Building the practice - In the beginning I often did not feel anything out it, understand it, get anything, or do it very well. But, I was beginning and building the practice and got a sense of constructive effort and felt a sense of growth by looking at the cumulative effort.
Building a better self - When I pray I am connecting to God for love and power but I am just as much talking to me and telling myself that with God's help I resolve to conduct myself effectively in the behaviors that are most critical to good living. Prayer and meditation is the process of amending the character. It is the process of building effective thinking, emotional control, and good behaviors. This deliberate process of seeking better living paradigms re-forms the value-desire dynamic and facilitates a joy-filled life and cultivates a high functioning life that is greater than good.
Building a connection to God - When I pray and meditate I am striving to move out of my self centeredness and toward God and other centeredness. I build a spiritual life and place this in the correct priority as the most important action in the process of wellness cultivation. This comes through improved conscious contact with God. This is the process of divine filiation. It is what we are designed for.
Building strength of faith - I had been thinking about the placebo effect and faith. I had thought about how critical it is to build faith on a daily basis through prayer and meditation so that when trouble comes and faith is needed most critically it has been cultivated to the extent that is efficacious. I thought of how this is a way one would actualize the Placebo Effect.
"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:6-9
