The Most “Useless” Advice I Never Understood
“Just Pray About It”
If you are anything like me, you just hate “pat” answers. When you ask a question, especially one where advice is being sought, you’re looking for practical ideas and suggestions, not something that feels empty.
For me, earlier in life, the phrase “just pray about it” was one of that answers. It literally would drive me nuts! Here I am, sitting down with a spiritual leader, asking for help in understanding the challenges I was facing and guidance in what the “Rule Book” said to do… only to be met with “just pray about it.”
I mean, if you don’t know – just say so! At least that was how I saw this for a long period of my life.
Recently, though, I had a bit of an epiphany.
The Answer is Within
I strongly believe that the answers we seek in life, especially when it comes to what we should do, are found within our own self. Those answers are shaped by our core values, what defines us as an individual, and what our ultimate hopes and goals are. The problem is that often times we allow ourselves to be unsure of those answers. Outside voices, such as society, what’s considered “norm”, past fears and failures and so many other influences… these will make us sit in doubt.
One trick I have learned over the years is to talk it out. For me, this is usually done with a close confidant, or by just going on a walk by myself and talking to myself about whatever is on my mind. Hell, I did that even recently when trying to determine what the direction and vision for this website was… I put on my shoes, stepped outside, and went for a walk. Along the way, I simply talked to myself (yes, out-loud), and simply hashed all my thoughts.
The point of that trick is to get what is inside out. Our brains fire off with so many thoughts at the same time that it can be hard to find clarity. By speaking the words, we force our brains to slow down. We not only get the words out, but we also hear those words – and this is extremely powerful.
So how does this tie into the whole “just pray about it” advice?
Well, maybe that advice isn’t so useless after all. If you are taking the time to pray, regardless of what religious or spiritual belief system you have, you are verbalizing your thoughts. That process also allows our minds to slow down, for our voices to be expressed and our ears to hear those words. Eventually, with the right process of verbalizing the question, the answer will be revealed. For some, that’s when they feel God spoke to them. For me, I ascribe it to the inner truth being revealed.
Regardless of how you believe with that, the result becomes the same. You can indeed find the answers you seek from within, once you know how to actually verbalize the questions. Whether that be an answer from God, or just hearing your own inner compass, “just pray about it” may be some of the best advice you’ll ever get.
