Remember those analogies from school? “Mouth is to teeth as book is to pages.” What is their relationship? A mouth contains teeth and a book contains pages.
Here is mine: “Poetry is to prayer as
song is to meditation.”
What is their relationship? For me, poetry and prayer are the same, and song and meditation are the same.
To anyone who writes or enjoys both poetry and song, chew on this. 🙂 It may not be true for you, but it will make you aware of your own inner truth.
In a poem I ask. It has form, but it’s not total oneness for me. For someone else it probably is! But for me it’s a step below. Poetry is a stepping stone to the experience of oneness.
Poetry is like prayer. If I’m “already there,” knowing my oneness with God-Mind, I don’t need to pray. Similarly, if I already feel oneness, it will come out in a song, and I don’t need a poem at that time.
A poem is a spiritual thing, but more intellectual than a song. I don’t know why I feel this way. Music as you know, is technically based on complex mathematical equations. Don’t ask me about that–I neither know nor care what’s scientifically behind the music I love and love to experience. 🙂 Still, for me, songwriting, playing music, and singing come from a state of oneness that is already established. But a poem is often my mind’s way of tiring itself out, so it can be quiet and let the oneness in.
When I write I feel either of these:
* I’m not experiencing oneness right now, but I know I want to, and I know I can. So I write a poem to get there. The poem gets rid of the subconscious goo, so I can come back to oneness. This is also why I journal.
* I’m experiencing oneness now; therefore, I write a song.
What does this have to do with prayer and meditation? Two things resonated with me in my metaphysical ministry lessons along this line. The first is that prayer is talking; meditation is listening. Poetry is expressing in words, the desire for oneness, the knowing it can be so, and its realization. So is prayer.
Second, meditation is the highest form of prayer. Music has always been important to me as a form of relaxation, expression, a place of comfort, and a way to experience good regardless of what’s happening around me. So, and again I only speak for myself here, music is like meditation.
In meditation I know my at-one-ment. And I know it in music as well.
In prayer I consciously connect with at-one-ment, but I’m not quite there yet. Likewise, in poetry I’m reaching for the at-one-ment I know I can have, but I haven’t realized it (made it my reality) yet.
For more, see Affirmative Prayer Class Week 1. Notice how the benefits of prayer and the benefits of writing poetry are similar.
Also think about this. Do you remember more songs, or poems? My experience has been that many people can sing songs automatically, but few can recite a poem from memory.
Do both poetry and song connect with the primal force of creation? I believe they do. It resonates with me, if, indeed, “the word was made flesh.” If “in the beginning there was the Word,” then was it a word of poetry? Or was it a song? I wonder…
The idea here is: the rhythm, the creative force, the form of poetry and song remind us of our ability to create. We create our reality within our own minds. Everything already exists, but we don’t experience it all at once! What we do experience, is what we’re consciously connected to.
If we want to experience true Universal oneness, how can we do that? Through asking, or praying, or using poetry if that works for us.
And when we experience that oneness “now,” we are in a state of joy, happiness, love, bliss, peace, meditation… Like a favorite melody or lyric, where we are so focused on Being that we know only this moment. We don’t have to ask, attract, focus–we just BE.
The poem is a reaching tool, reaching into Higher Mind. It usually starts with more “me” and less Higher Mind.
Song, for me, is Higher Mind expressing itself. There is much less, if any “me” and lots of Higher Mind.
Poetry is me telling Higher Mind something–funny, it never seems to work as well as I think it should! Because ideally, I’m in a state of song, where I let Higher Mind tell, guide, and flow through me.
The really cool thing is that we can create the poem or song. And at the same time, it has its own existence. It’s a form, an expression, and it’s a support to us. A poem (song, or anything else we resonate with!) can remind us of Truth. And/or it can be created/written from the experience of Truth itself.
Poetry and song, like prayer and meditation, and like every one of us, are fluid. Always evolving, changing, expanding, improving, and expressing. This is Creativity; this is Truth. This is the God-Power within us, flowing through us.
All we do is allow it to flow and express through us, as we are God-Creations, into our individual expressions of divine Creativity–which are God-Creations too! And they go forth and play a part in creating a feeling, striking a chord, or lighting a spark in someone else, who expresses more God-Creativity…
So, while I tend to use poetry to release negativity and/or ask for a blessing, and song to express “oneness now,” I ask to let them fly. I ask to be open to their purposes as well as my own, and not to put them in a locked box where they cannot express fully.
I give thanks for this realization; for the forms and expressions of poetry and song; and for the state of being where being, is all we are.
To all men, who have the potential to be fathers–
of children, inventions, projects, and of their own lives
I thank you for your good
Appreciate you for your love
Admire you for your strength
Respect you for your provision
Express gratitude for your protection
And love you… for being you!
May you always feel loved, blessed, whole,
And connected to the Father within you.
As I have for all but 2 times I’ve lead a Sunday service, I shared a new song with Do not Worry: Why and How? I hesitate to say I write these songs, though the ideas, words, music and form come through me. I know it is really God who writes them, and I’m thankful for that!
This song is very special to me. As a child I was intrigued by the New Testament verses about lilies being more glorious than Solomon in all his splendor, and the birds being fed. I imagined it as auto-feed – the birds need food, and they just magically receive it from God? Wow! And the lilies just stand there and grow to be so beautiful!
Now, I’m still intrigued, and I’ve been blessed to experience the peace of that state of oneness. We’re not separate beings that need to feed ourselves and clothe ourselves, because we’re all alone and no one will do it for us. When I thought about this before, the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves” came to mind. So that blows the whole “Your Father takes care of you” thing out of the water, doesn’t it?
Actually, no! “God helps those who help themselves” means God helps those who are one with His Presence. God helps those who help their own state of consciousness. And when we are one in mind with God-Mind, we know that truly, we don’t need help. And we know that no one outside us, will take care of us, no matter what appearances seem to say. Instead, we have a deeper knowing that our Father – the God-Power within each of us – is the Source of all care.
This song is special because it was a tool for me to experience these truths. And the experience of writing it was amazing!
I was camping, spending time in beautiful weather, in an area with lots of birds and trees. I took my ukulele and sat quietly, letting things flow around me and thoughts flow through my mind. Whenever I played a loud chord, the birds stopped singing. When it was quiet, they sang again. And when I played the notes in the song, they kept singing. This was truly a blessing and a gift, and again I feel thankful to the Infinite God-within, that helps us experience such beauty.
So, as you take in this song, take in the birds, their peace, their song and the beauty of how God cares for them. Christ said, “Are you not of more value than they?”
Sunday service/celebration reflecting on why and how we can live in peace, free of worry, stress and struggle. Audio includes invocation, treatment for health, scripture (within talk), message, meditation, and affirmation. Approximately 30 minutes in length.
See also Daily Word for Sunday, June 9, 2013 – not included here.
Invocation
I call forth God’s presence, from the center of my mind. I release all negativity from the past week, and open myself to God-thoughts, inspired action, and peace of mind and heart. I allow God to work through me, and flow through me to others. I give thanks that at any time, I can bring my focus back to God’s presence, within me always. As I let it be so, so it is!
Excerpt from Teach us to Pray
by Charles Fillmore
Talk to the Father as if He were an entity present within you. He is visible to your soul, and when you have attained the particular inner confidence called faith, you will realize His presence as clearly as you realize visible things. When you have stilled the outer senses and have become quiet, you are in the mental realm where thoughts are obedient to the word. Error thoughts must be told to go, and true thoughts must be called to take their proper place.
. . .
Six-day Prayer Treatments
Fear, anxiety, worry, dread, and suspense–these thoughts cause the mind to become tense, thus shutting out the great helper, the Spirit of truth. Say silently:
I am now free from fear, anxiety, worry, dread, and suspense. I have faith in Thy Holy Spirit, and I trust Thee to protect me, to provide for me, and to bring all my affairs into divine order.
I know that God knows I have needs. In this moment I choose to release all worry to the God within me. I allow peace and security to take its place. Whenever I feel worry, I turn within to experience peace. I let God supply my needs, guide my life, and lift my mind to the highest and best, for me and for everyone. For this I give thanks. I let it be so. And so it is!
We often hear the word “self-soothe” regarding babies. It usually means they shove a tiny fist in their mouths to keep from crying. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like self-suppression to me. So, how can we, as spiritual beings living a human experience, self-soothe for the better?
Self-soothing means gently lifting the ego and personality to a higher state of consciousness. The object isn’t to have no ego or personal uniqueness at all! Instead, it is to willingly rest the personal ego and character in the hands of Universal, Higher, God, or Cosmic Mind. How you do that will depend on what resonates with you at any moment. Here are some ideas:
* Music–music is a powerful force. It’s an expression that comes right from the heart. When used for good, music can bring us back from a negative physical, mental, emotional or spiritual place.
Types of music are so diverse! With a little asking for guidance and a search of your music collection, you’re sure to find some that can, as I often say, “Match you, then take you higher.” Maybe you’ll need to start with a piece that reflects where you are–sadness, anger, etc. But consciously choose to move on from that, with a better-feeling piece of music. Keep doing this until you are where you want to be in consciousness and vibration.
Meditation–Of course, meditation is always recommended. 😀 Connecting with the God-Power within you is the best way to drop what you don’t want, for what you want.
But sometimes meditation isn’t practical, or you’re just so caught up in feelings and emotions that it seems pointless, or even fuels the negative feelings. At times like this it can be helpful to use something else first. Music as above, writing, or walking can help. Or take a coffee or tea break, talk to a friend–but be careful not to dwell on the negativity! So distract yourself from the negative feelings, then meditate to affirm well-being.
Writing–No, this is not “for writers!” In fact, self-professed writers might have trouble with this! This is for you, and you don’t even have to read it, not even once. This is stream of consciousness writing. You write what you think, as you think it. Your hand or fingers might have trouble keeping up with your thoughts, but that’s ok. Just write.
Write until you feel the burden lift, until you feel soothed. Then choose what to do with it: keep it, burn it, read it, don’t read it, bury it. Do whatever will add to a positive state of mind–that’s why many people don’t keep the writing, because it doesn’t serve highest good to do so. 🙂
Review your creations–In What is Self-expression? I mentioned using my songs to self-soothe. I know you’ve created something you’re proud of! Or maybe someone has given you something that reminds you of your achievements. Use these things to remind yourself that you’ve felt positive before. When you’re “there,” you can shift to the idea that you can feel positive, be creative, and achieve goals again. This is my current favorite way of coming out of the fog of negativity.
Realize that the same thing may not work all the time. Just because music usually works, for instance, doesn’t mean it always will. Be open to new ways of bringing your personal mind into alignment with Higher Mind. Because as we evolve, so do our ways of responding to life.
Self-soothing in this case, is not escapism. It’s not about just forgetting how you feel or what’s bothering you. It’s about truly sublimating negativity with positiveness. It doesn’t mean you’ll never feel negative again. But as you practice this true self-soothing, you’ll reach for positiveness more quickly. You’ll connect intuitively with the God-Presence within you, maintain contact with it, and allow it to express itself in your life.
Prayer, meditation, reading, journaling, listening to music… These and many other practices can be tools for self-discovery. However we spend our time should be fulfilling, fun, joyous and beneficial. And spiritual practice is ideally rewarding.
The idea here is to choose tools that resonate with you. Journaling, for instance, is a valuable practice for many people. However, taking up journaling just because it’s “recommended” may not be rewarding for you. Whatever tools you choose to deepen your spiritual practice must be beneficial to you.
If you currently have a journaling practice, is it working for you? Do you feel that it connects you to God at the center of your mind? If not, perhaps explore new journaling tools and techniques. Or try a different tool, like listening to music, another form of meditation, or prayer.
The purpose of true metaphysics is to connect with the God-within, and use that power in your life. Any practices you engage in regularly should meet this goal.
The question is, how do you discover the tools that work for you? The answer is so obvious that many of us (and I do mean US!) overlook it. The way to fulfilling, deep and beneficial spiritual practice is to ask for guidance. Maybe you feel you don’t pray, meditate or write well. But that’s ok! All you need to do is quiet your mind and ask with a clear intention, “I ask for guidance from the God-Mind within myself, toward the physical and spiritual tools that deepen my awareness of the Presence.” This simple affirmation will open your conscious mind to God-Mind, and truly, this is all we ever need to do.
May the God within you bless you, fulfill you, and bring you tools that are fun, joyful and rewarding for the enrichment of your life!
This metaphysical prayer treatment is most effective combined with meditation. This way it’s not just a prayer for oneness, but when used while in contact with the God-Mind in meditation, is truly a prayer from the state, or experience of oneness.
I acknowledge and recognize that there is but one Mind and one Life in the Universe. That Life is God, the Universe itself, Cosmic Intelligence, One-Mind, Universal Consciousness, First Cause, Source of all, and Creator of all things. I know that this Mind is eternal, and that all that exists within it, exists also in the single moment of eternity.
I know that I am one with and within the Eternal Mind. I accept this oneness now, and realize that it is the Truth of my being.
I know that all that I think, feel, say and do sets up psychic vibrations that radiate within the Universal Mind. I know that each vibration I radiate affects Life and the world within and around me.
Therefore, I choose to set aside my personal ego sense of identity, and consciously connect myself with the God-Mind within me. I allow myself to know and experience oneness.
In this way, the psychic vibrations I emanate are in alignment with the Higher God Mind. They promote love, joy, peace, prosperity, creativity, fun, openness, intuition, and fulfillment, in my life and in all individualized expressions of the one Life that is God made manifest.
Through and within each person and thing, God is made manifest. In choosing to align myself with God-Mind, I amplify my awareness of the God-Presence within every being.
I allow myself to rest in God, to live in Universal Good, to be fulfilled by Universal Plenty, and to experience and share Cosmic Peace with the world around me. For in oneness there is no inside, no outside, no time, no space, no self, and no others. There is only one Life, and that Life is my Life now.
For this realization and experience of God’s oneness, I give thanks. I let it be so. And so it is!
For personalized, confidential treatment services, Click here.
Want to create your own metaphysical prayer practice? Take my free, self-paced online class: Affirmative Prayer: What is it and why Should I Care? (Note that the posts are listed in descending order… So start from the bottom up, with week 1.)
Christina Katz, The Prosperous Writer is one of my favorite inspirational authors. She writes for writers, particularly mom-writers. I have a child as some of you know, but Christina’s work goes far beyond offering practical writing advice to moms – although she does that too! What really draws me to her, is her joyful, prosperous spirit and consciousness.
I don’t know Christina personally and have no idea where she stands on religion and/or spirituality. And it doesn’t matter! What matters is that she applauds self-expression. Though she teaches writing courses, her approach is not a cookie cutter one where every author’s work comes out seeming the same. She encourages people to follow their own voice, heart, style and platform. I really enjoy Christina’s work and wish her continued prosperity, peace and joy!
I mention Christina now because she asked herself 3 questions in her Writer Mama Every Day in May Book Giveaway post. I loved these questions; they truly spoke to my heart so much that I want to answer them for myself.
So here they are…
1. Is self-expression an important part of your life today, why or why not?
Self-expression is a very important part of my life. In fact, it is my life.
“My life” to me, means what I, as a unique individual, am here to bring forth. Why am I a manifestation of God/Spirit now? Why me, in this particular body, with this mind, and these things I love? What am I as Spirit, here to express as this person?
Throughout my pre-training as I call it, ministerial training, music and more, I’ve come to realize that Self-expression is just that – Highest Self expressing in the world. That is my frame of reference, and I’m grateful for it!
Prior to that, I thought life was just, what can I do? But it’s not about what I, or anyone else, DOES. It’s about what I AM, and what YOU ARE. Because when we fully express that, the doing falls into place and is authentic, without us even thinking about it. That is Self-expression, and it’s important enough to put me right here, right now.
2. What does self-expression mean to you and how do you do it in the world?
Self-expression is Spirit expressing through and as me. I do it through contacting the God-Presence within myself, that is my True Self. Without this contact, it would simply be self-expression, with a lower case s, expression of personality and personal ego. There’s nothing wrong with personality, and having one! We all have one; I think it’s Spirit’s way of expanding itself and making the world colorful and beautiful! But when all we express is personality, we sell ourselves, God and the world short.
By making and maintaining contact with God-Within, we can Self-express. To me, this is always much deeper, more joyful and more fun than expressing a personality. It’s better than black and white vs. color TV. And you thought that was good!
So how do I self-express in the world? I contact the God-Presence, connect myself consciously to it, and express how it leads. Right now these means are writing, music, weaving, teaching, speaking and ministry in all sorts of ways! But I’m open to change! I’m conscious to stay open, not to be in a specialization rut, where “this” is “all I can do.” Instead, I affirm that all channels are open to me for Highest Self-expression. I allow Spirit to express through me into the world.
3. How does your self-expression impact the world—your family, your friends, your readers, and everyone else?
On this, I can only recall what I’ve heard others say. But I also know that nothing can exist in a vacuum. Let me explain…
I’ve heard people say that I’m easy to talk to. I’m glad.
People attend and benefit from my classes. Good, that’s why I offer them.
People read and enjoy my writing. Awesome, I do too. 🙂
And that, my friends, is the whole thing. I self-soothe with my self-expression. I soothe and re-align my personal ego to the God-Mind, using my own work. For instance, I keep many of my songs on my mp3 player. When I feel less than positive, I listen to them, or sing them, to remind myself that I’ve felt good before, and I can again.
How does this impact the world? Well, like The Butterfly Effect and You, one person’s alignment with Highest Good can and does have far-reaching effects! And thank God for that! My self-expression gives hope, encouragement, inspiration and spiritual law, so that others can contact and experience God-Within for themselves.
Thank you, Christina, for this reminder of what self-expression means to me and how important it truly is!
Try this. Go around looking for it, “Where is it? Where is it?” And you will find it, whatever it is. Remember too, that things do not happen to you – they happen through you, by the grace and power of God within you.
So look for the “miracle,” knowing as you do, that you are part of it. A drop of water on the sand is still part of the ocean. A grain of sand is a valued part of the beach. Each leaf, flower and fruit is just as important as the tree itself.
And you are a valued asset to your family, friends, community, the outer manifest Universe, and above all – the God-Mind that is the Source and Substance of all things!
Everything you say, do, think, feel, and believe contributes to the “rest of the world”. You’ve heard of the Butterfly Effect? Where a butterfly’s wings affect life on the other side of the world… Amazing, isn’t it?
But that’s not only true for our butterfly friends! It applies just as much to every person in existence now. Because we have the ability to think and to allow our thoughts and feelings to affect us, we also choose how they affect us. Our response, in turn, affects everything around us.
Will something good happen through you today? Yes, if you allow it! Choose positivity over negativity, not just in your thoughts, words and actions, but on a deeper level, for that is where it matters most and promotes lasting change.
This is not work! It’s pure joy and peace, found in contacting the God-Presence within you. Conjure up for yourself a feeling of oneness. Unconditional love, acceptance, and oneness with all things. Maybe start with the butterfly and feel yourself at one with it. This unity is the God-Presence. Then, meditate on – relax with, contemplate, be still with – this feeling, and when you’ve finished, take it back with you into your daily activities. It will color your thoughts and activities with a brightness and unity that can be yours any time, and all the time.
Enjoy this day and this eternal moment – because eternity is yours, right now!
I acknowledge and recognize that there is one Mind and one manifesting body in the Universe. This Mind is the God-Mind, and the body that is the Universe, is God’s body. This body that is God’s is my body now. I know that God within me is the source of health, strength, and vitality in my own physical body.
I know that when I experience pain, it’s a signal to my mind and body to reconnect with the Presence of God within me. Pain is only a signal; it is neither good nor bad. Illness and the appearance of any sickness, is an opportunity to reconnect and bring my awareness back to the health that is my divine right.
I realize and I accept that health can be mine, through the God-Presence within me, that is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-seeing. Limitations as to how health can come to me, or what has to happen for me to be healthy, fall away. I bring my faith and my awareness – my inner knowing – back to the God-Presence. And I release physical outcomes. I accept that God knows I have physical needs, and that I can have the health that is my divine birthright. God-Mind wants its creations to be healthy, and I as a child of God, am healthy now.
I allow the reality of my ultimate, divine health to manifest itself in all perfect ways. These include mental health, physical health, emotional health and well-being, strength and vitality whenever and wherever I need it.
In the peace and calm of this time, I release attachments to having to do things to create my own health through a personal ego sort of action; physically oriented steps. I know that when I must take physical action to manifest health, I do so with divine inspiration. SO that the actions I take are the right actions for my path, according to the God within myself.
As I realize my own health on all levels of my being, I give thanks. I let it be so, now and always. And so it is!
What is God’s Body
I’ve never used those words in a treatment before. But they came up this time, and someone asked what they meant. 🙂
If God-Mind is Universal Mind or consciousness, then God’s body is the physical universe. The manifest Universe, everything that has any form at all, is God’s body.
If your personal mind is an individualized manifestation (form or part) of God-Mind, then what is your physical body? An individualized part, as a drop is of the ocean, of God’s body.
In the Bible the body is called the Temple of God, Temple of the Holy Spirit, body Temple, or body of Christ. What is it really a Temple of? God-Mind. Our bodies, as the physical forms they are, contain the God-Mind. They contain it in that they are vehicles to manifest God-Thought. And they contain it, because our bodies are made of, and come from, God-Mind or Universal Consciousness.
Christ Consciousness is another name for the God-Presence within us. So the body of Christ, is truly our body (including our physical bodies) as well.
God-Mind within me, Universal Consciousness of all, I know that You know I have financial needs.
I know that Your desire for me, as one of Your creations, is that I have all I need to have a fulfilling life on this earthly plane of existence. I know that my desire to fulfill all my financial obligations is good, and I know that it comes from You, the Source of all things.
I know that the people I receive services from are one with You. They come from Your oneness, and they are made of Your presence, just like I am. It is right that they receive their compensation for the services that they provide.
I know that money is a form of exchange here on this earthly plane. And I know that at its essence, money is Your presence. All desires of my heart and my mind are implanted by You, and where there is a desire, there is always fulfillment.
And so I release all attachments that I have to sources of income, means of payment, ideas of how money must come to me, or how obligations must be met. You must have ways of meeting obligations that I, in my personal mind, know nothing about. I accept the possibility that somewhere, beyond my ego and any attachments I hold, all my financial needs are met, now.
In Your peace, I rest in the realization that the people who provide me services, the people that I owe money to on this plane – their needs are met as well. Because You are the Source of all desires, you are the Source of all fulfillment. Nothing can exist apart from Your presence.
I allow Your presence to meet all of my needs and the needs of those who provide me services here.
I accept that all my financial obligations are immediately met. I do not need to know how they are met, and by what means. I only need to know and realize that in Your ultimate presence, all needs are met.
I give thanks for the meeting of these needs, in whatever form that manifests. It could be money, but it might not be. And I give thanks for the infinite number of ways, that You have in Your wisdom and presence, of meeting the needs of all Your creations. In peace I realize that I am one. I am one with You; I am one with any desire and its fulfillment. And for this, I give thanks. I let it be so. And so it is!
The Treatment Experience
Everyone in the live class, myself included, felt relaxed after our prayer treatments. Some felt a sense of possibility and openness, and that their focus shifted from the problem, to a better state of mind.
The rest is yours! It is for you to take the time to pray/treat. It’s up to you to allow the God within you, to expand your conscious mind. Even when working with a Practitioner, it’s still your allowing that makes a treatment successful – or your not allowing that makes it seem like it didn’t work.
Where does prayer/treatment come from, and what should I pray for?
Prayer comes through us. If you’ve ever enfolded someone in love, sang and wondered where “that voice” came from, or felt amazed at something you created or accomplished; then you’ve had the experience of being a channel.
“Lord, make me a channel (or instrument) of Your peace…”
When we pray out loud, the words flow through us. We simply allow them to be spoken, or written by our voice, or our hands. Our sense of personal, solitary existence falls away; and we feel divine oneness. This is like a meditative experience and can also be felt in prayer. For me, that feeling comes when I know, no question, that the prayer is answered. We call this step realization.
Prayer comes from the Divine Mind. It comes from God, the Source of all desire and fulfillment of desire.
And that is how we know what to ask for in prayer. We ask, aloud if need be, for the prayer to come through us. We ask to be a vehicle or channel of God-Thought. And the prayer is carried out, answered or demonstrated through us.
If we don’t know what to pray for, or how to pray, or what words to use, we ask for divine clarity and intuition. Then, we let go of personal agendas and give thanks for the ability to channel God-Thought into our minds, hearts and lives.
Letting go is the key. Put down the personal ego, release the intellectual thinking mind, set down the monkey-mind (you know, the one that chatters on and on endlessly all day long…), and go within where Truth lives. This is a peaceful place, and many of us have trouble being here. It’s because we’ve been taught to struggle. But whatever we’ve learned, we have the choice and opportunity to unlearn. Whatever we’ve accepted to be true and real, we can sublimate with something better – Ultimate Truth. Meditation and prayer, done separately at different times, work together to bring us back to oneness, where isolated, personal existence is less dominant. And all I can say to that, is, “Thank God!”
What is a Successful Treatment?
Simply and beautifully, a successful treatment shifts perception and perspective.
Did you start our treatment for health with a list of issues? Possibly, and that’s ok.
Did you end with a peaceful knowing? A sense of possibility and openness? Even relief on any level? If so, then the treatment was successful for you.
A successful treatment brings our awareness and perception back to ultimate, divine reality. Now, it’s not far off and something we just read about; it’s ours and we know it in a conscious way.
Yet metaphysical treatment itself doesn’t do that “for us.” Neither does meditation or any other practice. Metaphysical practices are just tools. Each of us individually, needs to allow and cultivate our own connection to God-within.
Class Outline
Follow along below in the last section of the class outline. Explanations begin with *.
VII. Prayer Practice Guidelines
* You are encouraged to create a prayer practice that is a joy to you! Below are just some things to consider as a starting place.
A. Quiet yourself as much as you can
* Using meditation, relaxation techniques, deep breathing, and/or focusing our attention on a calm feeling, we allow the mind to become quiet. Anyone can pray anywhere, at any time! And the more consciously we pray, the better. This is why inner quiet is encouraged.
B. Go within, directing attention to God at the center of your mind
* Phrases like:
* God-Mind at the center of my mind
* God within me
* Higher Mind at the nucleus of my mind
* Universal presence within
* Spirit at the core of my being
And more are used to direct our attention inward. Christ said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” This is where we direct our attention before and during prayer – to the core of our being which is Universal, God, Spirit, Cosmic or Christ Consciousness.
* See last week for a refresher of the attitude or mental space to hold for effective prayer.
D. Pray at least 3 times daily
* Why? Isn’t that a little strict?
1. As continual treatment of your consciousness
* Prayer, like any other thought, is cumulative. The more we pray, the more our mind is being opened and expanded. And the more we live as though our prayer is answered. So we pray for instance, 3 times a day, to continually tune up our mind to the Truth.
Since prayer doesn’t take long and can be done anywhere, it doesn’t have to be a large time commitment. Prayer may take longer at the beginning, but the more we pray, the more quickly we realize–make our prayer real to us. The more quickly we “realize,” the less time prayer takes.
2. To expand this “treated” positive consciousness
* Again, this is an opening of consciousness, or personal mind. As we pray, positive thoughts, feelings and beliefs accumulate. Where? In our subconscious mind, which controls our surface, or conscious mind. So regular prayer expands both the subconscious and conscious mind, improving the root of our beliefs and our daily attitude all at once.
3. To keep consciousness open to the power of God to answer
* We’ve said before that more doubt than prayer, breeds answers that take longer. Regular prayer keeps positive, ultimate reality at the forefront of our minds and hearts. It keeps us open to and conscious of the God-Power within, and its ability and desire to answer our prayers.
4. To strengthen your faith that the prayer is answered
* Prayer feeds itself. It feeds strength, faith, intuition, knowing, and daily life. Doubt and negative feelings feed themselves too… So our choice is, which will we feed? Prayer, or negativity? Faith, or doubt? Knowing, or wobbling? More faith, through prayer, gives us more faith. When we live this faith, from an inner knowing that it is so…
5. As a tool, use with visualization of, and meditation on the prayer in completed form (demonstrated)
* then so it is! Use verbal or written prayer as a tool. Combine it with meditation and/or visualization. Be conscious of visualization, as not to limit the outcome. Ask for, “This (visual or feeling picture) or something better.” This way we don’t limit what the God-Mind can express to and through us. See the prayer already manifest, answered, formed or demonstrated. See it done; live it done. Because in God-Mind, it is already done. The sooner we intuit this, the sooner manifestation happens.
As always, if you have any comments, questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me!
Mystical Strings 
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