The Power Of Prayer

Story 1

My then partner and I had been looking for a house to buy for a year. We were stressed from looking for so long with a string of misses and dead-ends. I decided to pray, something I didn’t actively do at the time.

I was desperate but sincere. “Dear God… I’m sorry to ask you for this… it’s probably wrong… please forgive me if it is.. but can you please help us find a house?… we want so badly to put down roots, to build a life… we’re desperate… it would mean so much to us… please, can you help us?… please. Thank you.”

That night at dinner, not big drinkers, we got drunk on wine.

The following morning I awoke at 8:20am. Normally on Sunday mornings I would get up at 8am to watch a 30 minute weekly real estate program that showcased local homes for sale. The homes were always priced well outside our budget, but I love real estate and it got me excited about finding a house.

That morning I wasn’t motivated to watch the show. Why bother? I thought. It’s not like we can afford to buy any of the houses anyhow. After a few minutes, I grudgingly dragged myself out of bed and turned on the show.

My enthusiasm was at an all-time low as I watched the last few minutes of the show. I was getting ready to click off the program when the last house was presented. Quite unexpectedly, it was much, much lower in price. In fact, the house was in our price range. And it was beautiful!

I couldn’t believe it. Never before had the show featured a house in our price range. I called my partner over to see. It seemed too good to be true.

That afternoon we went to the open house. There were a lot of interested buyers. Apparently, they’d seen the house on the show, too. We submitted our bid in what became a tense bidding war. We’d been in this position before. The odds seemed stacked against us, yet for some reason this time I was hopeful.

Later that evening, our real estate agent called us with good news. Out of all the offers, the owners accepted ours. Within a few months, we moved into our beautiful, new home.

Story 2

I’d been paying my rent using my bank’s electronic funds transfer system (EFT). A few days after paying the current month’s rent, my landlord informed me that the payment hadn’t gone through.

After contacting my bank and the EFT company and not getting an explanation for what had happened, nor a resolution, my landlord served me with a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit (move out), citing nonpayment of rent. After three days, if the payment hadn’t been transferred and I didn’t make a second payment by check, my landlord would take steps to evict me.

From what I understand, it’s standard procedure for landlords to serve a notice, in case they have to take action. Usually, they work with tenants to resolve a problem. Still, I thought it was unfair because my landlord had requested that I use the EFT versus writing a check. I felt that, in exchange for doing her a favor, I was being penalized for something that wasn’t my fault.

More days of talking to the bank, the EFT, and my landlord ensued until finally it was the night before the end of the 3 days and no solution was in sight. The payment still hadn’t transferred, and the EFT had provided my landlord with a search procedure that she wasn’t keen on doing. Both my bank and the EFT said I had fulfilled my obligation, providing a receipt. Would the landlord take further action? I had to make a decision. I prayed.

“Dear God, I don’t want to have to face an eviction, but I feel that I have to. I don’t think that what’s happening is right. It’s out of my hands that the money hasn’t transferred yet and I shouldn’t have to pay a second rent. I want to believe that a court would agree with me, if it came to that.”

Suddenly, the fear released from me, replaced by peacefulness, and a wave of calm and presence swept over me. Grace. Surrender. I fell asleep at peace.

In the morning my landlord texted me that the payment came through.

The Grace Prayer

Grace is called upon in a moment of surrender, without our prompting. But grace can also be called upon directly through prayer. Either way, grace releases what needs to be freed.

Victims of trauma and abuse have endured unconscionable suffering. Until they are healed, they will relive the terror of their experiences again and again whenever they are triggered by an aspect of their experience, which can be as subtle as the sound of a person’s voice.

Pray The Grace Prayer over and over, as long as it takes to completely release the pain. As you are praying The Grace Prayer the pain will not grow, it will dissipate until it is gone.

Dear Grace,

Please remove ______.

Thank you

When deciding on what to pray, choose exact words that express what you wish to release. Change the words if you need to until you’ve chosen the exact words that express what you wish to release.

Here are a few examples:

my fear of (name of person)

my fear of (name of person’s) voice

my fear of (name of person) yelling at me

my fear of (name of person) hurting me

my fear of (name of person) bullying me

my fear of (name of person) ________

my fear of being bullied

my fear that i won’t survive

my fear of dying

my fear of / that ________

my fear and belief that i won’t survive

my fear and belief that _________

my belief that ________

choose any words

The Grace Prayer can be used by anyone for anything.