How To Pray So That Your Prayer Is Heard

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How do you pray in such a way so that your prayer is heard? What makes a prayer effective? This blog post discusses how to pray so that your prayers are answered–regardless of whether you’re asking God, the Universe, or beings in the higher realms to respond to your request.

I have found that prayer has worked much more effectively for me not when I ask God (or Jesus, or the Universe) to do things for me, but when I ask for guidance on how to resolve the situation I’m in and I follow through with the guidance I’m given. The kind of praying that we’ve traditionally been taught in religions (such as the ritualistic repetition of someone else’s words, asking God or higher beings to do things for us, to sweep the problems away) does not work much anymore, if at all. Much more is expected of us now than ever before. We’re being encouraged to raise our consciousness and become the masters of our lives. We are supposed to look out for our loved ones. So, prayers for teenage sons or daughters can provide God’s intervention and direction for their betterment.

I am clear that only those prayers that ask for empowerment within the Divine Plan will be answered. (This is one reason why the “Law of Attraction”–as it’s superficially understood–hasn’t been working.) Rather than praying for divine intervention to fix a problem for us, we ask for guidance and insight and understanding into the problem so that we can resolve it.

When we beg mindlessly, we inadvertently block the help we could receive if we included ourselves as active participants in the solution. In other words, only a supernatural prayer asking for empowerment, insight, and understanding can receive answers. This is particularly relevant now, as we’re being challenged to raise our consciousness and view ourselves as co-creators of a new world that benefits everyone. Our own insight, inner awareness, and self-empowerment are the means by which we can save ourselves.

So rather than imploring or repeating the words of others (as if prayers written by others have more power than our own words sincerely spoken), it makes sense to spend more time listening (receiving inner guidance, or God’s input), and then to integrate this guidance into our lives (by making changes that are congruent with it, by following through with the guidance).

The following is an example of a memorable prayer I spoke one night about 13 years ago when my car was stolen. What happened is that my husband’s teenage cousin had borrowed the car to go sightseeing in San Francisco and parked it at a train station in Sunnyvale (ironically one of the lowest crime rate cities of its size in the U.S.). When she returned that evening, the car was gone. The following is an excerpt taken from my book, What Everyone Believed: a memoir of intuition and awakening:

“Right before I went to sleep that third night [after the theft] I was inspired to say a prayer: I thanked God for having given me such a wonderful car; it had been so dependable for so long. I told God that the person who stole my car probably did so because he had met some unfortunate set of circumstances and couldn’t see another option for himself. And if that car wasn’t going to turn up, I asked that it provide for the new owner the same kind of reliability that it had provided me.

That was it; I was done with my prayer. I went over to W. who was working late on the computer, gave him a hug and a kiss, and went to bed feeling serene.

I didn’t know it clearly then, but this is what it means to say a prayer: you speak what is in your heart, you let things go (you become detached to the outcome), you send it off into the Universe (by simply having that intent), and then you allow the prayer to do the rest. (This is especially true in the case when there’s nothing you yourself can do about the outcome, i.e. you can’t just go out on your own looking for your stolen car.)

Around one in the morning the phone rang and I spoke with an investigating officer from the Mountain View Police, who informed me that my car had been found about 2 hours earlier (right around the time of my prayer). I listened as the officer explained that the car thief had asked a couple of unsuspecting youths for assistance in pushing my car to a gas station as it had run out of fuel. Then when a police car turned the corner and headed in their direction, the thief got out of the car in a flash and ran off, leaving the youths standing with my stalled car. Wow, I thought as I put down the receiver.

I suppose I stand corrected on my “problem-free” car–my fuel gauge had been reading inaccurately for some time. But the thief, of course, had no way of knowing this, and neither could he have known just how reliable to me my car really was…”

The interesting details of what happened were not lost on me–the fact that it was stolen in low-crime “Sunnyvale,” and found by the “Mountain View” Police. My car being found soon after I said my prayer. And the fact that what got me my reliable car back was my dysfunctional fuel gauge.

My understanding of prayer has increased since then. The way to pray so that your prayer is heard is to speak your own words from your heart and ask for guidance, listen to the still small voice within you, and muster up the courage to follow through with your guidance when you receive it. Know that you absolutely do need to be proactive about your higher purpose (your unique contribution to the new world) and that the feedback you receive from God / the Universe is what will help prevent you from being discouraged on your path.

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16 Comments

  1. Dulce said:

    Beautiful article! I smiled as I read your prayer. It certainly did come from the heart. It was sweet that you were so compassionate when you mentioned that the person porbably stole your car as a desperate attempt to fill some need. It was even sweeter that you asked that the person get a good use out of your reliable car. I’m glad that your prayer was answered and thank you for sharing this wonderful story. 🙂

    May 2, 2012
    • Christine Hoeflich said:

      Thanks Dulse! Christine

      May 3, 2012
  2. Jenny said:

    I think that your car prayer also included love for the car thief, and trust that the situation was okay for all concerned. To me, that is an important component. I have found when I say prayers like that, great things happen. So, include acceptance and love in prayers (for others AND oneself), is the bottom line. What do you think?

    May 2, 2012
    • Christine Hoeflich said:

      Hi Jenny, when you come from your heart, Love is the underlying foundation. You don’t have to add love or add acceptance, when you come from that sacred space, it’s already there. It’s really simple (but not always easy). Thanks for your comment. Love, Christine

      May 3, 2012
  3. Keri said:

    Love this post Christine!

    May 2, 2012
    • Christine Hoeflich said:

      Thanks Keri! Christine

      May 3, 2012
  4. Nice prayer. And, Christine, I am beginning to read my book. A friend brought it to me in Panama, when she took a trip to the US.

    I really love the honesty in your book, and the way you express yourself, and your unique way of looking at situations.

    By the way, I know Stacey! She was going to promote a workshop I was doing, but she got too busy.

    blessings, Jeannie

    May 2, 2012
    • Christine Hoeflich said:

      Thanks Jeannie! Wow, you know Stacey! Another of my book readers in the Laguna Beach area also knows her. She is wonderful and I miss her. I need to go visit her when I’m down in Southern Cal. Also, it’s great to know someone in Panama has my (physical) book! I know someone in India has a copy, too, also purchased by a friend who was visiting the U.S. Thanks for your comment. Christine

      May 3, 2012
  5. James Harvey said:

    Beautiful Christine, well said and true. We are the co-creators in this energetic universe and just need to learn to speak from our hearts, choose love over fear and actively listen to that inner voice that has no “shoulds” attached to it. thanx for a good and timely post 😉 jH

    May 2, 2012
  6. Prisha said:

    Lovely article..Made my day 🙂

    May 2, 2012
    • Christine Hoeflich said:

      Thank you Prisha, Christine

      May 3, 2012
  7. Les Schmidt said:

    Christine,
    The best directions for an effective prayer I’ve ever encountered. I was raised in a faith-healing church and became turned-off to prayer as it was taught. Being co-creators and asking for wisdom so we can proactively engage in solve problems improve our world makes perfect sense.
    Les

    May 3, 2012
    • Christine Hoeflich said:

      Wow, thanks Les! I do try to reach deep within, as well as use both sides of my brain before I publish my posts. Thanks for commenting. Christine

      May 3, 2012
  8. Kate said:

    Christine, I love this! Absolutely beautiful!!!

    May 3, 2012
  9. Crystal said:

    Excellent Christine ! I have never prayed much in my life, but I intend to give it a go after reading your blog, you have inspired me. Coming from the heart and holding no particular attachment is definitely the key.
    Best regards
    Crystal W.

    May 5, 2012
    • Christine Hoeflich said:

      Thanks Crystal, it’s always good to hear from you! Christine (P.S. I did not pray that much either, but I do have a Catholic background so it was inbred in me and that time certainly got my attention!)

      May 5, 2012

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