Is your daily routine so busy and full of activities that it's causing you stress and agitation? Too much stress results in negative health risks, but how can you reduce stress and find peace in your daily life?

To achieve a sense of peace, you can turn to the gift of prayer and meditation.

There are many benefits to meditation and prayer:

1. Stress reduction. Both meditation and prayer are wonderful for reducing stress. It will teach you to get to a more peaceful state of mind, and get away from the worries of life.

* Just 15 minutes a day can make a huge difference by bringing peace and relaxation to your body and mind. Taking into account the positive effects, a few minutes a day isn't all that much.

2. Improved health. Many studies have proven that prayer and meditation foster vibrant health. Healthy benefits such as decreased risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure are the result of lower stress levels.

* Physical problems are often a symptom of turmoil on the inside and prayer and meditation can help to overcome that turmoil.

3. Better control over your thoughts. Having negative thoughts from time to time is part of being human. Many people who are stressed don't believe they're able to control what they think. The stress mounts, tempers flair, and before long arguments ensue.

However, by bringing prayer and meditation into your life, it's possible to control your thoughts and stop negative thinking as soon as it happens. This helps keep your mind at peace.

4. Happiness. Both peace of mind and happiness are true benefits of meditation and prayer. Everyone is seeking happiness in their lives, and when you're able to find peace of mind through prayer and meditation, you're also welcoming happiness into your life.

By spending some time in personal reflection, you'll gain a greater wisdom of your mission in this life, and you'll be better able to appreciate all that you've been given, both good and bad. Meditation and prayer help banish those negative thoughts that threaten your peace of mind.

5. Better concentration. As you pray and meditate, you welcome peace and tranquility into your mind, which then affects how you live your life. When you alleviate the stresses in your life, you're better able to concentrate on the things that are important, such as family or work.

* Continued prayer and meditation will help you expand your focus to multiple areas of your life.

Although prayer and meditation can provide peace in your life, it can be hard to make the time at first, but it's easier than you think. Simply find a quiet place in your home and allow yourself to relax and feel at peace for 10-15 minutes. You deserve those 15 minutes of peace each day!

Although you'll find many great benefits of prayer and meditation, you may need to practice to achieve it's benefits. Over time you'll begin to experience this wonderful gift in your own life and you'll be thankful that you did!