Effective Prayer [and why prayers go unanswered]

To The Creator [some call it “God”], the Big Bang never ended. From The Creator's point of view it is still happening and we are merely sparks flying around in the maelstrom. To The Creator there is no concept of linear time. This is why The Creator needed to enter It's creation—where time segments reality in to an infinity of moments. That's who we are—The Creator's eyes and ears. In order for The Creator to experience the wonder of It's own creation, The Creator become life.

Most prayers are uttered from the mind-set of a God as some entity living in an “above,” who, upon hearing the prayer, hopefully, will listen and summon up Godly powers to manifest the intent of this feeble plea. But, in reality, this individual, on bent knees, being an aspect of The Creator, is merely acting as a person praying—a person praying to something that doesn't exist. Like an actor playing the role of someone praying. The prayer will only be answered if the playwright wrote it that way. Thus the “prayer” is nothing more than words spoken to entertain a passive observer—an observer that puts it into the same context as a prayer scene in a Waltons episode.

Prayer that is done from the knowing that the one praying is also the power behind the prayer, has a chance of actually manifesting something. Prayer that is uttered from the Mind of The Creator via the human mind, is more like a command. It is more like The Creator willing something into being.

Another way to characterize the difference, is to notice the begging nature of the former style of prayer. Like a child supplicating favors from a parent. In the latter style, it's more like a declaration. To use the theater metaphor, it's an actual rewrite strait from the author.

Here are some examples of effective prayer:

I recognize myself as co-creator with all the power of The Creator, and from that knowing, I manifest so-and-so!

or

I know myself as co-creator, and through the oneness of all things, I know this for <person's name> that is in need of <whatever it is they need> and through this mutual knowing I see them as <being in a state of having whatever they need> and it is so because I will it so!

Sounds impertinent doesn't it? And a bit egocentric. But that's merely because of how we were raised. Because of the cultural meme that would have us humble ourselves and “know our place”. Well, this is knowing our place. This is being humble. Let me explain. Being humble doesn't mean being mediocre or constrained. It doesn't mean denying who you are, or what you are capable of. Humility comes after the deed. The humble person doesn't crow about their accomplishment or use it to induce admiration. It's not about the ego for a humble person. To put it succinctly: Humility is the lack of the desire to impress, not the lack of being impressive.

What you were told is misinformation. A falsehood perpetuated through generations by members of society too afraid to question or that didn't even know such a question existed. The truth is, you are a divine being. A co-creator. Whether you realize it or not, you are, right now, co-creating your reality. Why is it co-creation and not creation? Because, the Universe, as a whole, is being created by the The Creator. And you are co-creating your personal reality. The trick is to come into command of that personal reality. There is unconscious co-creation, driven by history and carnal concerns, and there is conscious co-creation, engaged in from the mind of Love and Joyful Expression.

And, truly, for this to really work, you must be connected to the moment—authentically ensconced in the energy of the desire. Full of the buzz and hum of the need. In short you must be connected to the pulse of life. This is what it means to be in the now. Every moment pulses with wonder. Live in this state and you will be a walking prayer! Live with your heart and mind wide open and all will be joyful and complete. From this state, you have merely to speak your truth, and you have said your prayers. From this state, desire becomes empathy and need becomes expression. You no longer desire, you serve. You no longer need, you share your passion!

Achieving, and then maintaining this state can be difficult. It requires going beyond fear—which typically means, rising above one's history. The body, with it's network of pain sensors, compels what I call, the ambient cringe. Most of us have a brain wired for leeriness. Once injured, the painful experience is cached in the brain and moment by moment, compared to sensory data in anticipation of the next bump or scrape. This part of the brain compels us to always be on the ready. Because of this, we hold our bodies in a perpetual cringe state as we walk around in life.

This can, and usually does, become so common that it feels normal. Even when one thinks they're relaxed, one probably is't fully relaxed.

If you are not feeling intense bliss in every inch of your body—if there isn't a roar of energy surging through your being—if you're not responding to every moment with joy and wonder—you're not fully relaxed.

In this state there's a clarity and sparkle in the mind and a lightness in the spirit. I often experience this during meditation. Occasionally I've carried it into daily life. One morning, after a powerful spiritual retreat, I was on a fairy, crossing the Strait of Georgia on my way to Vancouver, Canada. It was late winter and the sun was rising behind an icy sheet. The forty degree breeze had no effect on my mood or my body temperature as I gleefully, in nothing but khakis and shirt sleeves, pointed my camera at the stunning scenery.

In this state, one's demeanor is enough to charm creation to one's bidding. And, because this state is Love's wellspring, that bidding is nothing but the wiles of Joy and Sweetness.

Like they say, be careful what you ask for, you might get it. And, in fact, if you do get it, it was you doing the giving! So, no worries—if you don't like it, change it! And change it again. And, with practice, you will, without a hitch, get what you really want in life—for you—for your loved ones—and eventually for the other loved ones—all of humanity—all of life—throughout the Universe!

Love's Edict

Nature is driven by the following three genetic edicts:

• Survive
• Procreate [indirectly linked to survival but still a separate mandate – just consider how the drive to procreate can, and often does, trump the will to survive]
• Improve the species

And generally the three interact in the following dynamic: survive long enough to procreate or die before the genetic pool is polluted by your inadequacies.

But, there is a 'new' edict—new in the sense that awareness of it is only a few thousand years old vs. the hundreds of millions of years life has teamed on the planet. And this edict is not a natural response to life. In fact, it's hard to imagine any life form, evolving from the muck, against the harsh elements of the Universe, arriving at this way of being merely from carnal logic. Perceiving the content of this new edict seems to require vision beyond the senses—which, is why, in most courts, it's an edict considered anything but sensible.

I like to call it “Love's Edict”. Love is central to all. Why? Because, all is really one. Love thy neighbor as thy self, because thy neighbor is thy self! Love's Edict trumps survival. It even trumps procreation. And, in Love's eyes, there is nothing to improve. All is as it is, to be delighted in as one delights in a smash-hit Broadway show. A sort of Broadway reality game show.

If survival is cherished, it is done so as part of the game, with no more earnest than provoked by friendly competition. If procreation is pursued [and I'm making a distinction between sex and procreation], it is to preserve the game for future players [or theater goers]. And any improvements are done in the joy of artful creation.

This higher perspective is grounded in the knowledge that life is an illusion, time and space really don't exist, and all of this is merely a joyful exploration of the possibilities melted from the density of matter. An electromagnetic production of history created from the many forms of light. As such, it is meant to be engaged in with glee, delight and joy! Fascination is the ambient emotion of one so engaged!

Nature's edicts are a component of the play. They are written in the rule book. And they're followed by one ensconced in the game. But, humanity has the ability to lift a head above the fray. Humanity has the unique opportunity to choose. We can play the game, but we can do it consciously! We can choose, in the moment, to be uncompromising about survival, and in the next moment, look up and squeal, “Did you see that?! This is so much fun!!”

But, even more profound, we can question the veracity of Nature's edicts. We can choose to place the survival of someone else over our own survival. We can choose not to procreate. We can question God's mandate to be “fruitful and multiply”. We have the cognitive capability to calculate the pending world population and say, “God, I'm guessing you meant, until the world is pleasantly populated.” And, we can choose love, above all else. We can refuse to do harm—no matter what. We can choose to die, rather than harm a hair on any living being. We have that power. And in nature, that is a super power.

But, following Love's Edict is not easy. One must swim against Natures current. Appearances, more often than not, will scream fowl! And the general consensus among the “unawake” will be that you are a foolish idiot, or worse, that you are down-right dangerous. And you probably are foolish and stupid and even dangerous—to the status quo. But, there is a higher vision and from that perspective all is logical and sensible. Sometimes, time will tell—in fact, probably all the time, but sometimes the time involved surpasses lifetimes, thus the illusion of discontinuity.

In general, Right-Wing politics follows the edicts of Nature. Their logic sees none of the “airy-fairy” reasoning of those who see beyond the five senses. It's all Survival and Preservation of the Species and Blood Is Thicker Than Water. And when these same people ascribe their stance to the teachings of “Christ”, the irony is sublime.

Love's Grand Exchange

Love's Grand Exchange

I am a unique expression in the Universe. From that Unique Expression, I send out my Energy and it provides for the needs of others. The Universe Lovingly guides that Energy to those who need it, because the Intent of Love is that everyone's needs be met. In return, to fulfill my needs, the Universe guides, to me, the Energy of the Unique Expression of others. I accept my role in this grand Exchange of Energy in the Marvelous, Miraculous Material play that is Life. I Willingly and Lovingly give my good as I Willingly and Lovingly accept my good in return. Thus my life is filled with Joy, Love, and Abundance!

I just finished reading Chapter 7, in the book titled The Law of Divine Compensation by Marianne Williamson. The Chapter is titled Facing Our Prejudice and it brought me face-to-face with my own difficulties accepting the Capitalist within me. That word has developed a negative connotation with me over the years as I transform from a sub-radical Republican into a peace loving Liberal. What I realized I needed to do was fully embrace three things:

1. That I have worth and value and from that worth and value I have valuable and worthwhile gifts to share. And, in fact, those gifts are one-of-a-kind and are, indeed, priceless and in demand.
2. That it is fully OK for me to receive compensation for those gifts.
3. That it is all, really, an exchange of Energy, fully sanctioned by the Universe and in perfect alignment with Love's Intent.

Just like Communism and Socialism, Capitalism acquires it's bad name from the application, and not from the definition. Communism, in it's purest form, is merely a practice of sharing the wealth so everyone is cared for. Socialism, in it's purest form, is merely a practice of caring for everyone's well being. Capitalism, in it's purest form, is merely a practice of allowing everyone to share their gifts in a free exchange of commerce.
It's when greed influences the practice, that it gets ugly. Out of a fear consciousness, comes the kind of behavior that taints the process and sours the concept. It's from that souring that I formed my perceptions about Capitalism. But, when I see it in it's pure from, I realize it's in harmony with Love's Intent – that of a sharing of our unique gifts.
In the '80s I participated a weekly Movement Expression course in Santa Monica, CA. During one of the classes, the teacher had us all roam around the dance floor—just move however we were moved to move, not worrying about running into others, but just surrendering to spontaneity.
At first, we did run into each other, and stepped on each other, and generally participated in chaos. But, not long into the exercise, we began to sync-up. We began to move in a way that had our paths, and our movements, mesh with the paths and movements of everyone else. We became one harmonious dance organism.
I believe, in a perfect world, there would be no need for Communism or Socialism or Capitalism. In a perfect world, everyone would share their gifts 100% of the time, fully in the mind of Love's Intent. That kind of sharing would harmonize the world and all needs would be met in a grand synchronicity where people and things would show up right when they are needed.
But, as of yet, Earth does not host Heaven. A direct exchange of services is not, yet, practical. Money is required to fill the gaps. A service rendered here, nets cash which is applied for a service over there. But, it can still be a loving exchange, full of the integrity of divine intent—full of the heart of a sharing of spirit—full of the energy and passionate exhilaration of following one's true purpose.
The prayer at the beginning of this article came out of this. It came out of a realization that I desired to change my thinking. It helps me focus on the intent I would rather hold. It steers me in the direction I would rather go. It is my gift to you from the unique expression that I am.

--InJoy!