Prayer is one of the greatest gifts that we have been given as human beings. We can ask God for anything we need but more importantly we can thank Him for blessings we have already obtained. Many people aren’t sure of what to pray about. Are there some issues that are too trivial to pray about?

I think that there is nothing more important than being good. And I think also that there is a definite connection between being good and being happy. So if something happening will make us happier, even in a small way, then I think it is definitely a subject worthy of prayer. For example, praying for a good night’s sleep is important. So many people struggle with getting enough sleep. If you don’t get enough, the next day becomes a total battle. A person can’t perform the top of their ability if they are struggling to stay awake. So praying that we will get a good night’s sleep seems legitimate. Praying that someone else gets a good night’s sleep is even better. On the other hand, praying with gratitude for the bed that we sleep in might seem too childish or childlike, but I think it is important to pray for comfort and to express gratitude for the comfort that we enjoy. When we are comfortable, we are able to focus on issues of deeper spiritual meaning.

There are many issues that I think would be good to pray about, and I for one am going to start trying to include at least some of them in my own prayers. One would be for people to understand what those who are talking to them are saying, in both directions. Another would be to see ourselves as others see us. Another would be to see what is happening in our lives with a broader, spiritual perspective. We might be really upset about something, or irritated by it, but also step back for a minute to realize that something wonderful has recently happened. We could pray that we will not offend anyone, or be offended. We could pray that we will be calmer about the bad things that happen to us, and more excited about the good.

There are so many different things to pray about. One of the most exciting things about prayer is the level of control that we exercise over it. So much of life is beyond our grasp, because there is only so much we can do within our own individual circumstances. However, prayer opens up a whole new world because we invite ourselves to live life with a Partner who has complete and unlimited control. With God by our side, there is nothing that we cannot pray about. We might not always get the answers we want, but we can be assured that we will be participants in our lives. What is more empowering than that? It won’t matter which party is in power in our country. It won’t matter how people treat us. It won’t matter if our job doesn’t totally fulfill us. The only thing that will matter is that we are partnering with God to make a better life for ourselves. Prayer is one of the greatest gifts we have ever received, will ever receive, could ever hope to receive. We should take as great advantage of it as possible, and pray about things big and small. Having God in the next life say, “Well, you probably didn’t need to pray about that,” seems far preferable than hearing “Why didn’t you pray and ask for help with that?” Or “Why didn’t you think to thank Me for that?” I hope my own prayers become stronger and that I will be a more empowered partner in the journey I’m on.