I really appreciate all these examples of how prayer is transforming people's lives. What stood out to me was an inmate's rewording of the 23rd Psalm. One phrase got me thinking about a personal transformation: "He leads me in love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control." All these qualities are examples of a life renewed, transformed.

I had a character transformation where a change in attitude resulted in the healing of a physical heart condition and of panic attacks. The heart palpitations were frightening. Sometimes I felt I was going to die. The panic attacks would cause me to stop what I was doing. If I was driving, I had to pull over. If I was shopping, I had to leave the store. During this time, I learned that the physical problem wasn't the real need. The real need was to renew my attitude in life.

I had a problem with being impatient. Temper tantrums ended up distancing myself from the ones I loved. A transformation was being called for and I didn't know it at the time. I prayed with a Christian Science practitioner and ugly traits were coming to the surface. It took time to renew my ways. Gradually, I learned to be more patient, to love what I was doing or where I was or who I was with. An appreciation for life was the beginning of my transformation.

I learned to love myself for who I really was - the way God made me to be as His worthy, loved child, full of ability to bless those around me. I felt God's infinite patience with me. I learned to stop being absorbed in me, my problems, and focus on living for others. Long story short, the heart palpitations and panic attacks were no longer impressing me. They became insignificant. Whenever the symptoms came on, I took a very strong stand, mentally and physically, knowing that they could not define who I really was - complete and free as God's child.

Long story short, the physical problem is gone. I lead a physically active life doing what I love doing -working as a Christian Science nurse which requires many physical duties, including lifting and moving skills. The real lifting going on is not physical. It is a constant moving of my thought to a higher level-- one that loves each person the way God made him/her -perfectly able, whole, free.