Whatever one’s faith or religion, prayer has the power to change our state of mind from anxiety and preoccupation to a state of calm.
However prayer by itself cannot provide a lasting peace of mind. For example, prayer by itself cannot ensure forgiveness. Often repentance is a necessary step to reach forgiveness and an enduring peace of mind.
The long term purpose of prayer is to bring about a lasting change in the way we deal with our life, but peace of mind requires more.
Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, said “life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them — that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
My football coach used to say, “Go with the flow,” although I’m sure he wasn’t a student of Lao Tzu.
The Jewish prescription for peace of mind consists of three words: teshuvah, tefilah, and tzedakah — reconciling oneself with one’s Maker, engaging in prayer, and performing good deeds.
Whatever one’s faith or religion there is a prescription for the state called peace of mind. Some involve going inward, some involve being proactive, but prayer is a component in all of them.
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