Prayer Page

So many people are hurting in the world. In fact the majority of the world's population is suffering, either from illness, poverty, troubled relationships or any number of other maladies that plague humanity in these critical times.

But here is the good news! It doesn't have to be that way! We have enormous, unused power within us that is just waiting to be unleashed... This power is commonly known as prayer.

There are many different kinds of prayer and many different ways to pray. Does anyone ever ask you to pray for them? Or as some say: "send positive vibes". Actually this might be more accurate and a more powerful "prayer" than a more formal prayer.   Did you know that your thoughts can be prayers? The thoughts that you think all day long, whether you are aware of it or not? Thoughts and words carry ENERGY and POWER.   They can be compared to electricity.

The Bible says, "pray without ceasing". Now how can anyone do that!! But yes we can do that or Jesus would not have told us to. When I was a child I asked a wise Christian lady how she prayed. She was always telling me that she did a lot of praying.   Seems like she prayed for everybody and everything!   She said, "Honey, I pray all day long... my thoughts are my prayers."   Her answer left an impression on me.   Since then I have read many books on prayer, "mind" power, and positive thinking, and I realize that she was right.

It can be a life long "project" getting into the habit of "praying" without ceasing. What are some steps you can take ? Be aware of your thoughts. The real you inside (the "inner witness") can observe the "thinking" part of you... the activity of your brain, including the imagination, interpretations, reasonings, reactions, ponderings, wonderings and so on. When you catch yourself THINKING or saying anything unkind, destructive or negative, immediately STOP and substitute a kind and positive thought.

Then there are prayers of thanksgiving and praise. Someone was once asked how they prayed. Their answer was that they never asked for anything, but gave thanks for what they already had. And we all DO already have everything we need. We just need to REALIZE it and "claim" it. Faith is the substance of things unseen.... the SUBSTANCE.   Faith is substance.... think on that.

Prayer is also and mainly communion with God... awareness of God's presence... sustaining a higher consciousness as we go about our everyday lives. And prayer is RECEIVING what we already have....what is already existent in the unseen realm.

Prayer is too great a subject to cover in one short article. I wish I could give you a "magic" formula. I hope I have given you a few things to think about. Above all I urge you to pray... pray any way you can, ... whatever feels right and effective for you. Pray and keep on praying and thinking "positive". Prayer IS the mightiest force in the world.

Please educate yourself on this MOST IMPORTANT subject. Below are some books that I highly recommend.

"Prayer, the Mightiest Force in the World", by Frank Laubach

"Pray and Grow Rich", by Catherine Ponder

"God's Transmitters", by Hannah Hurnard

"Praise Releases Faith", by Terry Law

"The Healing Path of Prayer", by Ron Roth

"All Things Are Possible With Prayer", by Charles Allen

And don't forget to be STILL and LISTEN for your answers!

A Prayer for Protection

"The Light of God surrounds me,
The Love of God enfolds me,
The power of God protects me,
The presence of God watches over me.
Wherever I am, God is
And all is well."

This prayer touches us on emotional and mystical levels. The words are most sacred and, with the Spirit’s help, happily lead us into an immediate union with Christ and, through him, with those we love, as we shall discuss later.

The Anima Christi (Soul of Christ) has been attributed at times to St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), but historians say that the prayer predates Ignatius by as much as a century and-a-half. A long tradition tells us, moreover, that it was a favorite prayer of Ignatius’. Indeed, in many cases, it has served as the opening prayer of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. The prayer is so sacred and sublime that it transcends all time, all centuries. We ask the Spirit to guide us into the sacredness and hope spelled out by these ancient words:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds, hide me.
Let me never be separated from you.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me,
And bid me come to you,
That with your saints I may praise you
Forever and ever. Amen. St. Ignatius

You are a person with unique talents and spiritual gifts who can indeed make positive, calming changes through peaceful means in the world today. All it will require of you is affirmative prayers and thoughts.

With so much volatility imploding worldwide today concerning fearful economic forecasts through news related reports, it has become imperative to counteract this negative spiral. Because fear self-perpetuates, each time a pessimistic report is presented in any form to the public, volatility increases as people and businesses alike make reactive fear based choices to what seems to be an all encompassing resonance of fear laden shock waves.

However, it is absolutely not necessary to despair because there is indeed something we can do in these times of negative chaos. Each of us has within his or her own uniquely created divinity to individually hold fast prayerful intentions of stability. When we positively control our thoughts in order to facilitate transforming, healing directives in the world, even at an individual level it will make a difference. At a level of mass collectivity, the positive difference will be even more profound. It will make a difference!

“When two or three are gathered….” Matt. 18:20

Advanced science today through the study of quantum theory is examining resonance fields, meaning forms of energy that radiate outwardly from individual thoughts and actions, made stronger and more far-reaching by the collective effort. When a resonance field reaches a certain point in quality and quantity, it becomes a morphic resonance field, thereby facilitating changes within the universal population. Therefore, thoughts of stability, courage, and love through peaceful efforts intended with world wide effectiveness done by many individuals are not only possible, but probable when done with the intentions of calming fears in the current world wide economic situation. When resonating from a large group of people, they will indeed serve as a counter balance to the current fear-laden instability.

This is not a new concept at all. In troubled times over two thousand years ago, Apostle Paul described it well in Phil 4: 6-8, 12-13. “…whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things.”

~ ~ ~

I invite you to participate any way you feel called, as often as you feel necessary during the day for the weeks and months ahead through positive visualization, prayer, and affirmation. Be the calming, loving stability you wish to see in the world today. That is all that is necessary.

Together, we will indeed make a positive difference.

A large collective of people with similar intention will indeed bring balance to these volatile times. It starts at the individual level, one person at a time. It is most important that you participate. Thank you!

Our Father in Heaven........................................The Source of our Being

Give us today our daily bread.................................From time to eternity

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us....... From sin to grace.

Do not bring us to the test.........................................From duality to unity

But deliver us from evil........................................ From darkness to Light.

The fundamental purpose of prayer, including the prayer of petition, is not to get something from God, or to change God, but to change ourselves. We pray in order to give ourselves to God.

Fr. Thomas Keating, The Heart of the World, Contemplative Outreach News, Winter 1997

"Prayer is something deeper than words. It is present in the soul before it has been formulated into words. And it abides in the soul after the last words of prayer have passed over our lips. Prayer is an attitude of our hearts, an attitude of mind. Prayer is a definite attitude of our hearts toward God, an attitude which He in heaven immediately recognizes as prayer, as an appeal to His heart. Whether it takes the form of words or not, does not mean anything to God, only to ourselves." Hallesby, O. _Prayer._ Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis. 1931. Pg.16.

Helleberg, Marilyn Morgan. _A Guide to Christian Meditation._
Phoenix Press, Walker and Company, New York. 1980. pp.33-34.

"I like the expression 'resting in God.' When you pray with all your heart, the Holy Spirit is in you, and as you continue to pray, the Holy Spirit continues in you. You do not need to do anything else. As long as the Holy Spirit is there, everything is fine. You are resting in God, and God will work in you. For transformation to take place, you only need to allow the Holy Spirit to stay in you. The Holy Spirit is the energy of God that shines forth and shows you the way. You can see things deeply, understand deeply and love deeply."
BlankThich Nhat Hanh. _ Living Buddha, Living Christ._ Paperback edition from Riverhead Books, published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc., New York, NY 10014. 1995 - p.181

"If we are sensitive to the Spirit of Christ within us He (She) will suggest what is to be done at each moment in our relationship to God, ourselves, other people, and the cosmos. When we listen to the movements of the Spirit rather than to our own bright ideas and self-centered programs for happiness, the internal commentary that normally sustains our emotional upsets comes to an end, enabling us to accept difficult situations and people. The neutral zone that we provide allows the Spirit to act."
(author unknown)