This is a chapter from my fifth book called Freedom
There is freedom in praying to God. I have been connecting with and getting closer to God for the last few years but I only recently started reading my salat (5 daily prayers in Islam). Before that I would do one voluntary salat everyday after I bathe. I am a late bloomer in this regard and I still have things to do to master my salat and my faith and my life. I play the azan and iqamah from youtube and also the prayer after azan. I follow along the steps of the salat from youtube until I could on my own. I have an app called prayer alarm that lets me know it is time to pray. I also have the Quranly app I use to read daily verses from the Quran. This is my journey and I thank God for guiding me along this path. In hindsight my life could have kept me and taken me down the wrong roads but somehow my heart was always on the straight path even when my mind and desires and circumstances and flaws were sending me the wrong way.
The word ray is contained in the word prayer. Prayer is a ray of hope. Prayer allows us to connect with a Higher Power. To call on our Creator. It is a reminder of our purpose and what is most important in our lives. My prayers are being answered and this strengthens my belief in prayers. I was saddened when the police commissioner called for prayers (among other things) to deal with crime and she was being mocked by many. If you do not believe in the power of prayer, how do you expect it to work? Also prayer is not about getting everything you want but about being guided and given the strength to deal with whatever tests we are tested with. God tests us with good and bad so do not become disenchanted when bad happens.
God gave us the freedom of choice and free will. Freedom is the root of religion and prayer. No one can force you or should force you to pray or choose a religion. That is the beauty of it all. Prayer is a choice we make. I am glad Islam chose me and I am glad that I accepted. What worked for me was an open mind and an open heart and recognising that there were things outside of my control. There were things that only a Higher power could fix. That the joys of this world are fleeting and the joy of God is everlasting. When we pray we free ourselves from our burdens and problems and lay them in the hands of God. We are less and less slaves to our fears and those destructive forces. We become slaves to God so that we are not slaves to this world. I let God guide me and chose a random verse from the Quran and got 3:60 "This is the truth from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt." And that would be the takeaway from this chapter for me, freedom lies beyond fear and doubt. A clap of thunder sounded as I reviewed what I wrote. Maybe, just maybe, a sign from God.
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