Prayer Discourse II

“God is the love that upholds the universe. It is the ocean of life and power that pervades all creation. Through prayer, we can attune ourselves to that Infinite Power, and bring healing to body, mind, and spirit”.

                                                    Paramahansa Yogananda

Some people regard prayer as a vague and ineffective exercise in wishful thinking. The ordinary person resorts to prayer only when in dire trouble and when all other options have failed. But Paramahansa Yogananda taught that true prayer is scientific, being based on precise laws that governs all creation and is a daily necessity for harmonious living.

He explained that our physical bodies and the material world we live in are condensations of invisible patterns of energy. That energy in turn is an expression of finer blueprints of thought, the subtlest vibration which governs all manifestations of energy and matter.

He stated that the whole of creation was brought into being by God first in thought or idea form. Then the Divine Consciousness willed those thought patterns to condense into light and energy, and finally into the grosser vibrations of matter.

 

As human beings, made in the image of God, we are different from the lower forms of creation: we have the freedom to use these same powers of thought and energy. By the thoughts we habitually entertain and act upon, we create the circumstances in which our life unfolds.

Prayer correctly done is based on understanding of this truth, and on the application of the universal forces of creation: It needs to be in tune with the mind of God concerning patterns of health, harmony, and perfection; lastly one needs to use will power and be a channel for the energy to materialize those patterns.

Prayer is the way by which we can attune our human mind and will to the consciousness and will of the Divine. When through prayer, we form a loving, personal relationship with the Infinite, His response will be unfailing.

By patient and persevering application of God’s unlimited power, we can, with His love and help, create whatever circumstances we desire, and dissolve difficulties and disease not only for ourselves, but for others.

Here are some key points to be remembered for effective prayer:

Concentration

Successful prayer depends to a great extent on the ability to concentrate, the ability to free the mind from distractions and to focus it one-pointedly on whatever one wishes to attain. The subtle yet powerful energies latent in thoughts, feelings, and the spoken words may be gathered into an all powerful prayer through a definite method of concentration. Vast reservoirs of mental power may be tapped through concentration, and may then be used for any outward manifestation or inward experience.

The Power of Will

Will power is an essential element in prayer. “Continuous, calm, powerful use of the will influences the forces of creation and brings a response from the Infinite. When we persist, refusing to accept failure, the object willed must materialize.

When we continuously work that will through our thoughts and activities, what we are wishing for has to come to fruition and the desired result will somehow manifest. In that kind of response lies God’s answer.

In prayer it is necessary to distinguish between a passive attitude that God will do everything, and the other extreme of relying only on our own efforts.

A balance should be struck between the medieval idea of wholly depending on God and the modern way of sole reliance on the ego.

When Jesus prayed, “Thy will be done,” before undergoing the trial of crucifixion, he was not denying his own will. It took complete mastery of will to surrender to God’s divine plan for his life. Few people have developed their will power to that extent. But God expects us as His children to exercise His gifts of reason, will, and feeling to the best of our ability in every endeavor.

While utilizing all means at our disposal to achieve success, we should simultaneously seek guidance from the Divine Presence within. This balanced attitude leads to poise, understanding, harmonization of our human and divine faculties, and attunement of our human will with the will of God.

Devotion, Love for God

Prayer imbued with devotion is the most effective prayer. Devotion, love for God, is the magnetic attraction of the heart that God cannot resist.

Paramahansa Yogananda said: “The Searcher of Hearts wants only your sincere love. He is like a little child: someone may offer Him his whole wealth and He doesn’t want it; and another cries to Him, ‘O Lord, I love You!’ and into that devotee’s heart He comes running.”

Knowing all things before we ask, God is more interested in our love than in long outdrawn prayers. It is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. Mechanical prayer, devoid of attention and feeling, is like absentmindedly offering wilted flowers to the Lord, an offering not likely to get much response! But if we call again and again on God, with devotion, concentration, and will power, we will come to know beyond doubt that our prayers are heard and answered by that Divine One whose power and loving concern for us is absolute and unlimited.

How can our prayers influence the lives of others?

In the same way that they elevate our own: by implanting in their consciousness positive patterns of health, success, and receptivity to divine help.

The minds of illumined masters

The minds of illumined masters, who have perfectly attuned their will with God’s will, can transmit the divine power to bring instantaneous healing of body, mind, and spirit.

The writings and lectures of Paramahansa Yogananda are abound with examples of such healings. Though they seem miraculous, divine healings are the natural result of fulfilling the universal laws of creation. By conveying God’s idea patterns of perfection with sufficient will power and energy to manifest them in the minds and bodies of others, these enlightened ones follow the same process by which everything in the universe was formed.

Any person who prays according to these principles will find that his or her prayers also have a tangible influence. And though our individual power is obviously less than that which a master can convey, when the prayers of many are united, the powerful vibrations of peace and divine healing thus generated are of inestimable value in helping to manifest the desired results.

Worldwide Peace and Healing Through Prayer

In a world where humanity is ravaged by war, poverty, disease, anxiety, and lack of purpose in life, compassionate men and women naturally wonder, “What can I do to help lessen the world’s problems?”

Paramahansa Yogananda answered:

 “Only spiritual consciousness, realization of God’s presence in oneself and in every other living being can save the world. I see no chance for peace without it. Begin with yourself. There is no time to waste. It is your duty to do your part to bring God’s kingdom on earth.”

As we realize the presence and the love of God within, we develop our ability to radiate it without. This is the practical answer to the troubles of humankind, for there is a dynamic relationship between our consciousness and world conditions”.

Yogananda

 “The sudden cataclysms that occur in nature, creating havoc and mass injury, are not ‘acts of God.’ Such disasters result from the thoughts and actions of man. Wherever the world’s vibratory balance of good and evil is disturbed by an accumulation of harmful vibrations, the result of man’s wrong thinking and wrong doing, you will see devastation”.

“When materialism dominates man’s consciousness, there is an emission of subtle negative rays; their cumulative powers disturb the electrical balance of nature, and that is when earthquakes, floods, and other disasters happen.”

God-Contact brings Individual and International Healing

Yogananda stressed that the negative vibrations of selfishness, greed, and hatred which bring disease and unhappiness to individuals, war and natural disaster to nations can be overcome if enough men and women turn to God in meditation and prayer.

By changing ourselves through spiritual living and communion with the Divine, we automatically radiate vibrations of peace and harmony that do much to counteract the negative effects of inharmonious living.

Thus, as a channel for the healing power of God, prayer for others is one of the highest services we can offer. Material charity, social welfare work, and other forms of relief are valuable and necessary in temporarily alleviating the suffering of others, but correct prayer strikes at the root cause of the world’s suffering: the wrong thought patterns of mankind.

Through correct prayer, each of us can help in the most effective way possible to bring peace and healing to the world and to any of our dear ones in need of aid.