Power Of Prayer

As a child I had a very consistent, clean & clear conscious contact with God. I lost that over time due to alcoholism. My next sincere prayer happened when I hit bottom. I was on my knees on the floor in so much mental anguish that I hurt physically. On July 31, 1974, on the floor, I promised whatever God there was that if it would stop me from hurting so bad, I would do anything I could to establish a better relationship with it. The next day I went to my first AA meeting and have been clean and sober ever since. How's that for answered prayer!

I began praying in a way that has changed my life forever 12 years ago. It is called affirmative prayer. I learned it as part of my spiritual practitioner training. There are 5 simple steps:

1. Recognize God - give praise, recognition and thanks to what you know of spirit in your life
2. Unification - unify yourself as part of this one spirit
3. Realization - affirm what you want to experience/create
4. Thanksgiving - give thanks to spirit for creating what you want to realize/create as if it is already done (it is done)
5. Release - now let the prayer go. Trust the universal wisdom to create it.

Those are the steps. Try it. You can write the prayer out and say it out loud.

My prayer life has evolved from a blubbering painful request to some unknown God for help to a great faith and trust in an all-knowing, all-loving presence that is all-good and indwells me and you.

What has greatly supported this evolution is the 12 step program. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of working the 12 step, I woke up to a desire to be more and to do it with a greater joy that I could share. That desire has lead me to become a licensed spiritual practitioner.

To evolve is to be more present here and now. To evolve is to be fully awake and aware of the fullness of this moment we have right now. Take a moment, get as still as you can. Know that as you give your attention to the God of your own understanding it will evolve you to the next level of expansion in your unique and authentic expression of life including your prayer work.

Evolution of my prayer life

"When did you first start praying and how has your prayer life evolved?"
Carol Ann P.
Prayer is an aspect of my relationship with God.

The first 'prayers' I recall occurred when I was around 3 or 4 years old. They were not formal prayers, but conversations that came from an internal and conscious connection with God, as I simply believed I was an expression of Creator. Being my constant companion I had one-way conversations each day as I sensed His presence and knew He loved me - instinctively.

A few years later, I was old enough to learn memorized prayers, being taught to say these each night before I went to sleep. This included a prayer to my guardian angel, who I also believed was my companion. The memorized prayers continued for many years, and as these grew, my spontaneous one-way conversations with God were edged out as I sought to pray to God the 'right way.' Old and inaccurate ideas about God and prayer began to take hold, as my family life escalated from emotional turmoil to physical abuse and violence.

As I grew older I attended religious education, Mass, and weekly dishonest confession as the idea that I was not good enough to have a direct relationship with God or Jesus had entered my mind, damaging my soul. This led to a distant and distrustful idea, where God became a tyrant master, expecting perfection to gain His attention or love. I had come to believe 'official memorized prayers, on my knees' were the only correct way to speak to God. As the violence and abuse at home continued, our family prayers were memorized and detached words, occurring before each meal, lost was the trusting communion I had previously known and confusion increased.

My prayers turned to pleading, begging, or negotiating with occasional honest letter writing to God. I was full of confusion and fear, for now I believed I had to attain perfection, before He would want to hear from me. Grace I knew nothing of until all efforts to live harmoniously with Creator failed. It was then that I cried out a prayer with a simple, desperate plea for help.
This plea for help was answered and a trusted spiritual teacher came into my life. It was like starting over and I had to unlearn a lot of old ideas as well as believing I could develop a committed, loving communion with God.

Trust grew daily as did prayer and today includes various forms of prayer, from conversations, memorized and spontaneous prayers, writing, centering prayer and guided meditation.

Today, I hope that my life has become a prayer ~ with gratitude, committment and honesty as I seek to honor the One who saved me.

I look forward to your thoughts, questions or comments.

Carol Ann P.

http://www.roomforhealing.com/

http://www.take12radio.com/