Stop. Praying.

A little suggestion . . . for a week or so forget about saying prayers or praying for others or praying for yourself or praying for world peace or even sending prayers of thanksgiving up into the sky and straight to the heart of God.

Instead, consider for a few days that how you treat other people is a kind of prayer. In fact, a real prayer to God. That the prayer you live is more powerful than the prayer you pray, and how you treat others is more revealing than any composition of words you call prayer.

If you feel grateful for another human being, then show them, tell them, and affirm their worth to you. If you’re grateful to God for the gift of life, then make life better for another person, including living with a little more joy yourself. If you care about the broken, the hungry or the hurting of this world, instead of saying a prayer about it, find a broken or hungry or hurting person and help them. Instead of praying to God about forgiveness, forgive someone. Instead of praying for someone in the hospital, go and visit them or send them a note.

Take a Breath today. The inclination to pray is such a good one, and I find myself praying more and more these days, but there are many ways of praying. Not the least of which is becoming more aware of how we treat others.