Day 12: Prayer and Meditation

French philosopher Blaise Pascal famously stated, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  Now, I’m not sure if I’m willing to co-sign Pascal’s theory 100% like he has a bad FICO and credit report, but I do believe he’s on to something. Spending quality time with God has a way of putting the pieces of life’s puzzles together. A quiet mind is the foundation of inner peace, and inner peace translates to outer peace. Therefore, if meditation is listening then I truly need to do a lot of it and perhaps you do as well. If we are busy complaining, we’re not listening. If we are busy thinking why not me, we’re not listening. If we are busy being negative, we’re not listening. Meditation allows us to stop and listen to what we need to hear in order to make the best decisions in our life. It can be used as a daily healing ritual that calms the body, stills the mind and ushers in the Holy Spirit. When we meditate, we are taking time out of our distractions, fears, prejudices and other stresses by creating a quiet space that promotes calmness, energy, peace and a strong sense of rejuvenation. In this place of peace, many folks are first introduced to their spirituality or simply reconnect to their original spirit that somehow got lost along the way.

   Unfortunately, many of us believe we don’t have time to do many of the important things we know we should. Time is really all we have. It’s best to endeavor to set aside quiet time; it is here that you will come to know yourself and God. Prayer and meditation are excellent methods of accomplishing these things. Pray about each task you take on, and resist taking on those tasks you have no time to pray over.

   Prayer is the act of actively seeking contact with God. But how does it work? On Day 12 we’ll examine the mechanics or prayer and meditation like you’ve never seen before.

About the Author: James Hackley is an author, inspirational speaker, and a philanthropist who earned a B.S. degree in Physics from Longwood College and an M.S. degree in Engineering from the University of Virginia.  He's the founder of Omega Consulting Enterprises, chaplain of a local chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, and faithfully attends Holy & Whole Life Changing Ministries International in Lansdowne, Va. His latest book, Body, Mind & Spirit: The Awakening can be purchased by visiting him at www.jameshackley.com , www.Amazon.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com.