Spiritualism, A Guide for Those Who Seek ~ Part 3: Prayer (Dec. 3, 2011)

Educate-Yourself
The Freedom of Knowledge, The Power of Thought ©

By Ethel Rowe and Norma Bright
http://educate-yourself.org/mbc/ethelrowespiritualism4part03dec11.shtml
December 3, 2011

Prayer is an act of adoration. As we pray to GOD, we think of GOD. As we think of GOD, we commune with GOD and draw closer to GOD. There are three kinds of prayer: The prayer of Praise - the prayer of Thanks - and the prayer of Petition. Unfortunately, the prayer most often said is the prayer of Petition ("I want - 1 need"). When the petition is answered, most forget the prayers of praise and thanks.

Prayer is always acceptable to GOD when offered from the heart with faith and sincerity. Prayer from the lips does not rise far off the ground. Those said by rote have very little power. He who prays with fervor and confidence has more strength to withstand the temptations of evil and to receive from GOD the help for which he asks.

There is no set way one must pray, or any set way one must worship God. God prefers those who worship from the heart with sincerity. High-blown words or complicated ceremonies are tinsel and brass. He who has only external piety is a hypocrite. His worship and prayer is only a pretense. He who knows the truth and docs not follow it is a hundred-fold more guilty in the evil he does than the ignorant savage. All things addressed to GOD can reach GOD only through the door of the heart.

Jesus said, "Pray ye one for another." We have within ourselves, through our thoughts and will, a power that extends far beyond the limits of our physical sphere. When we pray for others, whether near or miles away, if we are ardent and sincere in our prayers, our desire to do good will call good spirits to the aid of those for whom we pray. This will help them by giving the needed strength of body and soul. Here again, the prayer of the heart is everything; that of the lips, nothing.

Prayer is never useless, be it for ourselves or for others. What is needed is not to pray a great deal, but to pray correctly. Prayer does not hide faults from God's eyes. He who asks God for forgiveness of his faults can only obtain that forgiveness through a change in conduct. Good deeds are the best prayers, for deeds are worth more than words.

Prayer can change your life anytime, anywhere, at any age. It can heal your diseases, renew your mind and body, calm the stress of daily living, and alleviate fear or sorrow that threatens to overwhelm. The measure of help you get through prayer is limited only by the size of the cup you hold up to be filled

The great man of peace, Mahatma Ghandi, said: "Our prayers for others ought never be: 'God give them the light Thou has given me'- but, 'Give them all the light and truth they need for their highest development.'''

In the Bible it says we must pray without ceasing. It seems an impossible task when taken literally. But if we make every activity a prayer - eating, working, playing, studying, even sleeping - we can be a living testimony to God!

We pray with God, for God is within. Prayers of affirmation and prayers of authority are the same thing. The children of God are victors, not victims. We can turn confidently in our prayers to dispel whatever has been keeping us in bondage. Such a desire is in line with the Law of Love, hence, with Divine Will.

If we are victims of guilt, we must become the victor with forgiveness. If there is hate, we must smother it with love. Since fear is false evidence appearing real, we need only truth to see it correctly

Prayer is not new - it is probably the most ancient healing art known to man. As each individual experiences prayer within himself, he releases a force as new, as startling, and as modern as nuclear power.

The subconscious does not sleep. God does not sleep. If we close our eyes, we will sleep. We will gain rest and refreshment from the night better than we have ever known. Brother Lawrence, a gentle monk of the 17th Century, wrote, "Those whose spirits are stirred by the breath of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep." This was true then and is a present realty for each of us if we turn our last waking thoughts to Him and invite the Holy Spirit to be present with us throughout the night. If God is minding our business, could it be in better hands?

We can train ourselves, as we return to consciousness in the morning, to give our first moment, before opening our eyes, to the awareness of God. We will not dread the day if we say upon awakening,"This is the day the Lord has made - Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" We consciously reestablish our awareness of our partnership with the Almighty. Then we can arise with true expectations of good throughout the day.

We must pray for the world because the growth of our social selves depends upon our relationship to the world in which we live, and how we discharge our responsibilities to the whole. Some of us carry the material side of this responsibility almost feverishly. We then feel very ineffectual because our sphere of usefulness does not go further. Others feel helpless, shrug, and do nothing.

We forget that we have a spiritual responsibility and that prayer power, being infinite, knows not the great or small, near or far. We can affirm that God reigns - that "the government is upon His shoulders." We can think of all the people of the world and say, "Our Father." Then we will begin to know the meaning of brotherhood. Ten righteous men could have saved a town, so the Bible tells us. We have no way of knowing what we could accomplish if each of us gave our righteous prayers daily to the world.

Our prayers for others confirm that our relationship to other people is a most important part of our daily life. While we cannot and should not attempt to change others, or remold them according to our will, there is something we can do which still leaves each man his freedom of choice. We have the right and the privilege of praying for the other person. This is not an attempt to coerce him or make him conform to our way, but of seeing him according to God's will, without problems, God's child, whole and perfect. Here we release love's healing power for another, love our neighbor as ourselves. This art, perfected by Jesus, cast out devils, raised up invalids, and eliminated sins.

Jesus taught us that we must pray for our enemies. He said we should forgive before making our own gifts at the altar. We cannot love all people equally. Some people just are not very lovable. The trick in praying for those who do us injury is to separate the sin from the sinner. We can and should hate the sin. We can and should forgive the sinner

The act of forgiveness does not start with outward display. We do not have to see everyone alike. Jesus did not make a disciple out of the adulteress after forgiving her. Quietly, within our heart, we turn the individual we have called "enemy" over to God.

We release them and ourselves of damaging emotions and place them and ourselves under the Law of Love. If the other person does not accept his freedom as yet, there is nothing more we can do. But in keeping the Commandments ourselves, we rise above a very dangerous situation. We can approach the altar with a pure heart.

Prayer is reaching for assurance. It can be a thought expressed or quietly held in the mind. Prayer gains impetus by the emotions. Heartfelt, honest desire gives a rhythm of emotion to send the prayer into the ethers. Acknowledge God, the one source of all good, the only Power.

"0 Lord my God, Spirit of all there is.
Your majestic wholeness surrounds me.
The warmtli of your love and strength awaken
in me the desire to reach out to others.
I would become a more perfect channel of
love and service to others.
Thank you for your gift of life."

Amen

Part 5, Meditation
http://educate-yourself.org/mbc/ethelrowespiritualism5part11feb12.shtml