Prayers - by Carrie Rodler

 

 

The power of prayer seems to be a strong one, regardless of religion. Christianity, of course, contains the most well-known and popular prayers here in the Western part of the world. Without getting into the ongoing debates, there are several studies which suggest a statistically significant number of people are aided and healed by the power of prayer. A very interesting study can be read here: http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/alternative/01/18/prayer.power.wmd/

 

In the occult world, prayer is absolutely necessary. Ceremonies begin and end with prayer, usually those of thanks and protection, not to mention the prayers / spells for what the ceremony is about. All cultures have stories of gods and demons, ghosts and ghouls, and the priests or shamans with the power to deal with them. Magic, gods, and prayer have been with us forever. This is not to say what religions are right or wrong (we certainly refuse to weigh in on that debate); this is only to say that cultural evidence over the millennia point to supernatural forces and our communications with them.

 

Perhaps one of the most well-known uses of prayer is for the Catholic rite of exorcism, made famous by the movies dealing with this topic. One man invokes the power of God to cast out a demonic possessor. People are varied in their beliefs, but anyone who studies the occult cannot deny the incredible magnitude of what’s involved in an exorcism. Therefore, the power of prayer, words invoking the power of a greater being, are used to protect us against evil. It is with that in mind that we say a prayer for protection and thanks when we go on our paranormal investigations.

 

Regarding prayers we chose to use, they were written by Crodler by looking at various prayers and blessings and combining their messages. It doesn’t really matter what religion you are, if any, as there are countless cases where people of all religious backgrounds have called upon a higher being (i.e. God, Allah, Buddha, etc.) and received favorable results. If you are into this type of hobby, you’re probably already convinced that there is “more” out there, including powerful beings and deities.

 

Therefore, it really can’t hurt to call on God and the Saints if you have any sort of affiliation with Christianity. If you are of a different faith, then modify these prayers to reflect your own gods. The point is: calling upon greater beings for protection is a good thing, as long as you approach it with humility, sincerity, and respect.

 

Crodler wrote the closing prayer to sort of “wind down” from the night. It still calls upon God, but now for calm, healing, and a peaceful parting of ways rather than protection from evil. It’s just as much for our peace of mind as it is for keeping the entities where they are and letting us go freely from the place. Some groups like to use non-denominational prayers and blessings in their work. We, however, felt that if you're going to ask for protection, invoke the names of those with "proven" track records. "Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings, protect us" probably offers more to us than "Spirits, please don't hurt us."

 

Overall, you can choose anything for your prayers, but you need to feel it. You can’t just mindlessly mumble some words and hope for good results. The key is intention, even if you’re not necessarily sure what you believe. Know that whoever you pray to will hear you. If you trust your own power, call upon yourself. We chose the Christian saints because they have a good track record for helping anyone, even atheists, who call for their help. With that in mind, write whatever you want or take from wherever you want. Just feel the words and believe in the safety that will be granted to you.

 

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Below are the prayers that PSR uses both at the beginning and ending of all investigations. These prayers are used regardless of how big, how small or what type of haunting it is believed to be.