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Ministry - Prayer Works
Requests are submitted to: joyfulgatheringprayerrequests@gmail.com
The Seed, Soil, and Plant Analogy of How Treatment Works:
We know that the seed is already complete within itself, just waiting to germinate into form when it is planted. Our “thought” is the seed which we plant and nurture in our consciousness. Just as a seed is planted into fertile soil where it is watered and nourished, our thought is received by the creative medium of Mind. In Science of Mind, this creative principle is called the Law because it cannot be changed in any way. Like the soil, Mind does not offer any resistance to what is planted in it. The Law simply says “yes”, receiving whatever seed is planted into it; that seed, then begins to germinate into the form it will be in life. Just as the seed germinating in the soil, unfolds into a plant, so do our thoughts moving through the
creative principle of Mind, unfold into the form of our lives that we call a demonstration. And like the wise gardener, we must be patient while the process unfolds and have faith that our thought will demonstrate in our lives in the Divine right time. It is often said, that if you want to understand your thoughts, take a look at your life. Like the gardener, you can only harvest from the seeds that you have planted. When you are facing challenges, take a look at your thoughts and beliefs. If you want something to change in your life, align your thinking and consciousness with the Divine Ideal, and you will be initiating the kind of change that you want to manifest. This is the process of co-creation, what we refer to as “the creative process”, and how it works. “And so it is!”
What is Prayer Work?
Affirmative Prayer, also known as Spiritual Mind Treatment (and “treatment”) is a metaphysical approach to prayer that is based upon the principles of Religious Science. All professional practitioners are specifically trained and very skilled in this methodology, but everyone can use Affirmative Prayer in their own lives. It is important to understand that treatment, and the healing that results, takes place through the consciousness of the one who is praying.
Prayer in the broadest sense, is an act of communion with God. Are prayer and treatment the same? Yes - treatment is prayer, but prayer of a very special kind - it is affirmative and scientific.
As with any kind of prayer, the faith and conviction of the one praying are vital ingredients to the effectiveness of prayer. “Pure faith is a spiritual conviction,” says Holmes. “It is the acquiescence of the mind, the embodiment of an idea. If I jump up and down and scream, ‘I am rich; all that God has is mine,’ that is dynamic but unless it means something to me, unless I am One with the substance of the belief, nothing will happen. Jesus, announcing the same Law of Mind, said, “It is done to you as you believe.”
Ernest Homes in the Science of Mind refers to Affirmative Prayer as the recognition of Spirit’s Omnipresence, Omniscience, and Omnipotence, also based on the realization of man’s unity with Spirit. What follows is the logical explanation that what is true about God, is also true of God’s image and likeness; the divine reflection of God in man and God giving evidence of Itself as Its expression through man.
Affirmative Prayer is not supplication or petition (we are not begging or pleading for God “to do” something for us), but recognition and acceptance that God is all there is; that there is no spot where God is not; that we are all Spiritual Beings here and now; and that all the abundance of the universe is already ours if we accept and embody it.
Scientific Prayer is based on our knowledge that the universe is Wholeness in which God as Presence (or Love) works continuously as Principle (or Law) to manifest as form or effect; that this Creative Process takes place in a provable, reproducible manner; and that we can consciously allow it to bring about changes in our lives. There are five stages of treatment that provide the structure and technique that empower this process.
In Affirmative Prayer, we are opening our conscious awareness to the Allness of God, to our Oneness with God, and acknowledging that God’s good is everywhere present all of the time. There is no separation between man and Spirit, God, Source, Divine Mother, or whatever you choose to call the Universal Presence of the Divine.
Affirmative Prayer is a five-step scientific method, designed after Jesus's teachings; when you pray, pray believing. According to Dr. Ernest Holmes, “…treatment is the time, process and method necessary to the changing of our thought.” By using the five-step formula, we are able to change the state of our thoughts so that we recognize the attributes of God, unify ourselves with those attributes, realize that our desired outcome is at hand, give thanks, and let God take over. Spiritual Mind Treatment is a powerful process that shifts our consciousness so that we can accept the good that is already present in our lives. It is all about engaging our minds, hearts, and Being, with the creative power of the universe. Remember as you begin your own prayer practice, that how one gets there is not as important as cultivating a profound connection with Spirit. The 5 steps of Spiritual Mind Treatment: Recognition, Unification, Realization, Thanksgiving and Release, are outlined in an example below.
Before you begin, carefully formulate the purpose of your treatment, stating the condition in your life that you would like to change. Then, state the changed condition that you expect to experience as a result of your treatment.
1. RECOGNITION: GOD IS ALL THERE IS
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, acknowledge the Oneness, the Allness and the Wholeness of God, express the deep conviction that God is all there is…that there is nothing anywhere but God…that there is no spot, no situation where God is not, because God is inclusive… that God is the infinite Love that rules the universe through the Law of Its Being. You are seeking to become wholly immersed in the awareness of the Presence and the power in, under, over, around and through all that is, allowing this awareness to flood your being, bringing peace and serenity; knowing that All is Love and All is Law.
2. UNIFICATION: I AM ONE WITH GOD
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, declare that there is One Mind, that Mind is God, that Mind is your mind now… that you are inseparably One at the Source with the Infinite Presence and Power… that “Thou are that which I am, I am that which Thou art,” expressing your deep knowledge that God in you, as you, is you… that you are made of the same God-Stuff, a whole, perfect, and complete child of God. This is WHO YOU ARE. This is the truth about you. (When praying for someone else, unify yourself, as well as the other person by name, in this step.)
3. REALIZATION: I ACCEPT AND EMBODY MY GOOD
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, now speaking for yourself, express your deep realization that all the riches of the Universe are your heritage because of WHO YOU ARE, an emanation of God. Declare that you wholly accept and embody this realization as the Spiritual Truth of your being and your affairs… that you clearly see the special good that you desire is already yours, right now being manifested through the perfect action of Law. Your entire being is open and ready to receive this good that is yours now. (A deep feeling of acceptance allows the treatment to be effective. And, when praying for someone else, speak their name during this and the following steps, in place of speaking from the 1st person.)
4. THANKSGIVING: I GIVE THANKS
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, express your overwhelming thankfulness for the Truth of your being and affairs - and for your knowing of this Truth… for the good that is taking form in your experience… for your joy in this manifestation. (This stage is an outpouring of your attitude of gratitude for the Goodness of God as your life.)
5. RELEASE: LET GO AND LET GOD
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, release your word into the action of the Law. Know that as you have spoken the Truth, believing and accepting, your good is now coming into manifestation. (It is important that this release be total. You may treat again tomorrow for the same good; but the present treatment is a spiritual entity, and as such, having been released into the Law, it is complete.)
Based upon Foundation Class Materials
