4 Myths About Prayer: Pathway to More Meaningful Praying

Myth #1: God Is Up There, I'm Down Here

Myth# 1: Prayers are requests we offer down here to God up there.

God is not “out there somewhere” in the heavens. People in Bible times believed in a three-storied universe with God just above the clouds, his footstool (Ps. 18:9). Today, however, we know the heavens to be infinite. In fact, pondering the infinity of space can leave one wondering not only where God is but also if God is.

Stop thinking of God as “out there.” Instead, think of God as inside yourself. The breath God breathed into the first humans (Gen.2:7) is the life of God in each of us. Stop thinking of yourself as separate from God. You aren’t.

Myth #3: Believe The Most, Get The Most

Myth# 3: Those who believe the most get the most.

There is no proper “belief” to which you must subscribe before God will hear your prayers. Furthermore, there is no minimum amount of faith you must acquire in order to deserve Divine attention. God is not gasoline tank into which you pump the fuel of faith and, after having reached the proper limit, the pistons fire and the answers flow.

Let go of all such thinking. Instead, think of “believing” as “trusting.” Offer your prayers but make “trusting” your practice. Praying to God may take no effort; trusting God will take a lifetime of practice.