Who You Talkin' To?

 

This Sunday will begin a new series on affirmative prayer, using the book, How to Pray without Talking to God, by Linda Martella- Whitsett.

Before you make plans to skip this series, let me assure you that this is not meant to condemn anyone for talking to God. Talking to God has been promoted as an obvious way to connect and express our needs, our joys and our sorrows.

Heartfelt prayers always make a difference, regardless of their form or wording.

If your prayer practice is effective and fulfilling and centers on conversing with God – by all means stick with it. I also lovingly invite you to join us, with an open mind as we explore how to deepen of our prayer practice.

Talking to God is not problematic in and of itself, except that it so easily perpetuates a sense of separation. If in prayer, we are centered on connecting with the Divine presence within, who, or what are we talking to? The important idea here is to be sure that we are using the power of prayer to grow our sense of oneness with God, rather than impede it.

God is always present within us as wisdom and understanding and love, and more. In prayer, we are not calling in something that is located outside of us. Rather, we are claiming our own Divine Nature, and calling forth those divine qualities within us to steady and strengthen us as we navigate life. Since this is an internal exchange, we can begin to see that words are not actually necessary.

And, yet words are helpful! Talking it out is how we go about expressing- how we sort through whatever it is we are seeking guidance around. There is nothing wrong with this per se. It is just helpful to be aware that we are talking it out for our own sake, not to get God’s attention or affection.

Another important aspect of affirmative prayer assumes that we have replaced the God of our childhood with a fuller understanding of God as Divine Life and Intelligence. This fuller understanding of God not only expands the nature of God beyond limits of a personality, it also relocates God from up above to within and through all of creation. This is a key element in understanding affirmative prayer. The power of affirmative prayer is that it perpetually centers us in our Oneness with God.

Releasing God from the confines of personhood, even as a superhero/bodyguard type figure is a required step in knowing the fullness of God as Divine Love and Infinite Intelligence. It is also necessary if we are to claim this Love and Intelligence as our own Divine Nature.

When we center our thoughts on the fullness of Divine Life that expresses as health and wholeness and locate that Life within us, healing occurs.

Divine Life and Intelligence is active in every atom and cell of our bodies.  It is the creative power active in all of our thoughts and ideas.  It is the source of love and wisdom that allows us to be loving and wise.  It is, ultimately the very presence within us that knows Itself- as us!

Unity Co-Founder, Charles Fillmore taught:

  “It is your mission to express all that you can imagine God to be. Let this be your standard of achievement; never lower it, nor allow yourself to be belittled by the cry of sacrilege. You can attain everything you can imagine. If you can imagine that it is possible to God, it is also possible to you” (Martella-Whitsett, 2011).

• What is the ALL that you imagine God to be?
• What restrictive ideas have you outgrown in favor of a fuller, more expansive understanding of the nature of God?
• Have you been able to conceive that the fullness of God, as Divine Life and Infinite Intelligence is the very ground of your being?

Join us on Sunday, at 10 am as we continue this exploration.