 Spiritual: August 16, 2023 Issue [#12131] |
This week: Prayer/Meditation Empower Your Writing Edited by: Schnujo's NOT Doing NaNoWriMo  
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I'm a guest Newsletter editor, so I simply write when the mood and time strike. I chose this one because it was due in less than 24 hours, but no one had chosen to write it. And yes, I did pray before writing this. Though I suspect there's more power in persistent practice. 
People from virtually every religion and walk of life support the idea of prayer and/or meditation, especially before embarking upon something of importance. Yet, many of us don't pray before writing, let alone before writing something we hope to be inspiring to others. Yet, if we asked ourselves, our hearts and heads will often agree that we should.
Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ~ Nevi’im/Jeremiah 29:12
O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. ~ Surah Baqarah 2:153
Depend on the Lord in whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. ~ Proverbs 16:3
Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing—” ~ Doctrine and Covenants 19:38
Meditate. Do not delay, lest you later regret it. ~ Buddha
The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear. ~ Rumi
Obeying God is listening to God, having an open heart to follow the path that God points out to us. ~ Pope Francis
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Science and most people agree that there are benefits from prayer and/or meditation, especially before we start something of importance. Science has shown prayer to improve concentration, focus, and willpower. Fasting and prayer improves discipline, according to research. And as a side note, prayer also helps reduce stress, anxiety, depression, improves relationships, and people who pray regularly tend to have a longer lifespan, among many other benefits. Meditation has been shown to have similar benefits (though prayer may have a stronger effect on longevity).
With both science and religion agreeing that prayer and meditation are good for us, why don't we do it more often? And why don't most of us apply it just before starting a major writing project, especially one with a spiritual lean?
I don't think I can answer the above questions because for each person, the answers are, undoubtedly, slightly different. But I propose to you that beginning writing with prayer and/or meditation about what we plan to write and being open to God, the universe, your higher power, etc. opening up new ideas and directions, with this, our writing can not only be better, but a very powerful experience for both the writer and reader. Insights and ideas can come to us that we hadn't planned on.
Naturally, I encourage you to pray and/or meditate before editing, adding to, or updating your writing as well.
Whether you choose to believe these are from elsewhere or from the scientific act of improved concentration, focus, and discipline, among other benefits, is up to you. But I don't think it can be denied that there's likely a benefit from taking up this practice on a regular basis. Do remember that both prayer and meditation work better when we're in practice. I encourage you not to give up if you don't see real changes after just a few irregular tries.
For those curious, here's a research abstract about the topic. If you have access to research articles through work or school, I encourage you to read it. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800417734014 It's titled, "God’s Giving Me Words for You/Bless This Research: When Prayer Meets Qualitative Inquiry," a 2017 article by Anne Elrod Whitney in the research journal, Qualitative Inquiry.
Remember that both prayer and meditation take practice to get the best results. Don't give up!
If you are unfamiliar with or looking for additional ways to pray or meditate, check out Jeff's March 22, 2023 " Spiritual Newsletter (March 22, 2023)"
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If you're curious about testing out the idea of praying before writing, but feel uncomfortable with it, consider first testing it out on one of our spiritual/religious/gratitude contests. Though remember that prayer and meditation usually both take time before impressive results occur. But who knows? Maybe you'll experience a miracle on your first try! 
Always an opportunity to thank/honor your nation's veterans
Open in November
There are several other contests for spiritual and religious writing, but many are on a hiatus at the moment.
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