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    Canada Avalon Member Ernie Nemeth's Avatar
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    Default What is Prayer?

    Today, while waiting for the teller's computer to catch up, she playfully asked me if this wasn't the day I should be praying (Sunday). I said I pray every day, all the time. She laughed. I said my life is my prayer. She didn't get it.

    This reminded me of a short essay I wrote a few years ago:


    Its been so long, you say you have forgetten how to pray. Then let me explain it to you.

    Upon awakening, try to think of God with your very first thought. Thank God for your life and for the lives of those you love. Ask God to help keep the world and all its people safe. Then add whatever personal immediacy may be pressing upon you at the moment. If you can, ask God to bless your enemies.

    Picture your day in your mind, see yourself successfully going through the actions that will be required of you, and ask God to make it so. Ask God to help you with the obstacles that may arise during the day. Ask God to make your lessons clear so that you can learn them with equanimity and then move on. Thank God again and ask for God’s blessing, then get up and begin your day.

    Let your life be your prayer. Live each moment secure in the knowledge that God sees all and that the divine watches out and cares for you. Try to remember that it is God you are interacting with – God is behind every situation and every pair of eyes. Look for the divine in everything. Really search your environment, see what has always been there but you never had the notion to perceive it. You will be astonished at the odd places you'll meet your Creator.

    Strive to live in peace and serenity. Give of yourself. Be selfless for that is the greatest selfishness. Live consciously and act with focused energy. Think of God often, talk to God if it makes you feel better, God always listen. Remember who you are and what you believe in, at all times. That is what it means to live your life as a prayer.

    At night, in bed, review your day but do not dwell on any particular event. Note which situations have left the greatest charge on you and ask God to give you the wisdom to see through to the lesson it was meant to convey. Thank God for giving you this day and ask God to allow you to accept your fate with grace. Ask God to bless you and those who are important to you but mostly those who that day have participated in furthuring your mutual growth. Especially the ones who have irritated you or for those you feel the greatest antipathy. Thank God again in closing. As you fall asleep try to let your last thought be of God.

    God’s universe is constantly changing. Yesterday’s responses are often inappropriate today. There is no room to put yourself on auto-pilot, to go through life constantly reacting to the new with memorized patterns from the past. Instead, you must act consciously. Remember that you are the creator of your personal reality and co-author of the collective reality. That is a great responsibility and should not be taken lightly. You stand at cause to the manifestation of change. What do you plan to create today? What is your plan for the future?

    Lastly, prayer is truly a two way street. The Source really is talking to you. That little voice in your head, the one that answers your inner querries – that is The Source, honestly. How odd it would be if it were not so. But the world clammors in your mind, your thoughts jump erratically from premise to premise unceasingly and that tiny voice is often drowned out. That’s as it was designed to be because it’s a necessary element of those bestowed with free will. Yet hear me now when I say that it is in your power to tune in to the inner voice. Do not be concerned if the voice sounds like your own and doesn’t speak in ancient tongues or in an other-worldly tone. Remember, you are God. What better voice for you to employ than your own, after all it is your most familiar sound.

    Of course The Source converses in many other ways with you, throughout your waking day, not to mention while you are asleep. Pertinent tidbits of wisdom are aimed directly at your daily situations and take many forms; a snatch of an anonomous conversation, a line of a song, a passage from a book, a timely show on T.V., or the seemingly innocent but strangely penetrating observations of a friend. These and countless other means does The Source employ to get the message across to you: Don’t worry I have infinite patience, I’ll never give up on you.

    So how do you pray? Is it clear now?

    Your life is your prayer demonstrated.
    Pray your life be blessed.

    So, what is prayer to you? :
    Last edited by Ernie Nemeth; 26th July 2011 at 16:25. Reason: updated point of view

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    New Zealand Avalon Member Carmen's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    That is a wonderful thread Ernie Nemeth. Very true, very inspirational. And, not a flicker of a response up till now. I shall bump bump bump this as its so worth reading. Thank you.

    To live each and every day in the Presence of God, that is prayer. To listen inwardly for little nudges of knowledge. To notice something that is important and not to dismiss its importance. I have a new saying, or little mantra, that is: This Day, I Please MySELF. It brings out the best in me and subsequently, the best in everyone around me. Its sort of viral!!LOL

    Blessings

    Carmen

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    United States Avalon Member Darla Ken Pearce's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    This is a demonstration of Christ Consciousness upon the Earth today. It is simple and without guile. There is a treasure within it's innocence. When the Earth is filled with kind voices like this ~ we will have, indeed, entered into the New Golden Age of Aquarius when ~ truly ~ and the meek shall inherit the Earth. There will be no more wars within or without, above or below. And so it is... Much love!

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    Canada Avalon Member Ernie Nemeth's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    I remember when I wrote that prayer...

    I was in a bad place. And I asked God to help me understand how to pray. He inspired me to write what I did. And when I wrote it, it was in first person singular - from the Divine.

    Now, I know a lot of people believe that God has not talked to anyone since the days of the old testament. But I have always had trouble believing God no longer uses divine intervention as a tool for gathering the faithful. No, God talks to anyone who is sincere and wishes to strike up a convo.

    I really urge everyone to try talking with God. God listens, and God answers - you'll see. God will help you like God helped me.

    Peace

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    United States Avalon Member Nyce555's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    Prayer is my way of connecting with God directly. I stopped praying for "things" and started praying like I was talking to my best friend asking for advice or support. When I made that change so many of my prayers were answered. I also learned how to pray for others when they need guidance. Prayer is something that I can do at any time any place and I know that immediately I will be in the presence of God. Sometimes I can feel the energy radiating from the power of God and often feel that during some extreme times of need, there are some angelic energies right beside me comforting me. After I am done with my prayer, I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders because I know I am not in this things called life alone. I know someone somewhere loves me more than I could ever love anyone on this Earth.

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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    Thanks for a great post.

    There is just one thing i don't understand, you said somewhere in this piece "Remember, you are God"
    How can this be???

    If i am God then i am praying to myself?
    If i am God then why would i need prayer, i can do everything myself?

    The definition of prayer is:
    To utter or address a prayer or prayers to God, a god, or another object of worship.

    In my opinion prayer also implies that the one you are praying to is something more, bigger or higher than yourself.

    So how can i pray and be God at the same time???

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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    Quote Posted by Krullenjongen (here)
    Thanks for a great post.

    There is just one thing i don't understand, you said somewhere in this piece "Remember, you are God"
    How can this be???

    If i am God then i am praying to myself?
    If i am God then why would i need prayer, i can do everything myself?

    The definition of prayer is:
    To utter or address a prayer or prayers to God, a god, or another object of worship.

    In my opinion prayer also implies that the one you are praying to is something more, bigger or higher than yourself.

    So how can i pray and be God at the same time???
    Thank you Krullenjongen that's about right, that my understanding, that's what I found.

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    Canada Avalon Member Ernie Nemeth's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    Hi Carmen, Darla, Nyce555, Krullenjongen, Romanwkt,

    Thanks for taking interest in this thread and the kind comments.

    1) Often, in this world, to please ourselves is to honor our own authority as sovereign beings. This may sometimes feel selfish because of societal indoctrination.

    2) Christ Consciousness is the unified persona of the higher Self. As we increasingly find the things of this world unsatisfying we begin to turn inward for meaning and fulfillment - where this Being resides in each of us.

    3) To have cultivated a space for the immediate connection to the divine is truly an accomplishment - even though it is the easiest, most natural thing in the world. And the wisdom, the peace, the power readily available there is overwhelming. This process is sometimes referred to as the purification or cleansing of the inner alter or soul.

    4) We are Gods, my friends. If not in any literal sense from our point of view, certainly in a figurative way. We all create an ego-centric universe, where we are the center of the cosmos. Intellectually we may know better but from our standpoint, we are definitely at the center of the drama of our lives. Also, we define our experience as it relates to us, not as it actually applies to the rest of the universe. Over the years our view of reality has been colored by our experiences and our beliefs - we no longer see the world as it truly is, only as it appears to be based on our past experience.

    5) Remember, you are Gods, might be to remind us that we have usurped the authority of the Creator and decided what reality is on our own without consulting God in prayer first to be given sure and certain guidance. But for me it is literal: I believe I am literally on a journey to remember Who I Really Am, to rejoin the Host of hosts and become what I always was.

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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    My motto is "where the focus goes, energy flows."
    So why not focus on the best?

    That way everything that happens will be for the best.
    And God to me is an abstract term for whatever is absolute goodness...the best of the best.

    My favorite prayer, which I learnt by heart, is from a Baha'i prayer book:

    "From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity give me to drink, O my God,
    and of the fruits of the tree of Thy being enable me to taste, O my Hope! 

    From the crystal springs of Thy love suffer me to quaff, O my Glory,
    and beneath the shadow of Thine everlasting providence let me abide, O my Light!" 

    The power of prayer can never be underestimated.
    While I pray, I am alone, so yes, I'm talking to myself.
    Yet the part of me that prays is at that moment submissive to a higher power.
    This power I am giving permission to take over my heart, and use me.

    Even though such prayer is a monologue, yet it is projected within AND without,
    for the omnipresent creator to perceive me.

    As long as I am capable of growth I'm not quite there yet,
    and such striving is my lot as a mortal human being
    and I accept that.

    Then, when the spirit acknowledges me I become aware again of my immortality
    as well as my inherent divinity.
    That is the result of prayer.

    Thank God for this thread.

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    Canada Avalon Member Ernie Nemeth's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    Thanks Ulli,

    Beautiful prayer.

    I cannot remember when prayer, for me, was simply a monologue. It was long ago, that's for sure. Prayer opens a communication link to the Divine. That link is also the same one that binds us all together in a common reality. We share reality with all life, and reality must be agreed to by all. Of course, science would disagree.

    It is sad to consider that science is the study of the proof that there is no need for God. That was always its premise, agreed to tacitly long ago by order of both church and state. We, in this modern world, have gone far down that road. Our intellects have run rampant, raping and pillaging in the name of science. While our hearts have grown cold and hardened.

    Prayer softens the heart, eases the clamoring of our intellects, and reminds us of our Source and the truth, the real truth, of our reality.

    And it does not cost billions of dollars in research to begin to learn to pray. It's free! And the results will amaze.
    Last edited by Ernie Nemeth; 28th July 2011 at 20:29.

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    Germany Avalon Member christian's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    In my understanding praying is interchangeable with focusing. For example, focusing on being in harmony with the Flow of Life is the same as praying to God to guide you towards harmony with the Flow of Life. The strength of your prayer/focusing is determined by your emotion, commitment, etc.

    Quote Posted by Krullenjongen (here)
    "Remember, you are God"
    How can this be???

    If i am God then i am praying to myself?
    If i am God then why would i need prayer, i can do everything myself?

    In my opinion prayer also implies that the one you are praying to is something more, bigger or higher than yourself.
    That's semantics to me. We are creators, hence we are gods, one could argue. But in my understanding we are not God in the sense that we started the whole game. God started the game, created all-that-is, which is creating again. There are virtually infinite splinters (that would be us) of the all-that-is creating, experiencing, like the substance of God's dream, when eventually all the splinters created in such a way that every splinter wakes up, all-that-is is played out, solved and awakened, God wakes up from his dream as well - and goes to the pub and tells his buddies about his odd dream.

    You don't believe the story with the pub? Then what comes afterwards? Where did God come from before he created it all? Is there more than that? Why is there 'anything' anyways? - Let me take a deep breath, my random thoughts just stopped in awe of such perspectives, while I enjoy being.

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    Canada Avalon Member Ernie Nemeth's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is Prayer?

    Hi Chiquetet,

    Your thoughts are spot on - and if you went just a tiny bit further you might come to realize that: Reality abhors a vacuum. A vacuum, in this sense is the absence of everything, an empty nothing. Our God, the true God, the Source of all reality, did not leave areas of reality void of reason and emptied of content. This would leave spaces of undetermined quality within totality.
    There are circles of reality that fold into points, which expand and contract into other circles. Everything is included and nothing is left out. And nowhere is there nothing or a gap or space that The Divine left out or purposely left empty.

    The intellect uses false premises in order to make sense of the world around it. This is so, if for no other reason than the fact that the intellect dwells on incomplete systems it calls concepts. Concepts are "what if's" made to seem to be "as it is". In other words, concepts are time-dependant and therefore inaccurate.

    In any case, when I am done learning here, would love to have a drink with you at The Edge of the Universe Bar, from Douglas Adam's trilogy, if I remember its name correctly.

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