How to pray: a beginner’s guide for connecting with God and the Universe

Discovering the power of prayer and how to pray is all about developing a relationship with God and the Universe itself.

Relationships are built on moments of connection. Those moments of connection bond you to another person, and many of them center on communication — the words you say and the way you say them.

Let’s answer some of the fundamental questions about how to pray…

How do you connect with God or the universe?

To pray is to make our hearts ready to experience the love of God, of the Universe, of your Higher Self. It can involve praise, adoration, thanksgiving, petition, repentance, and intercession.

People often say that prayer is just talking to God as you would to anyone else. It’s true that a relationship with God contains many of the same ingredients as our other relationships. But there is at least one unique factor: we can’t rely on the senses of sight, sound, or touch to connect with God.

Let us get an idea of the practical issues…

What position should I be in to pray?

There is no right or wrong way to pray, or one position of a prayer that is better than another. You can bow, kneel, stand, or walk around when you pray. God will hear you whatever you do, so choose a position that helps you focus.

Kneeling, or bowing your head, is a wonderful way to focus your body and your mind on God. It’s also a way to show how much you respect His authority. The only thing that we, as believers must do is humble ourselves before the Universe, the Divine, the Lord, the Light Beings, and acknowledge the magnificence in our lives. And pray without ceasing…

What should I say?

Start by addressing God directly in a way that acknowledges the uniqueness of who He is. People will say things like, “Father God”, “Heavenly Father” or “Almighty God”. How you choose to address Him will remind you and anyone you might be praying with about who you are talking to and what He represents in your life.

Praise, ask for forgiveness, confess, pray for blessings, thank and in general open your heart and hand over your truth.

Do I pray to God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?

This is completely up to you. Choose one or try praying to each member of the Trinity at different times, because they are all listening to you. Prayer to one member of the Trinity is prayer to all.

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is the presence of God living within you. Religions are like languages: an evolutionary adaptation primarily for keeping groups and tribes together.

Most religions attempt to understand the divine: some of them get closer than others and in this sense we can say that all religions lead to God through their own form of prayers.

When and where do I pray?

Your prayers shall be heard no matter when or where you are praying. On a surfboard, in a meeting, during a test, on a hillside, or before a meal. The point is that it does not really matter where your physical body is during prayer, nor what time you feel the need to or have allocated to prayer but more about where your heart is when you pray.

Whenever and wherever you feel the need to connect to God, to feel the embrace and guidance of His Light then that is when you should pray. You do not have to wait for the perfect time, nor the perfect place, nor the perfect you.

What should I pray for?

Prayer can help us focus on our lives, others that surround us, or critical issues that we are dealing with.

What each person prays for is endless and inspirational as we all usually pray for our loved ones, ourselves, or for anyone who may be struggling.

• Pray for wisdom, discernment and understanding in all areas of your life…
• Pray for the ability to forgive not only others, but also yourself…
• Pray that you will be given opportunities to serve and help others in need…
• Pray for faith to move mountains and hope for a better tomorrow…
• Pray that you will always be guided by the Holy Spirit…
• Pray, just simply pray…

How to pray with a journal?

Dawson Trotman’s words beautifully capture why journaling is a vital part of so many people’s spiritual journeys:

Some of us are verbal processors and praying aloud enables us to clearly communicate with God. Others of us find that as we write out our prayers, our thoughts become clearer.

Journaling evokes mindfulness and helps one remain present while keeping perspective. It presents an opportunity for emotional catharsis and helps the brain regulate emotions.

A stream of consciousness shall begin to flow when you put pen to paper. Your thoughts and emotions will just flow, don’t hold back , go with the flow.

Bring the benefits of prayer to you and your loved ones. You can begin anytime with my list of prayers that I have composed and curated with love especially for all of you. Just remember: the best time to begin is… now!

May you be Love, May you be Light, May you be Aligned…

KC The Greek Shaman