Positive Side Effects of Prayer

When I was a little girl, I remember seeing Mama, my grandmother, kneeling by her bed in the morning or at night quietly reciting the Lord's Prayer or giving thanks to God. She set the example and taught me to do the same. For me, head down, eyes closed and hands folded, it began with "Now I lay me down to sleep" at bedtime. As I became an older child, not wanting to leave anyone out, I made it my own by asking God to bless not only my family members one by one but also all the animals and all the people I didn't know and would never know. Prayer has been perhaps the most essential part of my life, and when the going got rough, I headed to that place beside my bed to meet with God. But there are many days when no big decisions are being made or the road doesn't seem hard, and I get into my earthly duties instead, bypassing that special time. Not so good in several ways.

The results of some scientific study are often in the news showing that beyond providing peace and hope, prayer increases life span. That's great, but unscientifically I contend prayer is also good for some of our physical ailments as well. Back problems plague almost every human to some extent. When we kneel, the spine and its attachments stretch and bring gentle sustained exercise to our overworked backs. And when we shut our eyes, they are getting rest from the dust, sunlight, computer screens, general use and are refreshed. After all, each of us is just one organism, all the parts working together, and God who made us knew our needs from the start.