The Value of Prayer
The Value of Prayer
By: Grace Blair, Author
An excerpt from “Five Mystical Keys to Courage, Confidence and Creativity”
It takes practice to become more at-one, more honest and more in tune
with yourself. To begin a life of living more with God and His loving
there are three basic principles: discipline, devotion, and introspection.
Our personality requires discipline for self-control, otherwise our
physical desires, the unquenchable thirst for food, sex, love and other
worldly objects get out of control as we try to own and control
things and people. Making a commitment at an appointed time everyday
to go inside and contact God through prayer and
introspection builds confidence, detachment from worldly objects, inner
strength, and compassion enabling us to give of our self to the world.
Devotion is love. We need devotion to prove a way of life in which
we let go of the physical world and walk in the presence of God,
reminding us of the first commandment requiring us to love God with
all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. Sometimes we give
of our heart, soul, and mind as possible to our fellow human
beings, while trying hard not to forget God. We can at least say we are
not forgetting God. But Jesus’ claim is much more radical. He asks for a
single-minded commitment to God and God alone. God wants all
our heart, all our mind, and all our soul. It is this unconditional and
unreserved love for God that leads to the care for our neighbor, not as
an activity which distracts us from God or competes with our attention
for God, but as an expression of our love for God who reveals Himself
to us as the God of all people. When we go inside, we are in devotion, a
humbleness of the spirit appears, a connectedness to the Holy Spirit
begins to take place. All our anxieties, depressions, and worries about the
world is gone and replaced with a tender loving.
Despite being raised in a strict religious family, I did not know
God was loving and merciful. What I knew was to be afraid of Him,
I was a sinner beyond Him. And I was not worthy
of His love. I was ignorant, not a sinner I did not know any better.
I was saying words to God with a feeling of being
disconnected, that He was somewhere “out there,” in the sky, in a
minister, in a church …. but certainly not in me.
The need to feel validated lead me to fill my need for love and
recognition in areas outside of myself. Others confirmed my worth in how I
presented myself with money and accomplishments I earned at work.
Likewise, as I worked more, I rewarded my false sense of self-esteem even more.
As I continued my life from a sense of lack and need, I drew people and
situations where I felt used and abused. Intimate personal relationships
became a battleground of power and control. If I do this for you, will
you see me as a worthy person? Will you like me? Love me? Will you
make me safe? Will you rescue me? Living in my mind, emotions and
the low self-esteem of my false ego gave me great experiences and
lessons.
Since my healing crisis in 1989, putting God first has made a world of
difference in my life. Prayer has been a way-shower that helps me to stay
centered in the gentle, sweet happiness of my heart and wisdom of my
mind and intuitive knowing. God and Jesus have become intimate
personal friends.
Each day when I pray and meditate, I see them inside
my creative imagination and I affirm every day that God loves
me and gives me all good things. That I love Him and do only the things
he would want me to do.
Often, I will share a situation or a person with Him and ask for a way
I can know and understand how to manage a particular situation.
In my mind and heart, God is everywhere and in everything.
All things come from God, and I give thanks for all I have
and ask God to go forward to all people and situations in my life for the
day and its events. I ask to be of service and surrender in loving trust to
His loving care knowing He brings me all good things: health, wealth,
happiness, abundance, prosperity, riches through opportunities of
loving and sharing.
With these blessings and intention, I receive in loving gratitude all
His gifts allow His Light to show me what is next for me to do.
God is not the bellhop in the sky to deliver every whim or wish. To let
go and let God is to let go of false pride of “I Know” to one of
surrendering the rationalizing (rationing lies) of your life to the truth of
what is really going on. This takes great courage and maturity. Prayer is a
personal encounter and a transforming one.
Do not resist your negative thoughts and feelings, they will just continue to grow.
Instead, embrace them by calling in God’s loving light for the highest good and ask God,
to show you what to do and what the lesson might be that you are learning.
Then let God know how grateful you are for His loving guidance and for all the gifts, talents, people, and things you have in the material world. He genuinely loves everyone and is just waiting to pour out more of His abundance if only we would become a disciple through
disciplining our self in daily prayer.
God does more than hear words He reads our hearts. Jesus taught that
all good and bad originates in men’s hearts. “A good man out of the
good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil
man out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil.
For the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” (Luke 6:45)
Although I have authored this book and manual for a specific audience
for Christians, I recognize and honor the different
religious paths. As human beings in a sophisticated society,
each culture has its own beliefs; each saying your way differs from my way, your
savior is not my savior; your forever is not my forever. But all life is one life.
There is only one game in progress. This is one race, with all colors of race,
creed and culture. We argue the name of God, what building, what day, what ritual.
What do his stories mean? Truth is truth. If you hurt someone, you hurt yourself.
If you help someone, you help yourself. Blood and bone are in all people.
It is the heart and intent that matter. All life is everywhere.
Whatever religious belief, you must follow it, whether it be Christian,
Muslim, Hindu, Hebrew, Jewish… there is truth and love in God’s word
in every text and prayer. Make God and prayer first in your priorities of
life and the boundaries you make will be easier and there will be more
joy, peace, and happiness.
Try this God
Bless, You exercise
Sit back comfortably in a chair, relax with your arms and legs
uncrossed. Close your eyes and imagine surrounding yourself and filling up
and protected in God’s loving light. As you see this, say to yourself,
Father Mother God, I ask just now that your Light surrounds, fill and
Protect me. I want only to see and hear that which is the truth
and what is right for me now.” Feel the warmth and security from
within.
Now that love and truth surround you, take a deep breath.
Take a breath and say these words, “God bless you. I love you.”
See these words going out then making an arc and coming back into your heart.
Do this three times. Breathe in this loving. You are now in touch with
your own loving and God are filling your heart.
After doing this process for five minutes, just sit quietly and listen
inwardly. Open your eyes. Take three deep breaths and write what you
experienced.
