The Act of Prayer

I have already mentioned about praying for those whom I had ill-feelings. This brings on an interesting view on what prayer actually is, and whether it is effective or not. You see, my father was a devout Catholic, he would go to mass, say all his prayers in his native language (Polish) and was among several enthusiastic Catholics to try to get a glimpse of Pope John II in Chicago in or around 1982. Yet, during the time of the mass he would criticize those who did not kneel, those who did not put any money in the basket, those who did not bless themselves when entering the Church. It seems to me he pretty much went to social events and followed formulas, rather than really feel the words he pronounced during "Our Father" or "Hail Mary". God sees not the length of your prayers, or what verbosity you come up with. A prayer is meaningful to God if you do it with your entire being, not only through your lips. No need to read a prayer out of a book, even a very good one. If you are shallow, your words are also shallow until the meaning hits you like a lightning bolt someday, and then that adds some humbleness to your attitude.

Praying for others with heartfelt devotion will attract compassionate spirits who share your inner intention. Together you can have a positive influence on the person(s) you are praying for. All of us have our free will, but many times these prayers and the influence of good spirits, permitted by God, may induce them to rethink their lives or decisions. Ultimately, free will wins over and it is the person's responsibility if consequences are not what they had aimed for. An example is a mother who did all there was in her power to raise her child as a good man. The child grows and associates himself with the wrong group. She prays daily with all her heart that he finds his way back to righteousness. In situations like this, the son is already psychologically and physically impaired due to addictions, vices and abuse, and very likely is now obsessed by vampires (lowly spirits, inhabitants of the Portal, who extract energy from the less enlightened). If this is the case, a lucid moment and repentance may be the beginning of recovery, along with the Earthly detox treatments allied with spirituality. The good spirits who are in the service of helping suggest to these people good thoughts and aid by granting them the strength they need. Other times it is almost or definitely too late, and physical death occurs prematurely, an act seen in the spiritual world as unintentional suicide. Suicide, nonetheless. The spiritual world will not interfere in your free will unless you are open for them (this goes both ways, for the good and the bad), and are open more to the light then lip-service.

Another thing I realized as I grew up in the Catholic Church (and this is only an example, many other denominations do the same), is the exchange rate some believe to exist between themselves and God. I will pray one hundred Our Fathers if I get that job, or I will pray the rosary while walking on my knees from my house to the Church if you cure my child's illness. God is not a merchant, so you will receive your lot as it is seen fit, and you will reach grace depending on your deserving it:

663. As we pray for ourselves, can we prevent our trials from taking place or change their nature?

"Your experiences are part of a general plan, and there are some trials you are better off going through. In all cases, the courage you display while undergoing your troubles does not go unnoticed. With prayer, you gather strength from the good spirits who come to you. You can also develop a more positive outlook towards your problems. Unaffected prayer is never useless; the very comfort it provides is a benefit itself. The saying 'Heaven helps those who help themselves' could not be truer. Technically, God has instruments to intervene in your favor. Consider, however, that what appears to be a tragedy from the perspective of physical realm may be a blessing in the context of general order of the universe. Besides, many of your sorrows are self-inflicted; they could be a result of your own shortsightedness. Nonetheless, your requests are granted more frequently than you suppose. When a solution is not produced right away, you are often too quick to discount the value of prayer, but help usually comes so naturally that it seems to be the result of the ordinary course of things. What is even more common is for Providence to suggest to your mind a better way to deal with your difficulties." (Spirits' Book)

So, many times that great idea you came up with, or the help from unexpected sources are not really because of your intelligent nature or lucky strike. It is the universe conspiring in your favor, the Divine giving to you the means of solving your problems.