THE SCIENCE OF ANSWERED PRAYERS

I remember how in uni, someone I'd considered a friend and run an errand for turned around to disrespect and even verbally insult me on top of that. Needless to say, she was never a friend as I'd been the one always sticking around to make our caricature of a friendship work when I simply should have settled for acquaintanceship.

I remember crying so hard in my room that day because it hurt me badly that I couldn't retaliate. Well, I could, but the Holy Spirit had the upper hand and wouldn't let me give her a good dose of my pettiness and sharp tongue. Aswear, the thing really pained me and I literally told God in prayer "I'm only holding back because of you. Please help me get over this anger and hurt."

Surprisingly, I handled that situation so well that I didn't even tell any of our mutual friends about it and I simply moved on from her, thus ending the 5-year friendship. (She came back a year later to apologise and I forgave, but that's beside the point).

Recently too, I found myself praying for someone whose comment to me had reeked of spite. They probably don't realise it and maybe they didn't even mean it that way, but it embarrassed me all the same. Hei God. Knowing my proclivity for blowing seemingly insignificant events out of proportion in my head, I quickly replaced the awkward feelings in my heart with prayers for them. Yes o, before the devil plants bitterness in my heart towards someone I've always admired.

To be clear, I'm not a prayer machine, and I even struggle to drag myself out of bed to join my family for morning devotion (I'm so not a morning person). But anyone that knows me closely enough knows my attitude towards prayer. I pray about the randomest stuff and now I have friends that won't stop teasing me about some of the "ridiculous" things I pray about, like my sexual urge.

But joking aside, I'll share here what I once told a friend about prayer:

Praying might not change your situation as dramatically as you expect, but it changes you. It changes the state of your heart and brings you peace amidst the turbulence you experience. With this peace, you are able to handle situations with more circumspection and greater clarity, making you less prone to mistakes. With this peace, your heart becomes fertile for positive thinking and its equally positive yields. Prayer changes your orientation. It moves you from a position of helplessness and victimhood to that of proactiveness and problem solving.

Most times, you are the answer to your own prayer, and your miracle begins with a change in your orientation. You deserve peace and clarity. Go ahead and pray. 

I love you. ❤❤