Faith, Belief, and Praying for Abundance

Admittedly, I don’t pray nearly as much as I probably should. When I do, I usually focus on being grateful and thankful. The only things I usually ask for are for protection, grace, and mercy on my family, especially my three sons.

Today at prayer service I pondered if it’s ok to pray for abundance. I’ve read a lot throughout the years and much of what I understand about receiving has to do with appreciating what I already have. This is the thought that came to mind as I was praying. Some may say that was God speaking to me, through me.

Then I began to reflect on my life. At one point I didn’t think life would get better. I felt lost. Then almost out of desperation, I felt that life could only get better from here, being that I was pretty much at the lowest point of my young life at the moment. 

At the time, I believed I could do better and I had faith that it was going to get better. To my surprise, it did. My belief seemed to change my mindset. My faith seemed to change the trajectory of my life. 

I can’t say I truly know what the difference between faith and belief is but I know what I think it is. I think belief is of the mind and faith is of the heart. 

I felt the same way about marriage. I believed that I could have a long lasting, healthy relationship. I had faith it would happen in my life. Surely, not too long after I met and married my wife.

At one point I never thought I would ever get my driver’s licence since I got caught driving so many times before I ever even had one and the fines were immense. Yet again, I paid my fines, went to court what seemed to be a million times, took the classes, got my licence and the same day bought a car.

The life I led had no higher education in my future. Yet something inside my mind believed it could be possible. I only had a little faith I could actually do this. Again, I got to go to college.

Have a nice wedding? The perfect honeymoon in the Caribbean? Travel? Buy a house? Have a son? Two sons? Three? Achieve success in my career? Mentor others? Become a leader?

It all kept happening with some belief and a little faith.

Then I became confident in life, god, and fate. At one point I told the wife to pack it all up, sell the rest, and toss what was left over and this time I had the faith to move mountains and we picked up our kiddos and moved out of state to a place we didn’t know a soul. But it sure was paradise. To my surprise, although it was an amazing experience, it didn’t pan out as planned.

Again, with all the confidence and faith in the world I told the wife to pack it up, sell it, and throw out the rest three more times, living in four states in the span of five years.

As a heavy smoker and drinker all my life I believed that I didn’t have to live that way, not only did I get rid of a bunch of bad habits, some mental and some physical, but I had faith I could do more. 

So I began to run, just enough to be able to jog one mile. Wow, ye of little faith. I couldn’t believe I never thought I could do this. Then a 5k, a 10k, a half marathon! What??? My belief and faith became so strong that I achieved countless miles, a thousand miles in one year while weighing on average 250lbs, then marathons and a handful of ultra marathons!

My biggest dream and I’m not certain I’m deserving enough to ask for it, to write a book for my children. Yes, yes yes. Ye of little faith. 

As I pray and reflect on my journey I have to laugh at myself. Is it ok to pray for abundance? Ha ha, I have prayed for abundance without calling it prayers, and God has answered each time with a resounding Yes! Only a couple times in my life were my wishes/prayers not answered with a yes. I now have faith that there was a reason for that. 

Don’t judge what you cannot understand.

The abundance I’ve always seeked and the abundance I seek has and always will have to do with personal growth and family. I think this is why it’s always been answered with a resounding Yes. 

Some may say that I’ve manifested all these things in my life. At times I’ve thought this myself. But then, as I grow older and hopefully wiser, I can’t help but to be humbled that I’m just not that powerful to achieve all this alone, not even with the support and help of my wife and love of my family. For my life to have turned out the way it has, divine intervention is the only possible answer.

By no means has my life been rainbows and butterflies. Nevertheless, I can’t say that I haven’t lived an amazing, full life at my tender age. My life has had its ups and downs. I’ve made a ton of mistakes and sometimes I’ve plain and simple been neglectful. Yet, god, life, mother nature, the divine, has been merciful and for whatever reason has always looked out for me. Maybe it’s been my mother’s, grandmother’s, and aunts prayers all along.

At one point in my younger years I thought life was so unfair to me for allowing me to grow up so poor financially and losing my father at such an early age. Now I look back in reflection and see how truly blessed I have been.

My father left a great legacy behind. He impacted so many lives I’ve been able to learn from and they have kept his memory alive. 

My mother played the role of not only a mother but a father as well. Unlike most widows, she always kept me around my father’s side of the family. 

My father’s sisters and brothers along with my mother taught me about faith, love of god, mercy, and the importance of family.

My grandfather taught me to fish and to tinker with tools, taking things apart and putting them together in order to fix them. My other grandfather loved to tinker as well. Both men had some special recipes under their sleeves that they had learned from their ancestors. They both had amazing memories, recalling techniques from planting, fishing and fixing stuff they had learned themselves as children. 

Both of my grandmothers showed me how to do a lot with a little. They both seemed to have mastered the art of simplicity. I could bet money on what was going to be offered as a meal every time. From hearty to treats, simplicity was always the theme. They seemed to always wear the same kind of clothes as if they had a uniform for life. 

My uncle and godfather taught me the great game of chess. My other uncle’s ignited a love for fixing cars.

Even family members that weren’t around much made an impact and impression in my life forever. From my mindset to my deep enjoyment in certain music, they would never know, but I do.

Truth is, I’ve been ridiculously blessed with an array of family that have helped raise me. Like Mom mentioned, it takes a village. As for growing up poor, I don’t think I would have ever appreciated everything in life nearly as much if I hadn’t grown up so poor.

Prayer has helped give me perspective, a deep appreciation for my journey and it has removed the ceiling of my life. I can only imagine what’s stored in my future. I can hardly believe the life I have been blessed to have lived so far. I am so grateful it has turned out as such.  

Meditate and pray on personal, spiritual, emotional growth and family. 

Be grateful for all things in life. I’m grateful for the hardships for they have helped build me, but I choose to focus on the blessings for they are much more abundant.

“Where focus goes, energy flows.” 

Tony Robbins 

Always do your best and life will follow through with the rest. 

Don’t talk about your hardships so much that you forget your blessings.

Love y’all

Live Responsibly