Ok, today I had another karate tournament, and I lost the first fight pretty badly.
Before the second one I went to a quiet place and meditated and prayed for strength, speed and concentration to win the next fight.
It was not like the christian praying in that I said, hey god give me this and that and that, it was more, please grant me the concentration to see what is coming, the speed to attack quickly and the strength to take punches without problems and give enough punches to win.
And you know what, I won.
I was more concentrated and quicker, and I could just go in there an collect the points..
It was my best fight ever, I think.
So, was it focusing by meditation, goddess answering og just luck?
Do you guys ever do it? pray I mean?

Airmid

Well Airmid, Old Ma used to say, if you want something bad enough to pray for it, then you want it bad enough to work for it. I think usually we are trying to focus, but a bit of help from "them out there" comes into play.

Maybe your praying just caused you to lose the here and now and get inside yourself enough to bring out what was in there .... but I don't do martial arts and I may be talking total ball-cocks.

It could have been simply that you took time to focus yourself and on your goal. It could have been just as simply that you were better than your second opponent, don't overlook that you might just be better than others at something. However, yes praying works I don't call it praying, I call it spell work but if I'm involving a deity in it a prayer is what it is essentially and if they feel like it, they'll make it work. Well done on the fights Airmid

Ummm - did I forget to say that? Sorry - thanks Esk, meant that too.

Yup I do sorta pray but I call it focusing on what I really want... although I do wonder sometimes whether we are truly answered by the gods/goddesses either way it cant be bad if it works
and well done

~I don't know armid, but I do believe in prayer and focus and visualizing.

Sometimes, I think of it as spellwork, as esk says.. and other times, to me

well its prayer.... hmm maybe its all the same?

All, I know is whatever works for you, keep doing it!

Prayer~asking for help, guidence, for self and others. Giving gratitude.

Meditation~ going inward,.. no asking.. just listening.

Visualization~ seeing what you want, creating it and then believing and acting.. as if its true... Clear Intent and Focus

Spellwork~ circle casting, ritual, tho often can be done w/o....
Clear Intent and Focus...

Visualization, can often be called spellwork , too.~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those are just my definations, at the moment... still early here!

Whispered~

Hmmm, well first I believe in the power of the mind and positive thinking! It can do alot! I do believe in prayer and that occationally the devine may grant us what we ask - especially knowledge or guidance. I never pray for material things, seems wrong to me... As for praying working, I think it does, evben whenthe answer is "No!".. As for spellwork, I don't know anything about it - not somethingI have looked into so at this point I neither believe nor disbelieve in it..

Regards,
Seeker

It depends on what you pray for and how you do it.

I don't equate prayer with spellwork as for me prayer is asking for help and guidance (like the one I posted last week) where as spell work/magic/workings whatever are a means of taking things in hand (albeit you can request help as well)

In any case prayer can help you focus, as has been stated, and that alone is very nigh as powerful as a spell.

Hi,

this is really an interesting topic. I don't think it matters how one calls it prayer, meditation or spell casting for I found the result if you intensly focus on something is the same.

When I was a teenager one of my friends studied psychology and he gave me at one point some tapes for auto-hypnosis. I found it fascinating and have been ever since looking deeper into the whole subject of trance, hypnosis and meditation. Btw. there is even a sports doctor who is using visualisation techniques for the athlets he is looking after to bring better achviements and heal their injuries.

I found that if I really want something and focus on it in a meditative state, visualise it, visualise it actually as having achieved it and experiencing it while at the same time having a burning, all consuming desire for this to happen it mostly will come true.

I once tried a variation. I just moved places a couple of years back and during the move spent more money than planned. After I had paid all bills for the new place I found myself at the beginning of the month with barely enough money to make it through a week. As I was fairly new to the country no bank would give me money as I had no credit history. I was really desperate. So I thought, why not try something new? I went into trance and asked the devine mother spirit of love (call her what you want, Freya in the case of an Odinist or even to some extend Mary for the Christians) to help me sort out this mess. I told her that I gave myself completly up to her compassion and that I knew I could trust fully in her. After that I went out spending my money, not over-spending it but certainly not being as economical as I should have been. I told myself that I could trust the forces of the universe and that everything would be fine. Oh, of course I had moments where I was doubtful but then I told myself to not focus on the problem but on the good energy sorting things out for me. Believe it or not - four days later I surprisingly got money from a source I would never have thought of. When the next pay day came I still had enough funds to even would have made it with normal spending through another month.

I had quite a few similar experiences since.

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, YOU ONLY HAVE TO "WILL" FOR IT!!!

Heil Odin!

S.

That's exactly how I see it too

(Well done on the win too Airmid )

I follow you on that one, Coz.

For me praying, is a time for reflecting on a day gone by and focusing on the new day to come, getting my energy pointed on specific things.

Airmid, congratulations with your victory in the Kumite.

Wot, no simply having a chat with deity. 'Wotcha dude, shitty weather we're having with all this rain. But I suppose it is good for the plants and it replenishes the water table. You know what you're doing there. I'm a bit worried about my mate over in the US. He's having a hard time at the moment. I'm sure I'll think of something, but if you get the time just nudge me in the right direction.'

Theres the chats that involve advice too. 'Right, I've got this great icky entity that is blocking my way to a soul fragment. I just had help from kestrel in getting me here as quick as possible whilst seeing what I was up against from a distance. But I can't think of how to tackle this one. Any suggestions?'

Then theres times when I just invite deity to be with me.

I wouldn't call any of that prayer. Just communication.

Maybe I'm odd though.

BB

Mike

Hehe, well if it works, who's to say it's odd

I agree with Cosmic Fool, it's not really spellwork, it is more like focusing and asking for help.
It really helped me, instead of not knowing what to do and being really insecure, I knew excactly what to do..

I don't really do that much spellwork, because I figure that if I can do something for myself without it, that might be safer and perhaps it just wasn't ment to be.
It's like the 'careful what you wish for, you might get it' thing.
You should really be sure about all the consequences of your spell, and then see if you can life with that before you do it..
That's just me though, perhaps I'm just overly cautious.

Hi Airmid,

Yes, I pray like that sometimes, and sometimes it seems to really help. Not in the sense of achieving anything miraculous (which in my case would include winning any martial arts bout, given how creaky I'm getting), but more like bestowing just that slight extra edge which makes a difference that's really needed then.

For me, it almost feels like there are some instinctive rules to it. I feel it should be done seldom, and only when it really, really matters to me. It shouldn't be for something that benefits me directly, and should be the last preparation made, after I've already worked my guts out and done everything I can think of to bring whatever it is about. It should be asked, not demanded, with the clear understanding I'll try anyway. Having done all that - and I agree it's quite like focussing in some ways - I find there's a sense of calm and peace given to me, even if I was really wound up beforehand.

Afterwards, it feels that a prayer of thanks should be given immediately, followed by a formal offering as soon as practical.

Incidentally, when I say 'rules' above I mean that's how it feels to me. No suggestion these 'rules' apply to anyone else.

BB,

John Macintyre