Everyone who sets out upon that most noble of all quests, the quest for his own soul, or the holy grail, learns that prayer, when lifted high, beyond a thoughtless, habitual muttering or a lifeless ritual is partaking of the holy sacrament for he is having holy communion with Jesus Christ, the Lord. Prayer, when offered in love and rejoicing and praise and thanksgiving, is the time of spiritual feasting. It is the banquet of the Lord in which every man is invited to partake. One soon learns, in this true order of prayer, that the approach to God is not a whining monologue of anguished pleas, nor an accumulation of complaints, nor a thoughtless, habitual repetition of unfelt statements, strewn out like beads along a string. Prayer, when released from the heart, with feeling and spiritual awareness, becomes like incense ascending in glory to the throne of God, as explained in John's mighty book of Revelations.
Prayer is the sacred door through which the mind enters the secret chambers of the soul. It is the holy communion and is a priceless privilege for as one enters that secret closet he is always rewarded openly for having kept so sacred a tryst and partaken of the holy sacrament, the bread of life.
Prayer is also the door into the higher realm of vibration. Within prayer is contained the power to step out of the evils and dismays and disastrous tragedies of life into the joyous experiences of peace and happiness and unlimited achievement. But, the prayer must be true in its triumphant releasing as it goes forth on its vibrating glory to the very throne of God. Such prayers are endowed with the flames of exquisite, living light.
It is so much easier to approach God and have communion with Him than to gain admittance to any officious magistrate or worldly ruler or potentate. One needs no appointment, no mediator, no go-between or representative. One needs only a tender, melted, open heart and a loving reverence. When the heart is melted and opened, the hardened stone or seal is dissolved and rolled away. It is then the Light comes forth, the great Christ Light, resurrected and released from its tomb within man.
It is the broken or open heart that is the only offering worthy of so dynamic an event. For as Christ so definitely revealed, "The only acceptable sacrifice that would be received from then on and henceforth would be the sacrifice of a yielding, broken or open heart." Prayer, in its true form, is but the opening of the heart for it is through the heart that one partakes of the spiritual feast of the divine and holy sacrament.
If man will only open his mind to comprehend the power and the glorious privilege of prayer, he will open the doors into the higher realms of divine power.
Prayer is a breathtaking experience for him who comprehends its true order and releases its unlimited power. Prayer cannot fail. It may be possible that at first one's prayers may not change outside conditions to suit the mortal request of the individual. This however does not mean that prayer has failed or remained unheard. If the prayer is continued one automatically begins to "exercise the great and mighty faith" that brings forth the seemingly impossible results. If the prayer one offers is held in the consciousness and is sent forth whenever one has a free moment to direct his mind toward it, something must give. It may be that the prayer will change the individual to suit the condition instead of the condition being changed to suit the individual. If this be the method used in answering one's prayer, then it will be the individual who will be exalted into a higher condition and the outside circumstances will then come under subjection to him as he rises above it. This is power.
Most completely physical mortals would rather perish than change themselves or their habits or their way of thinking. Prayer, if understood, can change one's attitude to meet any condition and so give him the power to rise triumphantly above it as he learns to ride upon the storm. Prayer can blend one's will so completely with the Will of God that only perfection can result. But in this transition one must learn the true meaning and order of prayer. Prayer is the door into the higher realms. Prayer is the holy communion with God as one partakes of His Spiritual banquet.
As one enters the secret chamber of his own soul, to praise and adore and worship, he opens the door to the universe and will receive blessings so great they will surpass any small, worldly desires he could possibly have wished for. He will be rewarded openly for such holy communion. He will receive blessings of health of body and mind and soul. He will be given the happiness and the peace that passeth understanding. As one prays just for the joy of praying, in adoring worship, he will develop the love that fulfills all laws. In fulfilling the law of love he will bring forth the great Christ Light until he is filled with Light and comprehends all things. He will then be admitted into the Church of the Firstborn and join with the great Brotherhood of Light. This is accomplished by love fulfilling the laws of one's own being as he brings forth the Light of Christ. Then he is born of the Spirit. In fulfilling the perfect law of love he is thereby immersed in that River of Life or the waters of love and is born of the waters.
It is as necessary to one's well-being to meet together with God often, in this secret closet of his own soul, and partake of Christ's holy sacrament and feast on His spiritual food, as it is necessary to partake of physical food in order to keep the body functioning. The soul requires this banquet of food often, as often as one partakes of his physical meals. Prayer is the time of partaking of the great feast of the Lord. Therefore a time should be set apart for this spiritual meal, as definitely established as the appointed time of one's daily meals. It is in this continued awareness that one steps out, flame-shod, upon the path of unspeakable power.
Prayer is truly a divine privilege. It is indeed a time of holy communion as one learns to "be still" as well as to express his own desires. Prayer contains the power to prepare one for his own divine fulfilment. Prayer is the gift of communion as one learns to commune with God in the feast of the Spirit. It is a time of releasing those inner songs of joyous gratitude and loving adoration that vibrate across the universe, blending with the great universal symphony of creation.
True prayer carries with it thanks and praise and love. True prayer is not a wailing complaint of saddened anguish. And again, quoting from Malachi: "This ye have done again, covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hands." Prayer was not meant to be a burdened affliction or a dirge of anguished pleading. True prayer is a song of triumphant glory as one sends out his own vibrations of praise to mingle with the creative song of God -- the New Song that fulfills a law of its own as the individual is re-created into God's perfect plan of eternal glory. As one prays thus, he will find that all blessings flow back to him along those opened channels of praise, love and gratitude. Praise and love and gratitude are the opened channels through which his blessings return unto him multiplied and complete.
True prayer must always contain the divine attitude of thanks for past blessings and for all present ones. The "Beatitudes," as Christine Mercie revealed in her little booklet, "Sons of God," means that one must be that attitude. And gratitude is the great-attitude for it is the greatest of all.
Always approach God in this greatest attitude and your blessings will be multiplied and enlarged. Gratitude is the law of multiplication in the physical as well as the spiritual realm. It is the law of increase. Self-pity dispels all blessings for it smothers the very vibrations that would lift the request or prayer to God. There is nothing creative in self-pity or in any of the negative attributes of darkness. In order to multiply and to use the laws of creation, one must begin to express the creative laws of the universe -- which are -- love and praise and gratitude. These three contain the great "Lost Chord" of creation. Within these three powers is contained the power of creation as one joins the strength of his soul in the release of that New Song, that only the righteous can learn, the great, creative song of the Universe.
Self-pity and sadness and doubting and any of the negative traits or habits of mortality, instantly block off the vibrations that fulfill one's requests as well as block off the power of one's own reception. Gratitude enlarges all gifts and all possessions and all blessings. When gratitude is established within one, that one opens his whole heart, soul and mind to the exquisite glory of abundance and increasing joy, until he receives a very fulness of joy. "And joy is of the saints and none can put it on save they alone!" Or, according to the more recent scriptures: "He who is thankful in all things shall be made glorious! And the things of this earth shall be added unto him an hundredfold; yea, more!"
As one continues in the search for his own soul, he reaches that point where he knows and contacts that divine Spark of God implanted within. And by the time he reaches It, It will have matured until it fills his own being and he will "be filled with the fulness of God," as Paul promised in Ephesians. This holy seed grows according to man's awareness of it and according to the spiritual food it receives, which is obtained through the holy communion. As this holy spark or seed is developed from within, and brought forth, it naturally must, in time, fill one's entire being, even as the germ of the chick must grow until it fills the shell. Then it is that one becomes filled with Light and comprehends all things and becomes "one with God," as Christ so earnestly enjoined. This is the point of power. This unfolding and development of the divine and holy Seed of God, until it fills the entire being of man, is the coming forth of the "Father within to begin to do the works," as Christ testified.
As one reaches this point of development it becomes easy for him to "let go and let God." Such a one learns to speak no word save God commands it. And in thus learning to control his own run--away tongue he will have brought his run-away thoughts into a refined point of obedience. Through harboring only love-filled thoughts he becomes a perfect man and is henceforth able to bridle and control the whole body, as St. James promised. He will be able to control every living atom and cell and organ and gland of it. He will have the power to step beyond decay and death into the life more abundant -- even Life Eternal!
Prayer works through natural law. Prayer IS the natural law of man's being. Prayer is the holy communion man holds with his Maker, if his prayers are not defiled by doubts and fears and negative thoughts and complaints. As long as one holds naught but sadness and mourning forth, his thoughts are not upon God, nor are his "eyes single to the glory of God." Instead his attention is held upon the earth level and upon his own mortal condition. Such prayers are earthbound and hold in them only the darkness of mortality. Such thoughts are limited and such prayers are weakened by the individual's own dismal attitudes. But even then such prayers must be answered.
But there are prayer levels of fulfilment and each prayer ascends to its own level -- and is answered from that level.
Prayers of love and gratitude and rejoicing are prayers of unlimited power for they are already allied with the dynamic power of faith and are therefore completely limitless in their scope as they ascend instantly to the Highest. When sent out from the heart, prayers are the true expression of a man's own soul. True prayer is the manifestation of the soul's sublime assertion when released with real intent. Prayer is the action of the soul as it reaches out to partake of the spiritual food of the Almighty in the holy communion of God, the divine sacrament.
And prayer, no matter what its level, is man's acknowledgement of his belief in God, no matter how weak that belief may be. The prayers that are not contaminated by sadness and whimpering self-pity, are embued with faith and allied with limitless power. When these prayers are clothed in love and glorified by praise and gratitude, they have immediate access to God's divine attention. The "New Song, which none but the righteous can learn," is a song of singing joyous triumph. It is the song of Creation. This divine song holds within it the powers of the Universe as it is released through man's own open heart. Such prayers are the expression and the release of that superb, dynamic, glorified song of Creation. And, in that creative song of gratitude and rejoicing and love, are the full powers to create and bring forth the desired requests to the individual.
In fears and negation and sadness, "the New Song" is not released, hence, the powers of creation are unexpressed. The negative attitudes and vibrations of individuals without hope, do not contain even one note, let alone the melody of that great creative song of fulfilment within their somber tones. In the negative attitudes, the sadness and sighing complaints, only the vibrations of destruction are held, not the forces and powers of creation.
Within man's own attitude is held the caliber of his prayer and the level from which it will be answered. Learn the New Song, the song of inner praise and love and gratitude and you will be not only in tune with the great creative song of the Universe, you will be a participant in its release. Such prayers contain only beauty and power in their release and the powers of creation are set into motion to bring forth the complete fulfilment.
One cannot become the Master of this greatest of all symphonies in a moment or a day. But, man himself is the instrument on which the dynamic Song of Creation must be played in its divine release. The instrument, the divine innermost being of man, when first put into use, may need tuning and adjusting. And the individual who releases that divine melody will need some training to make sure that no negative, sour notes are released to mar the melody of divine Creation.
If the condition is not changed through prayer and supplication, then the man will be changed to surmount the condition -- to rise above it and to overcome it -- or come up over it. It is then one learns to ride upon the storm instead of being submerged by it. Such a one has gained the complete mastery. He therefore becomes the Master of every condition. The very changing of the man, instead of the condition, is often the greatest miracle of all. It is then, man himself, can outgrow or surmount the condition through the power of prayer, as God answers that prayer openly.
Some never recognize this answer to their prayers. Some even reject this greater blessing as they refuse to let go of their own pre-conceived ideas as to how their request should be answered. As one learns to "let go and let God," the perfect answer will be worked out. It is, then, for man to grow into that answer, which is always the only perfect answer.
As prayer becomes a part of one's life, that is, true prayer, not just habitual mutterings with much repetition, but a sacrament of holy communion, one becomes attuned to the higher vibrations of love and is prepared to receive divine guidance and personal instruction for his everyday life. His petty, selfish, often warped little desires become purified and exalted as they expand into divine desires.
Prayers that are sent forth with the strength of the mind and the integrity of the soul and the love of the heart behind them, are released by power and must be answered. They become engraved upon the sub-conscious mind and are established as a reality. Then, through adding the ingredient of love and praise and thanks, they are exalted into a higher vibratory realm or condition and are established upon the super-conscious mind, where all power and fulfilment is contained. They are spiritually intensified through love and praise to the point of complete fulfilment, for in the love and praise and gratitude the Creative forces of the Universe are set instantly into motion. This higher law of prayer and the manner of its fulfilment and the method of its release, must be comprehended, for the need for such prayers is at hand. Such prayers must be answered, for this is the law of God.
"Whatsoever you ask for when you pray, believe that you receive it and you shall have it!" Christ never asked for anything without thanking God for the answer to His request even as He asked. As in the case of Lazarus' raising, He thanked God for hearing Him and acknowledged that He was aware that God always heard Him. Anyone who prays from the depth of his soul, instead of from his disorganized mind or from his lips, will know that God hears his prayer. He also knows that God will answer that prayer in His own way and His own wisdom. As one accepts this answer, he will learn to blend his will into the Will of God, as he rejoices and gives thanks that God has heard and is answering his request.
As one gives forth thanks and praise and love, the light is increased until it is brought forth in its fulness. And in the Light all doubts are conquered, all darkness is banished and the veil is rent. It is then, one is permitted to enter the realm of infinite power and fulfilment.
The road of prayer is the most satisfying, rewarding Way of all ways. It is the great Inner Way -- the way of Inner Communion -- the Way of the great Christ Light. It is the Way Christ marked, as he asked that man worship God with all his mind, heart and soul. It is the dynamic path He trod, the road of fulfilment as one develops eyes single to the glory of God, for in God's glory is man's own glory held. And such shall truly be made glorious.
True prayer lifts or exalts one into the higher realm of spiritual vision and power and joy. This is the state wherein one fulfills all the laws and keeps all the commandments, for love will become perfected in him. Then it is that one's love becomes so great he desires only God's will to be accomplished. It is in this final relinquishing of one's own will to the great ecstatic song of love that he realizes all the little petty things he once desired are empty and meaningless and outgrown, even as the toys of his childhood. One relinquishes these mortal, physical, childish requests with a great joy, even as he would discard his old, wornout garments for new ones. The small desires are completely outgrown and left behind as they are replaced by breath-taking, dynamic ones that hold the keys of all power and all joy and all happiness.
Yes. Prayer changes the man as it exalts both the individual and the condition, until all things become perfect in his life and his surroundings. As man is changed, by true prayer, he is lifted above the condition and the condition itself will melt into a conformity of pattern that no longer has the power to rule, but is ruled over by the mastering triumph of exalted progress.
In the "letting go and letting God," one permits God to begin to do His great and mighty works. And it is true that "God's Will has never been contrary to man's will. It has been man's will that has been contrary to God's Will." As man has stubbornly held out against the fulfilling of his own perfection and infinite happiness, he remained impotent, miserable and completely without power. His strength may be placed in a gun, in a speeding car, or in some mechanical creation, instead of being centered in the divine powers of Creation. Man's own mechanical devices and instruments and machines have out-brained him and put him to an open shame. For those great unspeakable powers that will subdue himself, his earthly conditions and the world itself, man must begin to contact the divine forces dormant in his own soul, as he begins to work with God.
"God's holy Will holds within it the glorified, exalted destiny of each child of earth. "For this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Within this eternal life is contained all the happiness, the joy and the power of exalting glory heaven holds.
The Kingdom of Heaven is a condition. It is a condition of exalting all the conditions, as the individual is exalted into a higher vibration and all circumstances surrounding him. It is brought about or brought forth by one's releasing the inner joy and love in a song of everlasting gratitude that completely fills his being -- and increases until it fills his life. This is how God's will is fulfilled on earth even as it is in heaven. As the flesh is exalted and lifted to the vibrational level of the spirit within, the physical, outside plane takes on the glory of the inside heaven. And so is fulfilled that perfect prayer, "Thy Will be done on earth even as it is in heaven." And "The kingdom of heaven is within you!" The way into it is through prayer.
"Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all things will be added unto you." Seek first His Kingdom and learn the right-use or application of its divine laws and all things will be added unto you -- and all powers.
You may desire to know when these things will be accomplished.
For many they have already been fulfilled.
For you they will be complete when you are ready. In the spiritual realm there is only the great eternal NOW! In the eternal, "time is not!" The eternal is the ever living, vibrating NOW!
Youth looks into the future -- waiting for fulfilment. Age looks into the past, thinking it was there, and fearing they have missed it. Both youth and age and those between have missed it, for it is not in time, but in attitude. The fulfilment is centered in one's be living, as they follow the Way Christ marked and live according to the pattern He gave.
"And Jesus answering, saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall be-live (be and live accordingly) that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that you receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:22-24)
As the true method of prayer is established within one and he develops the power to believe without doubting, everything he can possibly ask for will be fulfilled, for then his requests will be purified and exalted according to his faith and his own exalted attitude of mind. And perhaps, instead of asking for some trivial, little, mediocre request, he will ask what before seemed impossible. He may desire to remove some mountain looming in his own pathway as he seeks to climb that upward trail of completion. He may desire to remove some almost insurmountable weakness from his own being as it hampers his progress -- and by his prayer of faith that mountain can and will be removed.
As one learns the power of prayer and the method of its glorious release, his requests will transcend into the desires that would seem to be utterly fantastic and completely impossible, perhaps even blasphemous, to him in his present, mortal state of uninspired, unspiritual plodding. As one advances, he will think greater thoughts, have greater desires, reach for higher goals and will realize that the great fulfilment of himself will have to fulfill the promises Christ left behind, the promise to be able to do all the works which Christ did -- and then go on to even the greater works.
As one progresses he must grow into the knowledge and the belief in such powers. And he learns that prayer is the door to the greater things as he learns "to pray without ceasing."
Prayer and all the limitless powers it contains, are man's, as he learns to use them. As one learns to add to his prayers the song of ecstasy in an anthem of eternal praise and love and gratitude, he will be singing that glorious New Song at the very throne of God. And in the melody of that exalted Symphony of Creation all the forces and powers of creation are released to fulfill his divine requests. Love and Praise and thanksgiving open up the channels along which one's blessings return in all their fulfilling power of completion.
This is the great Inner Path of your own fulfilling! This higher Way is the Way that cannot fail. This higher Way contains "the New Song" which none but the righteous can learn. It is not a song of words but of vibrations. The vibrations of love and joyous praise and the vibrations of thanksgiving exalted into a chorus of dynamic gratitude, contain the vibrant tones of Creation. These tones combined are the "Lost Chord!" These great vibrational overtones of love and praise and thanks contain the released melody of the Celestial Song of Creation, the divine symphony of eternal triumph.
This New Song, the divine Song of creation is the Song of exultant victory as evolving mortals triumph over drab mortality in their upward march toward godhood.