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In our modern age, despite rapid advancements in technology and conveniences to our daily lives, many people have felt more isolated from society, communities, and lost a sense of connection. Life has become more challenging than ever, and modern people have lost touch with timeless practices such as prayer.

As human beings, when we are at a loss in how to deal with challenging situations, often with the feeling of hopelessness and fear in not knowing what to do, it is in our human nature to resort to prayer to seek for help. In the article The Science of Prayer by Elizabeth Bernstein, it states that, “Prayer can also foster a sense of connection — with a higher power, your environment and other people.”

Master Ryuho Okawa teaches extensively on the practice and true power of prayer. He explains that prayer should not only be the last resort for human beings in times of difficulties, it should also be the first. He said:

“When you are lost, when you feel crushed, or when you feel acute pain of facing your limitations in this physical life, please pray. Prayer is the very first and the very last means that has been given to you.”

1. What is Prayer?

So, what is prayer? And how do we use prayer in our life, especially in times of need? What is the real purpose and power of prayer?

In Happy Science, prayer is an integral aspect of our spiritual life and living that we practice on a daily basis — usually we practice prayer in the morning and also the evening, but prayer can actually be practiced at any time in a suitable environment. Happy Science teaches the fundamental reason for prayer, how to practice prayer that will reach the higher dimensions of the Spirit World—to Heaven, what the contents of our prayer should consist of, and the true power of prayer.

Master Ryuho Okawa explains prayer as:

“To pray means to conduct ourselves correctly before God and express our wishes.”

Prayer is a means for human beings to connect to a higher source—with God, and to express our concerns, our hopes and wishes for life. By learning how to pray, we can connect with Heaven, where spiritual light exists, and to God—He is our ideal, and has the power to guide us to solve any problems we may face in life.

2. Using Prayer in Your Life and in Times of Need

During our times of need, especially difficult times such as the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to remember that we have the power of prayer to resort to in our lives. In the article The Science of Prayer by Elizabeth Bernstein, it states, “a Pew Research Center survey in March found that more than half of Americans had prayed to end the spread of the coronavirus.” Prayer, practiced in the right way, can truly make the impossible possible. As an example from Happy Science, in March 2020, when the coronavirus was rapidly spreading in London, UK, the sister of a member of Happy Science suddenly fell ill with symptoms of the virus. The member resorted to prayer at his local Happy Science temple for immediate support.

News of his ill sister spread throughout the world, and members as far as Japan prayed for her quick recovery. The next day, her condition recovered… and now she is back to full health again. You can watch the full video testimony here. How is this possible through the power of prayer? Master Okawa explains this as follows:

“Prayer enables the thoughts of many to focus on one specific goal, and to realize grand achievements that would be impossible for one person alone. This is the true nature of prayer.”

3. The Real Purpose and Power of Prayer

The real purpose of prayer is to connect to God and receive His light and energy so that we can use this for our life in this world, for our happiness and to share that with others. Many people who have practiced prayer with the guidance from Happy Science have experienced miracles such as healings from terminal illnesses, restoring broken relationships, and overcoming business bankruptcy to attain success and wealth. Prayer truly has the power to change your life and to change the world.

“Once the power of prayer is truly being made use of, the world will begin to change.”

So, we hope that you learned some of the important basic fundamentals about prayer in this article which is the first part of a three part series. In the next part, you can further explore the power of prayer as taught in Happy Science and learn about the ideal kind of mindset to have for prayer, how to calm your heart and mind and to understand the important connection between prayer and the truth of the Spirit World.

The True Words Spoken By Buddha Prayer Book

If you are seeking for the right kind of prayers to practice and recite for a happier life, we recommend our main sutra in Happy Science: The True Words Spoken By Buddha. This is our fundamental sutra given to us directly in English by Master Ryuho Okawa and contains the core teachings of Happy Science. This special sutra has 10,000 times more spiritual power than that of The Lotus Sutra or The Heart Sutra of Buddhism. By reciting this sutra every day, you can connect to the sacred light of Heaven, receive inspiration, success and prosperity for your life, and even experience miracles.

The True Words Spoken By Buddha Prayer Book is available to all new members of Happy Science. If you are interested in receiving them, you can sign-up here or contact us for more information.

Testimony: “The power of Prayer Protected My Sister!”

Discover the power of prayer from a life testimony of how the sister of a member of Happy Science recovered from the coronavirus after taking a Ritual Prayer at his local Happy Science temple.

Further Recommended Reading:

• The Science of Happiness
• A Life of Prayer and Love (Only available at Happy Science)
• The Origin of Love
• The Philosophy of Progress
• Spiritual World 101