This Step-by-Step Guide on how to Pray for Beginners will show you the foundation or prayers and its powers.
Prayer is a sacred communion with the Divine. It doesn’t matter if you believe in God or any other deity. Furthermore, it doesn’t even need to be a deity but the acceptance or acknowledgment of a higher power (omnipresent = all-present) that created all things. This can also include that you believe in the universe, life force, or any other spiritual force that is responsible for life here on earth.
If we allow to remove the religious dogma and its ideas of what “God” or the “Creative Force” is or should look like. It will be easier to surrender to a higher power. Prayer doesn’t require you to be religious at all.
The six principles of "How to Pray"
1. Acceptance of an overall creative force
2. The right place
3. The right mindset
4. The right intention
5. Spiritual Practice and Repetition
6. Let go allow and trust
1. Acceptance of an overall creative force
The first step in how to pray is, that you become aware of what you believe in. This is not based on a religious belief. However, you will need to be open that there is more than the eyes can see. Therefore, accepting or believing that there is something greater than yourself is an important first step. To know that there is an overall creative force that moves through all that is. This force can bring healing and support, but also transforms and brings things to an end. A fundamental principle of the endless cycle of life.
2. The right place
Places of worship and prayer can be found all over the world. If you are religious you might feel more drawn to certain places such as churches (Christianity/ Judaism), temples (Buddhist/Hinduism/Taoism), and mosques (Islam).
Additionally, there are powerful places for religious worship that are not inside, we can see pagans, Wiccans, indigenous people, and shamans who pray outside. Nature is their place to worship. You can choose any place that resonates with you, even the comfort of your very own home.
Places of regular worship are more likely to have been built on energetic important sites. Many of them are associated with Leyline crossings or other important energetic patterns. In ancient times people were much more in tune with nature and made sure that their place of worship would correspond with a specific energetic field of the earth.
In our modern times this is more about accessibility I guess. The build-up energy that is created by humans who worship there is also important and powerful. For example, if you visit a temple that is hundreds of years old and people have come here to pray for a long time, this energy will have built up and you can feel it. The repetitive prayer of thousands of people over all these years created a very strong energetic field that you can tap into.
Maybe you feel more drawn to a nice place in nature, like a forest or near the sea. Certainly, the energy of the elements in those places will support you too. Just see what you resonate with the most and don’t be tied down to just one place.
Why not try it out and visit different places and see how you feel?
When I work with clients from all over the world in my Remote Shamanic Healing Sessions, I do so in my sacred space at home. Over the years, have charged this place with powerful energy and it offers me a safe place to work. It is filled with sacred objects that I use in my Shamanic Healing Sessions and has a very specific atmosphere.
3. The right mindset
Most prayers take place when people experience a crisis or challenging circumstances. These are the times when people need some help that goes beyond ourselves. Especially when we are faced with our vulnerability and helplessness. Those a moments when we realise that we are not in control after all we more easily surrender to what is.
Experiencing our limitations can be a very scary thing. For example, when we lose a loved one the pain becomes unbearable. Other times we may be faced with health challenges or other difficulties that seem too big to overcome. This is the moment that offers the opportunity to open up to a world beyond our normal senses.
This openness or state of surrender is the mindset that will allow you to access the true power or prayer. Furthermore, it will allow helpers, guides, and the universal life force to enter your life.
Sometimes we pray for others who we want to know safe and protected in this case we can also call upon those energies from another plane of existence.
4. Intention & Request
The reason for your prayer will determine what you want to happen. You might pray for yourself because you experience a crisis and don’t know what to do. In this case, you are looking for direction or answers.
When you pray for someone else so they are well or safe, your intention will be their safety. Praying is not wishful thinking, rightly done it is much more powerful than that. Of course, prayer gives hope and that is mostly important but secondly, they are Intentions.
Rather than wishing you would get healthy or happy, you can make a statement. “I am going to be healthy”, and “I will find an answer” this is your intention. After that, you ask “God” “Guides & Helpers, “Angels” or “the Universe” for guidance, to show you the way.
“Show me how I can heal.”, “Tell me where to go”.
If you ask for someone to be safe or well you could say things like: “Let them be safe!”, “May you show them the right way”, and “Please give them the help they need!”.
By doing this you state clearly that you give the responsibility to the higher power to solve this problem because its greater than you are.
5. Spiritual practice and repetition
Prayer works through intention and trust in the universe or a higher power. Not necessarily you will need to repeat it daily to increase its powers. However, if you have a regular spiritual practice you will strengthen your sacred communion. This is important because it builds up more energy. After all, prayer can be easily blocked by your doubts, worries, reluctance etc.
When you first start praying you might feel awkward or think that it doesn’t work anyway. That is okay because no one showed you how to pray before.
Maybe you are new to spirituality and just exploring what is there. If you practice yoga you know how hard it is at the beginning and you think you will never get there. Suddenly after a few tries you enjoy it and see all its benefits. The release of tension in your muscles, the easing of stress on your mental body, and how it makes you feel whole emotionally.
Prayer is the same, it does ease the pressure that you need to do it all by yourself. It helps you to let go of the need to be in control of everything. It allows you to communicate with something bigger than yourself.
6. Let go and Let God
If you just starting and learning how to pray this is probably the hardest part of all. To let go and let God or the Universe do it. The not Not knowing what the outcome will be of your prayer is a huge step into unknown territory.
Anyhow you will be asked to trust the process. At this moment in time, you will not know how things will work or change. Holding the trust in your heart is all you can do. Prayer can help you to get closer to these spiritual truths and will offer acceptance and comfort during difficult times.
Surrendering to a higher power will help you tt out of your own way of thinking. It allows you to experience a new reality that is limited by your own mind.
Trust me on this – give it a go and start with your sacred communion with the universe. Suddenly there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Help will find its way into your life.
In my work Shamanic Healing work, I make use of sacred prayers, mantras, and chants that were passed on to me by my teacher. It is a powerful practice and allows me to call upon spiritual helpers and guides from other realms. It took me many years to learn how to pray and to build trust in my divine communion.
Be patient with yourself and don’t lose faith.
