Iyanla Vanzant Shares Three Things You Must Do To Pray Through Your Pain

No one knows the power of prayer more than Iyanla Vanzant, who testifies time and time again that the power of prayer can get you through the darkest of times and can be the most relieving crutch to lean on. 

When speaking to a higher power, the author, speaker and beloved fixer said everyone should always practice three pivotal things. 

“Sit down, shut up, and listen within,” she told ESSENCE. “Just sit down, shut up, and listen to your own thoughts, your own feelings. You do that often enough for long enough periods, you’ll know everything you need to know.”

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Growing up, Vanzant thought there was only one way to speak to God, but time has changed her approach while also giving her all of the clarity and peace of mind she needs. “I grew up in the Pentecostal church so prayer meant one thing,” she shared. “What I’ve learned over time is that my father gave me very specific instructions for prayer that I didn’t understand when he gave it to me, but now [I do].”

Because the Iyanla Fix My Life healer and host knows that praying for things means she shouldn’t fear them in the same way that feeling fear about something means she needs to pray on it, she would tell her younger self to stand strong in dealing with emotions on everything from anger to heartbreak.

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“What I would have told my younger self that I know now is that all rejection is an opportunity for correction so that you can move in another direction,” she added. “So sit and do reflection so you can get the correction. Really, I think that what I would want myself to know is just [to] let it go. The universe supports a void, and anything you let go of will be replaced with something better.”