“A powerful shift happens when I pray for someone. I start to see that person in relationship to God instead of in relationship to me. Instead of seeing how he annoys me or how she makes me jealous, I see how God loves them.” (Liz Ditty)
There have been a number of people over the years who really upset me for a number of reasons. Some were friends and some weren’t and I spent many-a-day getting caught up in negative thoughts about them, almost to the point where I was wishing bad things might befall them. The only good that did though was keep me in a negative state more than not, where I struggled to see any one of them in any type of positive light. One day someone gently suggested that I might want to start praying for all those that bothered me. I initially shuddered at the thought, asking myself why I’d ever want to pray for someone that I was upset with. Although, when I began to truly see how ugly my personality had become through all my negativity and judgments of others, I decided to give it a whirl. It was then I opted to pray that the four characteristics I end each of these blogs with, “peace, love, light, and joy”, enter the lives of all those my ego was perturbed with. At first, it felt like a fruitless exercise, that is until I noticed my perception of them began to shift to one that was filled with more love and compassion. Nowadays, I make it regular practice to immediately pray for anyone I find myself having any sort of negative thoughts about. I pray to see them in God’s light, in a more positive way, and always end those prayers by sending them blessings. Doing so has ultimately helped me become a far less judgmental individual and a far more unconditionally loving being.
Dear God, the next time I find myself becoming consumed with negative thoughts about someone, please help me remember how important it is to pray for that person, as I know in doing so, I’ll be able to see far more of You in them, and far less of my ego’s opinion of them.
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
