AROHI BHIMAJIANI shares her experience of the power of prayer, and how it has helped her navigate the difficult periods in her life. She is also teaching the practice to her daughter.
Have you ever wondered if our prayers work? Have you ever wondered how they work?
I have witnessed my prayers come to life in the most fascinating ways. And it has simply left me in awe of the mechanisms of the universe.
I once experienced a severe falling out with my immediate family. The experience shattered every notion of love and unbreakable bonds I held deep within. It had me breaking down numerous times during the day, bringing me to my knees, praying tearfully.
I remember going about my days on autopilot with a constant sense of loss, pain, and misery. The world took on a permanent gray sheen. My anxiety manifested itself in the form of asthma. As I gasped for breath, I came to the conclusion that most physical ailments are rooted in psychological trauma.
There was one thing that kept me alive in those days, that helped me wake up and get through the day: my prayers.
I prayed with every fiber of my being. I prayed with an intensity that must have rocked the heavens. Every word crystal clear. I simply begged the universe to set things right. To help me recreate bonds of love stronger than before. I prayed with complete surrender and faith.
Slowly and steadily, over time, my relations improved. With equal efforts from all ends, frayed ties were lovingly mended. Deeper and firmer connections were established. The world took on its beautiful colors again.
I have attempted the same with my little girl. Every time she is faced with a challenge, or when circumstances look woeful, I nudge her to pray. She came to me crying the other day, because some kids were bullying her in school. They would mess up her table during the break and not clean up afterward. Complaining to the teacher hadn’t helped.
I asked her to pray, to ask the universe for strength to deal with the situation. After she had earnestly done so, I guided her to change her tone to being confident instead of complaining, and insist the children clean up.
It helped. The incident never repeated itself. I noticed how praying made her feel like she had gained a superpower to deal with an unpleasant situation or person. It transformed her from a meek, complaining child to an assertive one.
I have witnessed this miracle occurring innumerable times in the last 30 years of my life. And yet there is so much more to the miracle than meets the eye.
I realize that my prayers have manifested when:
- I wished with the purest intention, from the deepest recesses of my heart.
- I worked toward making the wish come true even though the odds seemed against me.
- There was no sense of time or shape attached.
- There was complete faith that it would come true.
Just praying and sitting back never helped. I had to show the universe that I was utterly serious about my intentions – that I worked hard for them, even though it looked like an unsurmountable mountain.
An astonishing discovery was that sometimes these wishes manifested in unexpected forms. Like when heartache leaves one desolate and one prays to feel whole again, love walks in with violins and roses from unexpected yet even more fulfilling people.
Prayer is one of the most powerful tools to attain stability and confidence. I do it with fervor. I put my entire heart into it. And I do it with complete faith that someone is carefully listening to every word I say. It is my solace and my happy place. It is a cup of tea, a warm blanket, a tight hug, and a blessing hand, all rolled into one. I hope every person out there is bestowed with its benevolence.
May we find the rhythm
Of the soul song with the winds.
May our prayers reverberate
And rise magnificently
to heaven’s gate.
Prayer is one of the most powerful tools
to attain stability and
confidence.
I do it with fervor. I put my entire heart into it.
And I do it with complete faith
that someone is
carefully listening to every word I say.
Arohi Bhimajiani
