A Deeper Understanding of Prayer No Matter Your Beliefs
If you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, Atheist, or anything in between ... you will get something from reading this article. I promise you.
First, let's start with a couple of scriptural verses that we can use as a foundation for metaphysical transformation and self identity purposes. The first one is here:
1 John 4:17
"By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because AS JESUS IS, SO ALSO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD."
Chances are good that you will not hear this verse being preached from the pulpits. Simply because if "as Jesus is, so are we in this world" ... then as Christianity believes Jesus to be God, then we are also God. There is no way to dispute the statement of fact contained in this verse.
So, now let's have a peek at Matthew 6 for a moment. Jesus is quoted as instructing:
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
What powerful and clear cut instructions. No confusion here. But, as with all scripture, there are deeper meanings hidden beneath the stories being told. The myth always contains a Truth and a lesson to be had.
First of all, don't show off. No need to make a big deal of your prayers for an audience to witness. And to "go into your room/closet" is a reference to you inner chamber ... your 'Holy of Holies' WITHIN YOU where God/Source and the Kingdom exist.
We are told to shut the door. This means quiet, isolated contact with the Divine. No distractions. Empty phrases are repetitive prayers as if you're reading them from a script. Meditation and contemplative prayer should come from your heart, your emotions, not your left brain logic. It should be fresh and heartfelt.
Next ... and very important ... he says "for your Father ALREADY knows what you need BEFORE you ask him." This is because the Father, God/Absolute/Source is WITHIN you and already knows what is needed and taking place inside of you ... in your heart and soul. This is how the God/Source WITHIN already knows before you ask.
Among the ancients, prayer was not only different, but was intended as a direct inner connection to the Divine spark of Source/God, and the universal superconsciousness that weaves throughout the entire universe creating the Matrix that binds ALL things together as One ... NOT separate things ... but One thing. Everything that exists, had its origin from the same starting point. Therefore, everything that exists is related and relative within, and without. We are all One. There is no "other."
A smile is just a frown turned upside down ... and a prayer is a desire that comes from the inside out. You are a co-creator in this universe. When you pray, or meditate, or enter contemplation, you are going within ... direct to the source of the Creator. The power within your thoughts that MUST manifest into form. This is Universal Immutable Law. But it is YOU who has to make it happen.
Just as you cast your cares to the wind, cast your dreams and desires to the universe. Release your prayer and simply know that is as it should be. No need to keep hammering it or pounding your fists to the ground. Everything is cause and effect. If you pray for someone to be cured of a disease and they are not, it is not because your prayers failed, or that God/Source doesn't answer your prayer. It is because that person you are praying for incarnated here with a mission to fulfill. And that mission may have involved a need to know the effects of sickness or disease. We are all spirit, having a physical experience. And we signed up for the experiences that we create long before we got here.
We can alter our paths with free-will, but there are certain lessons we can here to Earth School to learn. Prayer is cause and effect. It is a knowingness that you have the power to manifest your own reality. To bring thoughts, into form. Use only positive expressions in your prayers. No negative statements. For example, rather than praying for pain to subside, pray for health to return. Rather that praying to not have a bad day, pray to have a good day. Your mind, and universal consciousness knows NOT negativity. If you request to NOT to smoke today ... subconsciousness, our magic Genie, only hears "smoke today." And so you will. Forget the don't won't can't and shouldn't and go straight for the do, will, can, and should. You will notice an immediate change.
When we see God as some supernatural being "out-there" somewhere, we fail to connect with the closeness that is the Divine power within us. Omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Seek and you shall find. Ask and it shall be given. This is the Law of Cause and Effect and involves your participation and involvement. The universe os interactive and constantly changing according to the universal desires of all people of consciousness. Raise yours. Connect with your inner Higher-Self. End the suffering of all creatures. Collectively, WE HAVE THE POWER.
Just a thought ...
~Justin Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.
