Prayers that Changed My Life

I am a firm believer that PRAYER changes lives.

I was in high school when I first heard the term “P.U.S.H.” or Pray Until Something Happens. And a few years after, I really profoundly understood that God doesn’t always give us what we want, but He gives us what we need… And I was about 25 years old when I really became serious about my faith journey, and learned that God has the most perfect timing, and that His work never stops—even at times when we think there’s nothing happening with our prayers.

Prayer has become such an important part of my life (and thankfully, my husband’s, too) that even on the day of our wedding, Warren and I insisted on saying a short prayer before we went to church. Like any other wedding, we encountered a few bumps on the road, the biggest one happening the night before. By the time we were both dressed, and our families were with us, preparing to leave the hotel, it finally sunk in that this wedding, our dream wedding, was really happening. Luckily our friends found us a corner by the elevator where we can say our thanksgiving prayer (without seeing each other), and offer the day to The One who made it all possible.

Prayer

 

So to start the week right, I am sharing with you 3 prayers that changed my life. 🙂

 

1-   The Salvation Prayer

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus.

I confess that You are my Lord and Savior. I know and believe that You died on the cross for me, and rose again three days later.

Thank you for saving me, for healing me, and for making my life brand new at this very moment.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Salvation Prayer

I first prayed this as I was renewing my commitment to my relationship with God. Whenever I am in need of strength, or whenever I feel down and not-so-special, I pray this again. And again. And again. Somehow whenever I pray the Salvation Prayer, it speaks to me differently. Like the meaning of what God does in my life deepens and deepens each time.  I think this is how I know that I am truly growing in the Lord.

 

2-   Novena to God’s Love

Today, I receive all of God’s Love for me.

Today, I open myself to the unbounded, limitless, overflowing abundance of God’s Universe.

Today, I open myself to Your blessings, healing and miracles.

Today, I open myself to God’s Word so that I become more like Jesus everyday.

Today, I proclaim that I am God’s beloved, I am God’s servant, I am God’s powerful Champion. And because I am blessed, I am blessing the world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

janinapaula.com

I started prayer the Feast Makati in 2013. And have prayed this novena everyday since. Its powerful declarations slowly became a big part of how I perceive things, and I know that it has helped me see a lot of small miracles in the mundane. Having a grateful heart has really changed my life.

 

3-   Silence

Do you ever have days when you feel like you don’t know what to say when you pray? Happens to me, too. Yes, lots of times I feel that words just escape me, and I just pray in utter silence. Clearing my mind with all those clutter of thoughts is really, really hard, but with practice, thankfully, I am able to do it. I think this is also the time when God is really reaching out to me with a message.

janinapaula.com

My Warren quietly praying while they were lining up the entourage. Photo by: Gino Mirasol

 

At the end of the day, the only thing that makes a prayer real and worthy is in you—your heart. Quoting the great Mahatma Gandhi, “In prayer it is better to have heart without words, than words without a heart.” 

Have a great week, everyone! 🙂

Add Comment

Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published.

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>