Category Archives: prayer

Prayer is…

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Over the centuries many folks have expressed their ideas about prayer. When I first got into recovery, easing away from atheism and moving towards coming to believe, I learned “prayer is talking to God, meditation is listening to God.” Here are some other thoughts about prayer gleaned from today’s “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” *As We Understand God. Prayer is… … an attitude, an awareness of God’s presence … a feeling that we are not alone—ever … a thankfulness, a silent appreciation of and communion with our source … stepping back and letting go I cannot separate any of the aforementioned—they are all part of my attitude as I step into the evening to relax, being aware of Spirit’s presence and hence assured I am not alone, feeling grateful for my Higher Power, and surrendering the evening and everything else to Spirit.

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Love Is All There Is

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I’ve not been pleased with my attitude or behavior towards others of late, yet have not seemed to be able to get back to feeling and behaving as the loving person that I am. I’ve been imploring Spirit to help me. As a gift to myself and as a reminder of the love I am and give, tonight I listened to the What’s App recording of a spiritual mind treatment my dear friend Esther said for me, for us, last month. For some background, you can read a post about our first meeting, now known as our friend-a-versary. We each have individual nicknames, but we share the one of Dahlink, a throwback to the New York City vernacular we both grew up around. Here’s Esther’s heartfelt, affirmative prayer intended specifically for me and our friendship—what an honor she bestowed on me, what a delight! I hope your heart too is touched by the love embedded in her words, reminding you of the love that you are, that love is all there is. I know that love is all there is. And that love is the same thing as what we call God, that infinite, abundant blessing that is divinity within … Continue reading →

Body, Mind, and Soul

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I’m back home tonight, Monday evening, from my trip to the Big City. It was brief but rich, and today has been busy and eclectic, exhausting my body, mind, and soul. After meditating in my hotel room, I managed to arrange the room so I had sufficient space to do my Naam Yoga stretches and poses as I chanted. After breakfast and some computer work, I packed and it was off to my naturopathic doctor (NMD) for a 90-minute session, a treat. On the drive over, stopped at a red light, a man was standing in the hot Phoenix sun and heat seeking money. NO ONE, should have to do that to survive. I opened my window and handed him a $5 bill, and said “God bless.” As I drove away, I was in tears, so touched by this person’s situation. I may not have stood in the hot sun seeking money, but I’ve been without a home, without sufficient funds. I didn’t care what he used the money for—alcohol, food, water, rent—just as long as he could know that there are people who care and want to help. No matter what has put him in that situation—mental illness, alcoholism, … Continue reading →

Separate from God?

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“To think you are separate from God is to remain separate from your own being.” – D. M. Street Oh my! What did I do when I was a devout atheist?! Was I really so out of touch with my own self? Of course, I didn’t think I was. Since I came to believe through 12 Step program and synchronicity provided me with the evidence I’d been seeking to prove the existence of God (it was just a different form of evidence that I’d expected), my concept of God is that It is everywhere, within me, within you, and surrounding us as well. [I still don’t subscribe to traditional religions in case you couldn’t tell!] It is The One, we are a part of It, and thus can never be separated from It. Now, there are times I may feel disconnected from Spirit, separate from God. However, I know that in reality, God is still around and in me. When I have such feelings, it means I’ve moved away from and need to get back into alignment with the Divine. I can do that through numerous practices, including singing, praying, meditating, and reading spiritual literature. Focusing on my breath totally … Continue reading →

Practicing the Presence of God

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“Nearly every day most of us experience a few small, though troubling, inconveniences. Some days we suffer through a major setback and, on occasion, even a personal tragedy. When we trust that God is in our life, and we look for comfort and guidance every moment of every day, we are prepared for any upset, whether minor or grave. “Practicing the presence of God provides us with a refuge, even in the throes of turmoil. In time, as we make this a daily routine, we’ll seldom doubt God’s closeness or feel forsaken, even when all about us is dark. The darkness will give way to the light of hope in the mere moment it takes to remember God’s presence.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” April 1 *As We Understand God I couldn’t help but think about my friend, Jennifer, and her soon-to-be 19 years old son, Kelton as I was reading the above passages. Earlier in the week Kelton experienced a brain hemorrhage, and at the time of this writing, the doctors still don’t have the situation under control so that they can perform surgery. They have induced a coma so that his brain can … Continue reading →

Come By Here, Spirit

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Today’s reading in “Everyday Joy, 365 days of ohmygod life,” by Z Egloff and Melissa Phillippe stated the original meaning of the word “kumbaya” was “come by here” as in Come by here, Spirit. We need your help. The reading got me curious enough to learn a bit more about this term and its history, as I’ve always enjoyed listening to and singing the song with that single word title. There is lengthy discussion provided by the Library of Congress; below is a brief summary. The most common claim made today about the origins of “Kumbaya” is that it is from the Gullah-Geechee people of coastal Georgia and South Carolina. The earliest record in the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center (AFC) comes from lyrics collected in North Carolina in 1926 for a song called “Oh Lord, Won’t You Come By Here.” The spiritual pleads for divine intervention—for God to come by here and help a people in great need, referencing an area historically connected to the enslavement and oppression of African Americans. The following rendition of  “Kumbaya” is sung by the Soweto Gospel Choir. In asking for help, we acknowledge that we can’t do this thing called Life alone. … Continue reading →

Prayer for Abundance of Love

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I came across some prayers from when I had had an Akashic  Records reading consultation a few years back. The Akashic Records are an energetic library of information that contain the details of your soul and its journey. The Akashic energy holds all your thoughts, feelings, actions, and deeds spanning through past lives, present incarnations, and future possibilities. On my computer there was a prayer for abundance of love. I think it is timely for me to read regularly for a while as I’m working on manifesting more loving and supportive friendships as well as a sacred, loving life partnership. This prayer is from a book published by Lisa Barnett. Prayer for Abundance of Love Mother, Father, Goddess, God, please support me as I open to the flow that is abundance. Please take me outside of time and space, to the origin of anv beliefs, ideas and feelings that I hold about being Loveable. I now free that energy to create new space in my life and body to make new choices as I follow my spiritual path. As I swim in this flowing river of abundance, the right people at the right time appear to offer me love, support … Continue reading →

Loving-kindness Meditation

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  Loving-kindness meditation consists primarily of connecting to the intention of wishing ourselves or others happiness. Metta is an ancient Pali (Buddhist) term meaning loving-kindness, friendliness, benevolence, and non-violence. In practicing Metta meditation, one begins with their self and gradually extends the wish for well-being happiness to all beings. Specific words and phrases are used to evoke good will. Metta is first practiced toward oneself. Sitting quietly, mentally repeat, slowly and steadily, the following or similar phrases:   May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease.   Allow yourself to sink into the intentions the phrases express. After a period of directing loving-kindness meditation toward yourself, bring to mind a friend or someone in your life who has deeply cared for you. Then slowly repeat phrases of loving-kindness toward them:   May you be happy. May you be well. May you be safe. May you be peaceful and at ease.   After a while, gradually extend the wish for well-being happiness to all beings. Bring to mind other friends, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, and animals, and send out loving-kindness to them.   May we be happy. May we be well. … Continue reading →

Believe and Receive

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I always get a kick out of duplication of topics in my daily spiritual readings. One, it reminds me of synchronicity (so meaningful to me because it’s how I “came to believe”) even if they’re only remotely related. Two, it makes me pay even greater attention to the message. This morning provides an example. In today’s 365 Science of Mind: A Year of Daily Wisdom from Ernest Holmes, the founder of the Science of Mind philosophy quotes Mark 11:24: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Holmes continues: “There could be no more explicit technique for effective prayer than this, laid down by the Master himself.” We are not to doubt the outcome; in fact, we must believe it is already done. Since the Law of Good governs my life and affairs, I need to cast out any fear, doubt, and uncertainty, and replace it with acceptance of the good that I desire. And, I really have to release control (as if I really have it): I let the Law of Good handle how my desire will manifest. Without doubt hanging out in my … Continue reading →