I offer two definitions of prayer. Prayer—“Positive declarations of the Truth of one’s unity with God sets up a new current of thought power, which delivers one from old beliefs and their depression.” –Myrtle Fillmore. “Prayer is universally described as a mystical language with the power to change our bodies, our lives, and the world.” –Gregg Braden.

I was on Facebook the other day and read conversation responses on the bombing of Syria. The words revealed the many emotions and opinions from each of the written messages. One message stood out. It happened to be from a minister.

The minister responded by sharing about prayer and being out of favor with people. I chuckled within myself as I read the response and remembered the Lord’s prayer. How the simple and profound prayer has lifted countless people by hearing, when praying and in singing the ancient prayer.

Perhaps prayer is out of favor with some people. I let that be as I do not know who the minister was referring to when they stated ‘people.’ I do not know what prompted the minister to state the idea of prayer being out of favor.

I do know there are many, many forms and ways to prayer and of the act of praying. Besides prayer being individual and depending on our religious preference, background and living experience. Too many variables. Prayer is unique and individual to each of us.

Furthermore, some forms of prayer are out of favor and maybe for good reason. For example, beseeching, begging, bowing, pleading or being demanding, indefinite and undeserving. Even though, none of these forms are unacceptable. These methods of prayer, however, may keep the prayer stuck or feeling worse from these types of devotions.

Sometimes we each may fall into saying a less than perfect prayer, if there is such a thing as the right prayer. Truthfully, if we feel like praying, we are to pray whatever is on our heart and connect with God. That is it—the connection and turning to the liberating presence of the Divine, here, available and instantaneous.

It may have been common, an instinctual practice to pray a prayer due to feeling disconnected from God. As is the evolutionary history of God, the whereabouts and meaning of God has changed with each decade, century and millennia. Our methods of prayer also have changed throughout generations of families, people, culture and times.

Yet, prayer has at its core, timelessness, transformation and unification. It is both ironic and paradoxical and always in vogue. Our types and methods of prayer may differ and change. Nevertheless, prayer, opening to something we intuitively know as a higher form of ourselves is timeless, unifying and transcendental.