For a person to maintain the Divine connection, prayer is essential. Scientists have recently conducted research on the power of prayer and its results on health. Some of the benefits identified by the research are astonishing. The process of praying and continuously repeating a verse are the means of communication with the Divine. Most of our faith is in our own hands. For instance, if I study hard and decide to go to a university and try to become a good physician, I have somewhat affected my faith. There are only certain events in life that are not based on faith. These events are where we are born (i.e., time, location), where and when we die, and also our genetic family coding. For example, if a person is diabetic, his children will have a greater chance of becoming diabetic. These three events are uncontrollable by humans. If someone is born in a certain geographic location, they constantly have to deal with the problems and issues imposed on them in that location. These problems could include natural disasters, as well as social problems. Certain countries are less troublesome than others. When people are born, they adopt their parents’ religion. It is very rare that people change religions, because it requires education and learning about other religions and their teachings.

Continuous prayer or repeatedly reciting a prayer increases concentration by focusing the mind on prayer and God. Focusing attention on reciting a prayer will increase ones ability to concentrate better. If one maintains genuine attention on an action, this will increase the efficiency of the effort and, thus, on the subject matter. If one doesn’t pay attention to the action, then the outcome of one’s effort is inefficient and much slower.

More important than genuine attention to one’s action is the fact that various verses and prayers have their own unique energy. Like different herbs or different material in the universe, they each have their own particular benefits and effects. Various prayers also have their own specific effects and are designed for particular diseases and circumstances.

The best time to pray is at dawn, approximately one and a half hours prior to sunrise. At dawn, prayer is more effective. Since there is less activity; the environment tends to be calmer and quieter; and there is more oxygen in the air. Also, in cities and more congested areas the level of pollution is lower at dawn. One can better concentrate since the surrounding environment is in a state of stillness. This stillness in the environment allows one to improve concentration and absorb more oxygen from the air. One can also benefit from the environmental energy that is surrounding the earth at that time. Generally at dawn the earth's electromagnetic field is at its maximum level.

In a noisy environment the practitioner will have difficulty concentrating. Loss of concentration will cause the practitioner to become less aware of energies that exist in the universe. This lack of concentration reduces ones chance to receive and absorb the divine energy. In general, if one adopts a prayer time after midnight and before dawn, one will gain maximum benefit from the prayer, have better concentration, and take advantage from the amount of oxygen in the air, while absorbing the maximum amount of energy from the universe.

If one just meditates without reciting a prayer, one will only gain half the benefit of the meditation. Different prayers carry various levels of energy. If one is able to see auras while reciting different types of prayers, this means that he or she is able to see the variation of energy that exists in their prayer that manifest as colors. One may also sense the strength of the prayer. This phenomenon can occur whether one is reciting the prayer aloud or quietly in the heart. There are very few people who are able to see the color and energy of their prayers. It takes time to reach the advanced level of being able to see color and sense the energy of a prayer.

All things in the universe are aware of a collective consciousness. Prayer is transmitted as a wave. This wave has a positive influence on the human brain. The positive influence on the brain will let the thoughts settle and allow various organs in the body to function properly. Some people may think that if they cleanse their hearts, increase their virtues, help others, and walk along the righteous path, they are no longer required to perform their daily prayers. However, according to the holy books one must learn from the path that the prophets adopted, since they were the messengers of God. What is common among the prophets of various religions, as we read their life stories, is their constant prayer and contemplation. They performed what they preached and they never ever took a short cut on the instructions that were transmitted to them. Just because someone does good deeds it doesn’t mean that he or she has the right to change the time, duration, and form of the prayers stated in the holy books, or taught by the prophets. Furthermore, if one desires to receive the divine energy and benefit from it, then one must perform the prayers genuinely, without any expectation for reward, on a daily basis.

In any religion continuous prayer and contemplation is the foundation and the basic structure of the faith. If this basic foundation is eliminated, then one cannot gain and sense the full benefit of the religion. One who maintains constant prayer and contemplation will gain a spiritual, mental, and physical benefit from the attention they give to these practices. The physical and environmental benefits are gained from the established instruction for the proper way to contemplate. Following these instructions will allow the person to improve their moral values and do no harm to others and to the environment.

Prayer does not take place in a moral vacuum. We need to reflect on all of our circumstances: how we got where we are and what are the moral implications. For instance:

One must cleanse his or her virtue.
One can’t pray in a place that has been taken away from others by force.

One can’t pray in clothing that has been stolen or taken away from others by force.
The food we eat must be gained and purchased properly and not be taken away from others by force.

If one sells stolen goods and uses the money to purchase clothing, food, and lodging, and still performs prayers, the prayers do not meet the proper requirement and instruction. As a result, the divine energy is not transmitted and gained. It is like a person who plays football, baseball, soccer or any other sports but who also wants to create the rules and regulations selectively. When one doesn’t want to follow the natural laws and order, then how can he expect full benefit from their actions and the divine knowledge and consciousness? When one keeps clean with proper hygiene and attire, eats healthy food that is gained righteously, and doesn’t use abusive and improper language, one will gain a mental and physical benefit. Of course, the benefits of living healthfully, properly, and righteously are more favorable to those who closely follow religious instructions and pray, than those who don’t follow the natural law and order.

When one prays and worships God and asks for help, God will help the person in return. Suppose an individual repeatedly shows up at a wealthy person's household for many days and asks him for help, explaining to the rich person, his life situation, troubles, and needs. The rich person may choose not to help the troubled individual during the first few days. However, if the needy person is persistent, then the chance of getting support from the wealthy person increases. Persistence in a process will bring a greater chance of success. Genuinely maintaining attention to God to obtain his help and assistance is the same process. Of course there is a major difference between getting help from a wealthy person and being helped by God. When God helps, God doesn’t lose anything; God's resources are infinite and eternal. When an institution or a wealthy person gives assistance, eventually there is a loss of resources because they are finite. God's purpose is to help humankind. When one maintains attention to God and starts his work in God’s name, there is more energy in his work.

In the past people were more aware of the divine energy and the power of prayer in their lives. It is written in the books that in the past when there was a drought, people would perform mass prayer for rain. Quite often they were successful in their prayers. Their prayers would activate the divine forces and clouds would start appearing. In our modern life we witness less of these types of phenomena. Our mechanized and busy daily life have taken our time so much that people have forgotten to utilize the divine sources of energy to their advantage.

Many articles have been written recently about the power of prayer in various publications. Health institutes are performing research on the power of prayer and its link to healing diseases like AIDS and cancer. When an individual prays, his prayer has energy. When groups of people maintain a common goal and pray together, their level of energy is more effective than an individual's prayer. There is a great deal of scientific research that is proving the validity and the effective results of prayer.

Faith

There are many regions throughout the world and people in different regions have certain customs and traditions. Some of the diseases people catch are due to following their local customs. For example, in India people drink from the Ganges River, where they also wash their dirty laundry and dirty dishes. But more importantly where the dead are put to lay. These cause an enormous amount of virulent bacteria in the environment. The people who reside there are more exposed to these conditions. This type of life style should be considered unsanitary and negligent because it could bring a devastating effect to faith and life. In many countries if God has not provided certain blessings, he has substituted with other blessings. For example, in Saudi Arabia water is scarce; however, oil is plentiful. If people of the different areas in the world learn how to take advantage of their resources they will have a more comfortable life. In certain countries there are many natural resources, which have not been exploited and the people have not been able to take advantage of the natural resources to benefit themselves. These types of situations affect the faith of people who live in certain countries.

When humans are very stingy or they waste their resources, they directly affect their faith. The Divine does not control these types of actions, which belong only to human kind. Human faith is also affected by virtue. By cleansing the virtue, by purifying the thoughts, and by maintaining attention to God, one will enjoy a more rewarding life. God will open many different channels and reward individuals who maintain good intentions and concentrate on a virtuous life. People's health is in their own hand. If one chooses to stay healthy, he must concentrate on remaining healthy. People who wish to have good health must stop themselves from eating various harmful food products. They must not over eat, not be promiscuous, rise early, exercise, and maintain a good nutritional balance. Not over eating means the stomach must stay on the empty side and should not be over filled. The type of food, which is not good for the health, should be avoided, such as hot spices, excess of spices, alcohol, drugs, fat, and sugars. We must maintain a balanced life by sleeping well, exercising well, eating well, working well, and by thinking good thoughts. It is not good for a person to sleep two hours per day or 10 to 12 hours per day. One must pay attention to a balanced way of life. Moderation is the key to good living.

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