Creative Prayer

Webster's dictionary defines prayer as "as devout petition to God or an object of worship," or "a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving or adoration." It goes on to say in a further definition: "a formula or sequence of words used on praying: the Lord's Prayer." Within the Lord's Prayer we can find the practice and application of New Thought encapsulated. It is an active and creative part of ones' life. Every thought that we conceive is a prayer and when we verbalize our thoughts that is strengthening our focus of thought with the action of speech. Thus in most Spiritual Traditions it is taught to pray without ceasing. In Divine Science we believe that there at the root of all energy and matter is Great Spirit. We may call Great Spirit by many names: Allah, God, Goddess, Rama or even First Cause. Our naming of Great Spirit does not change Great Spirit though it may change our conception or perception of Great Spirit, hence in some traditions it is contraindicated to use a name for Great Spirit. In these traditions, Great Spirit is considered unnameable, not because there is a secret word or name that we do not know but that any name that we use results in a perception of Great Spirit that for some may inhibit their perspective that Great Spirit is everything and more. In the past, the most common form of prayer was by petition, or begging and beseeching. But the Great Masters, including Yesua taught us that our good is already present in our lives, Great Spirit has laid out a banquet in front of us and it is up to us to open our hearts and minds to this reality and it is ours now and ours to share with love and compassion.
Creative Prayer is creative and not destructive because we are aware that though there may be many paths, there is one truth, one destination and that is that we are all interdependent and through the Unity of Great Spirit, we are all one. The transformation of our minds is constant. It is either directed through creative and positive means, or it is random and undirected. As we grow into knowing the Universal Matrix of Understanding, we realize that all Spiritual Truth is pointing to our source and that our source is not a capricious manichean duality of Light and darkness, Great Spirit is all Light and that darkness does not have substance in and of itself, but rather is simply the absence of Light. But because our minds focus, we must learn to direct that focus so that we do not fall into delusions giving darkness any substance. This is the process of training the Heart-Mind. Knowing that each of our thoughts is a prayer, we become aware that we are praying without ceasing and it is thus very important to direct our prayer so that we are happy with the results that are manifested in and through our lives. Our faith is certain knowing that what we focus upon is outpictured in our lives. My life has been deeply transformed by this knowledge and what I have always found for years is that the key to transformation of my life is the transformation of my Heart-Mind. As I change, the whole world changes with me. Thus I not only listen to my "self talk" I direct it and through this my prayers are not prayers of petition but prayers of realization and thanksgiving. I have learned to constantly give thanks for the beauty and joy in my life and my life is filled with love and kindness.