hands. Do with it as You will. Guide my thoughts. Hold my hands, that You alone are writing (painting, carving) through me, producing whatever You wish me to say.

    Read the entire prayer here.

11. Prayer brings confidence and self-affirmation. By definition prayer means repeating positive, inspiring, thankful, and lifting sentences. Even if there is no direct response from above, by virtue of repeating these phrases you are bringing self-assurance and self-affirmation. At the same time you are keeping the negative, unwanted thoughts at bay.
    
    Self-acceptance Affirmation/Prayer

    ...If God loves me enough to create me and give me life, then I can love an respect myself no less. Therefore, I no longer believe in unworthiness, limitation and shame. I no longer believe that I am undeserving of the best life has to offer. I deserve and accept all the good things in life - for myself and everyone else in my world...

    Check out this prayer here.

I hope that you are getting at leas some of the benefits described above from your prayers. And if your prayers don't bring many benefits, maybe it's time to revisit the way you are conducting your prayers, and correct it if necessary. Here are some additional tips how to improve your prayer life. God bless!

Disclaimer:

The above guest post is published based on the premise that it will be helpful and informative. The opinions made within it are those of the author and not of sunnyray.org. The links you may find within this post do not necessarily imply our recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them.

Your Comment: