Awo Ojelola Ifasakin E. F.

Brown How to Pray The most important thing about prayer is that it must come from, or connect with, your heart and spirit. In Ifa, the ancient West African system of belief, there are many traditional prayers. Yet, if a person finds that he or she is not connecting with some prayers used in certain rituals, it may be better to put those prayers aside and just use one's own words. You can think of traditional prayers as greeting cards. Suppose it is the birthday of a loved one, someone very dear to your heart. You might go to your local greeting card store to pick up a birthday card. There is a wide array of birthday cards. Each one has something special about it. Some have beautiful poems and thoughtful messages. Others have jokes and cliches. Still, with all of this, you may not find a card that expresses your feelings. So, you may opt to buy a pretty card that is blank inside. In this card, you can write your own message. Prayers are not much different from the greeting cards that are available. Sometimes, you just might not feel a certain prayer, or the prayers are just not saying the things you want to express to God. Then, it is time for that blank card. Talk to God. Say the things you feel. Tell God the thoughts that no other prayer tells. It's okay to communicate with God in your own words. When a person begins to gain better understanding of traditional Yoruba prayers, he or she may find the ability to connect with them. A person may feel the prayers and desire to use them. But, where does one start?

In chapter 16 of his book, The Worship, Baba Ayo Salami presents a variety of prayers for different occasions. Below is one of the suggested morning prayers. Please note that it is translated from Yoruba language, in which punctuation is used somewhat differently and less frequently, compared to English. Also, some words in the prayer are strictly Yoruba, as there is no translation available. Orunmila says it is early morning The day becomes bright on the Earth When I arrived at the home of Alaramoko in the home of Isan They prayed his day would become bright As it is true that his life would become bright So it is time that my own life would become bright in the world Such that we will obtain the blessings we desire Orunmila says it is early morning The day becomes bright on the Earth The day is truly bright When I arrived at the home of Ajero The child of Onikorowo igbin Does his life not become bright? Like the day of Ajero becomes bright So should the day of we, the Akapo, your followers, also become bright All the good things we desire Let them be ours, by all means Orunmila says it is early morning The day becomes bright on the Earth When I arrived at the home of Owarangun Aga Mataide The child of onigburo a bu fowo lafa aje Does his life not become bright? My God, it is time that my own day should become bright in the world Orunmila says it is early morning The day becomes bright on the Earth When I arrived at the home of Ooni Alakan Esuu The child of Areyin okun meji pari ade

Does your day not become bright? My God, it is time that our day becomes bright on Earth Hence, has the day become bright for us, or has it not? The day has truly become amply bright for us Come and see the brightness on the horizon The day has truly become amply bright for us Come and see the brightness on the horizon Emo rat always sees a brightened day Come and see the brightness on the horizon The day has become bright for good Let the day become bright for us, every day Such that we will have wealth We will have spouses We will have children And we will grow old and remain steadfast at an old age Emo rat always sees a brightened day The day has become bright for good Let us not become entangled in criminal cases Let us not suffer sadness Let us not taste death before our time Let us not fall in to danger Emo rat always sees a brightened day Come and see the brightness on the horizon The day has become bright for good

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