What does prayer mean to you?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

I read another thread from GD about the Pope getting better and that people's "prayers have been answered".

It got me thinking--what is your concept of prayer? Is it simply something you do to ask for something? Or is it surrender to the One? Or is it getting to be closer to God? Or is it simply Being-and realizing one's spiritual heritage?

[Maat]

1. I agree with this definition:

"Silent contemplation of the Divine Presence ever simulating the thought, and the Universal Law of Mind ever acting. The act of becoming still and knowing that God, the Creative Wisdom and Power, is moving in, upon and through our affairs."

"Scientific prayer" refers to "conscious use of spiritual power for definite purposes."

From "Ernest Holmes' New Thought Dictionary."

Ernest Holmes founded the Church of Religious Science.

[LWolf]

2. To me, Prayer is "connecting."

Connecting/opening to, recognizing divine energy, either to rejoice, or to hold an issue, or a person, etc., in the light. Not a specific request, just shining a blessing upon something.

[Az]

3. A skeptics opinion of prayer

We have learned that the mind can enter different states through meditation and other means. Prayer is a way to access our own minds in way that allows people to obtain a dialog with an inner portion of their own mind.

Understanding the nature of how our minds learn about identity is vital to this issue. When we are born we cannot distinguish self from the rest of the universe. We are even unaware of the identities of those around us. We have to learn that others have identity as we do. Once we learn to differentiate our selves from the rest of the universe we begin to learn that some of these things in the universe behave as though they have identity as we do. Thus our mind learns to project identity onto others.

But it doesn't just stop there. Until we learn otherwise we project identity onto whatever seems to have properties. As we learn that some things have no identity we continue to cling to less convieniently refuted notions of identity. Thus spirits and gods become the identities we attribute to the properties of the universe around us.

Thus when we enter into these altered states during prayer, meditation, or other means, we send our mind into a state where it cannot recognise its own internal processing. But it still is functioning and experiencing the dialog. With no sense of self attributed to this dialog the mind projects identity upon it and applies whatever learned identities it knows of to account for such dialogs.

[elshiva]

4. Right now, for me, it's conversation and venting.

I've written papers and read books about deep contemplation, but I just am not there yet. I still talk to God like a little child, but it's better to be honest about that then to think I've acheived unitive states of consciousness. I believe in it, though.

[murray hill farm]

5. I believe we are all connected now..to each other..to god..

however one defines god...to the universal..and that prayer just directs our energy..a conscious direction..and i believe in prayer..i believe it is a very powerful connection. all prayers are not answered...and it would be a very strange world if they were.ha! I believe you can send your energy to others by prayer, but i also know that it will not work if you ask for a specific thing..such as if you pray for a person, such as the pope, to recover..or if you ask for a cure for yourself or someone else..or to win the lottery..or to make a lot of money, etc. One must pray to send comfort and strengh or peace or acceptance..and always that if it is to be or not,what u ask for, that u accept that there are things that u do not understand..which may have things go other than the way you prayed for them to unfold. But u can also pray for understanding...and i believe that prayer is always answered.

[elshiva]

6. Prayer IS always answered.

Love the idea that prayer is a connection between people not just between the person and God.

[murray hill farm]

7. Years ago...

When i first started my private practice (psychotherapy) in St. Augustine, FL..i used to give one hour a wk to someone who needed counseling, but could not pay...put i did tell that person..that there is no free lunch..and that if i gave to them, they would need to somehow give that much time back to someone else...and i did check on that..ha! Some would visit nursing homes, make sandwiches and give to the homeless on the streets, etc., but if they would tell me that they could think of nothing to give..i would tell them to go for one hour a week to the square and sit there...and look at people as they went by...and to say a prayer to one person at a time...not a traditional prayer...but to say (to ones self, of course..haha)...i wish u well..i hope that whatever burden u carry will be lifted and that u will find peace and happiness in your life..or to create their own similar prayer. After a while, this was the only way i would ask people to pay back to the world what i had given them...because this one act did more to heal the person than any therapy i could provide. I learned to do this also...and if you get a chance to do it...try this yourself. It is a wonderful experience..to really feel the power of prayer.

[elshiva]

8. Thank you and I will try it sometime!