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Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts. For out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment, of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.” James Allen. Do you pray? What form does your prayer practice take, and what is the desired affect and effect of prayer for you? Firstly, let's consider the meaning of the words affect and effect for the purposes of our consideration and conversation today. Affect is a verb, meaning to affect, influence, or have an impact on something. Effect is a noun, meaning to have an effect, a positive or a negative effect, the result of being affected by something. Effect can also be a verb, meaning to effect a result or outcome, to bring something about. Does prayer affect God, in a way that results in Divine action or activity, that effects a desired outcome in our lives? In traditional Christianity, there are considered to be these types of prayers: Petition; Confession; Intercession; Praise, and thanksgiving; Adoration; Mystical union or ecstasy. In metaphysical spirituality, we consider prayer as the practice of denial and affirmation: Denial of ego error, and the affirmation of Divine truth, that affects and effects that truth into realization within us, demonstration through us, and then material manifestation in our lives. “Truth is within ourselves; it takes no rise from outward things, whate'er you may believe. There is an inmost center in us all, where truth abides in fulness; . . . and, to know, rather consists in opening out a way whence the imprisoned splendor may escape, than in effecting entry for a light supposed to be without.” Robert Browning Charles Fillmore described what he called true prayer: “In true prayer, we take with us words of Truth, a statement of Truth, or an affirmation, and turn our attention within to the very center of our being, where the Father dwells. We affirm these words of Truth and meditate on them, then get very still and wait in the silence for God to make them real to us.” The affect of true prayer is not to petition and affect, influence, or impact the will or behavior of God. The affect of true prayer is to affect ourselves, to bring us into the realization of Divine truth, to transcend and release the separation of ego error in our consciousness from the union and unity of Divine truth, and to effect the demonstration of that truth through us, and the manifestation of that truth in our lives, through our truth aligned and applied thinking, feeling, speaking, and doing. Faith is an active aspect of the practice of true prayer and the affecting and effecting of the truth, right, and good we desire in our lives. Faith is not passive, it is the intentional and active affirmation and application of Divine truth to ourselves and our everyday life experiences. The Apostle Paul gives us insight and inspiration to live our lives active in faith: “But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James 2:18 So, the practice of true prayer is to firstly affect us, to bring us into the conscious realization of Divine truth, and then to effect the demonstration of Divine truth through our actions of thinking it, feeling it, speaking it, and doing it, living it, thereby effecting its material manifestation in our lives, and its good in our world. For more detailed info on the lesson content of this blog or any other Unity Magna Ministries services contact Rev. Clive deLaporte at: admin@umagnam.org
Clive deLaporte Spiritual Director at Unity Magna Ministries UWM Ordained Minister & Licensed Teacher CSL Affiliate Minister IWA Integrative Life Coach "Love is within us. It cannot be destroyed. It can be ignored. To the extent that we abandon love we will feel it has abandoned us. Denying love is our only problem, and embracing it is the only answer. Through the power of love, we can let go of past history and begin again. Love heals, forgives, and makes whole.” Ernest Holmes The Divine is our perfect potential for experiencing and expressing Love as the ability and power to desire, attract and come into greater authentic union with what is true, right, and good, first individually and then collectively. As we awaken, and our greater awareness of Love unfolds, it's presence and power brings healing and wholeness to us, and to others, from within to with-out. This healing begins as a personal and individual experience, and then as we give and receive the wholeness of Love, it becomes contagious, empowering healing and wholeness as both individual and our collective good. The calling of Love is a high calling. It is the one true Divine inspiration and aspiration to be all we can be. Love is the one true and reliable high-road in life. In any life situation and experience the question of "what would perfect Love do?" will always reliably serve our best and highest individual and collective good. "He who knows that Love is at the heart of all things, and has realized the allsufficing power of that Love, has no room in his heart for condemnation. If you love people and speak of them with praise, until they in some way thwart you, or do something of which you disapprove, and then you dislike them and speak of them with dispraise, you are not governed by the Love which is of God. If, in your heart, you are continually arraigning and condemning others, selfless love is hidden from you. Train your mind in strong, impartial, and gentle thought; train your heart in purity and compassion; train your tongue to silence, and to true and stainless speech; so shall you enter the way of holiness and peace, and shall ultimately realize the immortal Love." James Allen Love asks us to live with an authentic vulnerability. To venture out into the world and risk the giving and receiving of Love. It challenges us to live without mask or armor, open and wholehearted to all that life brings our way and to commit to Love as our constant and consistent response to Life. This is a high calling, but know this - Love is a Divine faculty, ability and power and it comes to us, in order to come into the world through us. It is prepared and empowered to fulfill itself and inspires us only to be willing instruments of its cause and effect, firstly in us and our lives, and then in the world, to the benefit of the best and highest good of all. The Daily Application of Love ... Begin each day with Affirmation Prayer for Love, setting your attitude, intention and expectation in Love for that day. Let the spirit of Love go out into the day before you, preparing the way for a day of giving and receiving of Love. From time to time throughout the day take time to pause for a minute and affirm the power of Love, faithfully claiming its presence and power realizing in you, demonstrating through you and manifesting in your life. Go about your day in the attitude and intention of Love, thinking Love, feeling Love, speaking Love and acting from the ideal of Love. Mindfully in the moment ask: What would Love think? What would Love feel? What would Love say? And what would Love do? Take time at the end of each day to review and reflect on the days events and the experiences of giving and receiving Love. Affirm and empower what is true and good and deny and release what is not. For more detailed info on the lesson content of this blog or any other Unity Magna Ministries services contact Clive deLaporte at: admin@umagnam.org Clive deLaporte Spiritual Director at Unity Magna Ministries UWM Ordained Minister & Licensed Teacher CSL Affiliate Minister IWA Integrative Wellness Life Coach And then there was just this, here, and now. And then there was just you, in the this, here, and now, ready and willing to explore, experience, and express. For me, it’s a consistent daily practice of meditation that enables and empowers me to live daily in the blessing of mindfulness, centered in the awareness of the allness and oneness of the this, the here, and the now. It brings a peaceful and patient perspective to my life and living experiences. It invites me to be comfortable with the pause, to be patient and persevere, to wait, not mindlessly reacting with fight, flight, or freeze, but mindfully responding with insight and inspiration to the challenges and thereby, opportunities of life. A positive attitude and intention prepare your mind, heart, and life for positive experiences and outcomes. I use the practice of meditation and affirmation to prepare my mind, heart, and body for the attitude, intention, experience, and outcome of a positive day each morning. Give it a try. Use your own words. Choose words that quieten your mind, calm your heart, and relax your body. Use words that fill you with inspiration and aspiration. Use words that encourage you to live your life according to your principles, values, ideals, intentions, and outcomes. Hopefully, you’ll see yourself as an advocate and activist for good in the world and your endeavors will be a blessing to you and all others. Here’s a morning affirmation that works for me: Thank you for this new day, and the gift of life and living. I am blessed by the abundant potential and possibility of my life. Today, I choose to be responsible and response-able for the good in my life. Today, I am ready, willing, and able to live with purpose, passion, power, and prosperity! For more detailed info on the lesson content of this blog or any other Unity Magna Ministries services contact Rev. Clive deLaporte at: admin@umagnam.org
Clive deLaporte Spiritual Director at Unity Magna Ministries UWM Ordained Minister & Licensed Teacher CSL Affiliate Minister IWA Integrative Wellness Life Coach |