Prayers & Attitude

I thought I would start this week off with a post about prayer and attitude. The following is from the daily e-mails I receive from my Mom titled "Today's Gift."

You've told me I should pray for someone who's been causing me all sorts of problems. But that's not going to change that person, is it?

I've heard various descriptions of how prayer works. Some say God listens, some say our thoughts affect the energy of the universe and create change; some say that we're conditioning ourselves to transform our own attitudes, and that attitudes, good and bad, are contagious. It's a mystery but it does work.

Someone I worked with seemed so disrespectful and unpleasant that I dreaded encounters with her. I began saying a daily prayer for her health and complete happiness. Before gatherings that included her, I prayed that communication between us would be easy and smooth and that each person's highest good in that situation would be realized.. The effects were dramatic. I experienced relief from my fear of facing her and began to see her as a whole human being. I genuinely began to want her well-being. For whatever reason, she stopped turning her back on me and sometimes actually smiled.

I'm not suggesting that we try to manipulate others to behave as we wish. Specific results and timetables aren't in our hands. But I do know that our prayers are always effective in furthering our own and others' processes of healing.

Today, I pray for others, placing them in my Higher Power's hands.

I also thought that posting Charles Swindoll's view of attitudes might be worthwhile. I have this hanging in my cubicle at work to serve as a daily reminder.

Attitude
By Charles Swindoll

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes."

This week, let's make the choice to pray for the people we encounter in our daily lives who are not easy to interact with. Maybe they are having a difficult time or maybe they are just truly unhappy. Prayers really do make a difference. Let us also realize that we are in control of our own attitudes and even if we have a bad day, we can start over the next day with a better attitude.

Now, go and have a great week! Be inspired!