Prayer

Question: I'm curious as to how prayers are answered.

Answer: When you pray you actually - if you follow instructions and are sincere - you actually tap into the
universe circuits and, through means that are not clear to me, your prayer is routed all the way to Paradise. This is a most amazing thing - and I never cease to wonder at the miracle of it - that so many, many, many beings in all the universes could, by the simple technique of prayer, could have access to the Father in Paradise. But this is indeed what happens.

And once the prayer is received, a decision follows and through the universal administrative channels orders are given for certain actions to be taken in answer to the prayer. Now these are not always what the prayer has in mind. Few will wake up and find a new car in your driveway, or your debts are erased, or a suitcase full of money in your bed, and therefore some would say that prayers are not answered. But of course, these are material considerations and prayers are not answered in a material fashion. But be assured that when you pray there is an almost instantaneous response to your prayer in the form of celestial guidance, assistance, and - in ways deemed appropriate by the Father - you are given help that
is sought.

[In response to a question about the Lucifer rebellion and Caligastia betrayal Rayson said:]
It takes such a small amount of difference in direction on the universe scale to have the enormous effect over the course of time. A fraction of a degree difference in direction, that is all that Caligastia's behavior affected, and yet the result was to essentially derail the basic plan leading toward the establishment of Light and Life on Earth quite severely.

The major impact of Caligastia's disobedience was the severance of the universe circuits to Earth and other planets involved in the rebellion, because when this severance occurred man was left far, far more to his own physical being than would have been the case otherwise. If you starve a living creature of one essential nutrient the creature will live, but its function will be impaired. A good example is vitamin or mineral malnutrition. This is analogous to what happened when the universe circuits were severed to contain the rebellion. Man continued to live but did not thrive as had been intended because of a stunting of spiritual growth.

Yes, prayers were still answered, but through a detour - if you will - and less expeditiously than otherwise would have been the case. Yes, there were beings - are beings - here to help you, Midwayers and beyond. But because of lack of access to the universe circuits it was immeasurably harder for these helpers to assist man as he sought daily guidance in spiritual growth.

Question: I have a feeling that my strength and my security lie only in my faith, is that correct? Faith makes it possible to talk with you. Frankly, I'm uncomfortable, it’s a new experience. I mean the fact that you exist and the way that you communicate is not-its so foreign to conventional thought. I feel like I'm standing in a valley, about to climb a mountain, and the mountain is covered in clouds. And then you come along and the Urantia Book comes along, blows away the clouds and I see this mountain, its 350,000 years high, and you are on the same mountain. Is that right?

Answer: That is just the foothills.

Question: Are you that little guy way up on top?

Answer: Somewhere there. Your faith is not your only strength and support. It is a crucial one, yes, but you have your Adjuster. You have your spirit guide, your Guardian Angels, the ones who love you. You have your own unique personality and your capacity for prayer to connect you instantaneously to Paradise. You have your ability to worship, and grow and co-create with the Most Highs. You have so many areas of strength and connection to Father.

The reference to the Most Highs, technically known as Constellation Fathers, which are three high administrative beings of the Vorondadek order of Local Universe Sons, implies that mortals on this planet somehow collaborate with the Most Highs. We know from certain ancient scriptures and the Urantia Book that the Most Highs are involved in the kingdoms of men, which means that the Most Highs have a hand in creating and sustaining the larger groupings of mankind, what are commonly called nations and civilisations. Therefore by participating in nation building and the progressive march of civilisation we are effectively co-creating with the Most Highs.

Question: It's nice to know. I understand that the Presence of the Father is closer than breathing, nearer than hands and feet. What I'm confused about is praying out loud. When you are praying out loud, is that only for the fellowship of those of like mind? Is that the only purpose of praying out loud, since the Father is
within us?

Answer: There is no purpose other than those which you assigned to such prayer. When you seek to pray, even the quietest whisper of your mind-thought is heard loud and clear.

Question: Rayson, you talked to me about a shift from a negative to positive tone and attitude. And I'm still not clear that why praying to be more loving is not also praying for myself. Because as you said, and as is in the Urantia Book, true prayer is always for others. I have a thread of understanding, and I wonder if you could expand on it a little bit?

Answer: Yes. A very good question. When you pray for growth you are praying that you may do better the will of God. You are not praying for yourself. You are praying for God. You are praying that you can do the will of God. And so, even though you are - in one sense - praying for yourself, the prayer is not to benefit yourself but to benefit The Father, and you know that The Father has you and your welfare on His mind, that you are of importance to Him and that he will watch over you.

And so, when you pray, and you pray to do the will of God, eventually you will as time goes by become more
and more be able to do the will of God, and whatever you do will reflect that, for God will so fill you that you will not be able to contain this love, and will give unto others what you have gained from God.

Remember, when you pray that in wanting to do the will of God and in praying for it, there will come an answer on which you must act. And this process of acting - in doing the will of God - will sometimes seem that it is for your own benefit. And sometimes it will not. But in either case you must do this because it will be the will of God. And as you act and live out the truth that you have gained from praying, you will more and more learn exactly what is a selfish thought or a selfish act and what is a thought or an act that is the will of God. The Father wants the best for you. Sometimes you do not know what that is, and sometimes you do. Just because what you want for yourself coincides with what God wants for you does not mean that you are selfish.

In fact, there are things that you may not be able to accomplish on your own regarding self-mastery. You
must try and try but at a certain point it is quite all right for you to pray for this to be done. It is quite all right for you to pray for self-mastery because self-mastery is the will of God. But you must also endeavor to try your best in accomplishing this worthwhile deed.

Question: I have a question which is the inverse of that. We have people that never think of God in their day-to-day activities. There are schools of thought, especially in current metaphysical thought, that we create our own reality. Consequently, some people who are very active in visualizing and praying for very selfish goals, and for their abundance, and for their situations. Those people sometimes seem to have an effect on their world. 

I believe that we are of this world and we didn't create anything in it. And yet whether someone is spiritual or not, things still happen in their lives, situations manifest, both positive and negative. My slant on this in the sense of more in a positive way. I understand the concept of prayer for somebody else, as we have the proper spiritual definitions in the Urantia Book. And yet, our selfish desires and wishes seem to manifest sometimes, as well as our visualizations, as well as our hopes and desires; sometimes better. It seems to me that there is a benevolence that to some degree gives us what we want.

Are we co-creating with that? Is that hand of God? Or is it something that would happen to us? Jesus said “take no thought for your life.” And that to me is one of the hardest things to do, the action of inaction in terms of our day-to-day physicality. And yet there are people that are very active in achieving their goals.

And I wonder if you can comment on that kind of thinking that I have regarding manifestation and why things happen?

Answer: That is a very large subject. The realms of wealth, happiness, love, pain, of fortune, are affected by various mechanisms, systems, beings, patterns, and other factors. There is chance, bestowals of wealth as in lotto, inheritances. People are born with talents, which make them able to attain greater wealth than others. There is the inner drive, the determination and capacity for enduring effort. There are also spiritual factors, but they do not necessarily have to do with material wealth, although it may to some extent.

When one puts in a great amount of time, effort, as well as other contributions to the work of The
Father, rest assured that that person would not be forgotten. He may not be given money or material gifts, but the opportunities for him to grow and to be fulfilled will be there. There are people who gain wealth but are no better for it. Sometimes they grow unhappy and do not grow spiritually. Others may gain wealth and use it for fulfillment of God's work. They use it as a tool to go about doing the work of The Father. People are diverse and varied in ways of attaining wealth and happiness. 

Question: In general, I know what you are saying and I appreciate that answer. I think I formulated a different angle on it while you were answering that. Which was, are we co-creators in our day-to-day lives? I was wondering if the universe respects our personal energy and intent with regard to our personal manifestations and wishes that are not of a spiritual matter. I know that the book says that angels will use your conditions and situations, whatever you choose, to try to point out lessons of spiritual import and nature. And I understand that one person will use wealth a certain way and another person will get wealth a certain way. Regarding our day-to-day existence, does the celestial, spiritual energy hierarchy of the universe respect our individual personal self-wishes, or is it in essence cosmic masturbation? Will stuff happen for us anyway if we are inactive mentally? Is it futile to visualize for things that we want personally? Does the universe respect that energy? Does it respect that intent? Are you working with your angels when you are visualizing? Or are you just alone in your room with your eyes closed?

Answer: From the beginning of mankind, from Andon and Fonta, newer and better techniques have been
thought of, invented - to try to have a better grasp of the universe and to shape it according to your mind.
These techniques are still being developed. Your techniques of building, farming, of creating a government, of culture, your technology, is an outworking of all this. There is more. Visualizations are on the cutting edge in your country for developing the power of the mind. Yes, these things are not just respected by the celestial beings, they were inspired by them.

Question: So then lets say I am trying to open up to you as a teacher, personally, alone, not in a group situation. Then in my quiet moments, its efficacious for me then to visualize, or to make it actual for myself as real as I can in some type of technique, and that is effective because I am using the power of my mind? Or because my intent is pure? And therefore it is bestowed upon me. Do you understand the difference? 

Answer: Yes, it is not just your intent or your motivational force. Technique has to do with knowing what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Not all new techniques are effective. Some will fall by the wayside, the ones that are effective will not. You must weed out the ineffective techniques by experiment.

Question: In summation, you would agree with the concept that we are co-creators with spirit in terms of our physical manifestations.

Answer: Yes, definitely. 

I now point you to a helpful manner in which you may pray. Prayer is often of the form of being directed outwardly. By this I mean you speak as to one who is another. The case in prayer is that the other is God.  Today I ask you to pray as you would normally carry on an internal dialogue with yourself. In this dialogue, you are fully aware that your other self is fully sympathetic and understanding of your expression, instantly
comprehends what you convey. Praying to your Father with this attitude draws Him into an inner experience. The more you practice this method of praying, the sooner you experience your everyday thinking process containing the mindedness of the Father who indwells you. The Father's presence has but one goal, to elevate you to the point of permanent embrace of fusion.

When you behold the events of your life which seem to either challenge your spiritual strength or distract from your sense of wellbeing, realize that your Father's indwelling presence likewise holds this view. But this adjuster does not pass upon the worthwhileness of any particular event as good or bad; simply it
discerns its serviceability to grow. I bring this up for I endeavor to ease your minds regarding unbroken communion with the Father, for I know the human mind is capable of devaluating its thoughts as unnecessary ramblings that need not be foisted upon the Father. He truly cares to share your experiences; that is the Supreme reason for His indwelling.

There are two manners of approach to this inward dialogue with the Father. Two simple words describe these approaches. One is the word "ask"; it is your assertive side of the relationship. The other is "acceptance", your receptive side. The Father Himself asks you to become more like Him. The Father Himself accepts a position of becoming more like you. In one respect you might alter the wording of "unbroken communion" and instead say it is an unbroken commingling, your willingness to acknowledge the divine presence under the most extremely mundane situations. By practicing stillness, you will find that this experience of communion with the Father is constant. It does not break off following a period of practice, but will continue. It is similar to your electric circuitry wherein a switch is placed; one line feeds from the Father to you, the other from you to the Father. Your side has the switch, you determine the continuity. Ever present, ever connecting is the Father.

Throughout the universe scheme of ascension, each of us finds ourselves stationed where we are at our greatest challenge for growth, yet each of us, in order to grow, must develop our skills at demonstrating our accomplishments, not to prove our attainment but to refine our attainment. Spiritual growth is not
unlike the development of physical strength. We must exercise to maintain our abilities. Prayer is not a thing that you will become skillful at and thereafter need no longer. No matter how your phrasing, no matter how precise your meaning, prayer will ever remain a valuable everyday undertaking. 

Just as one may jog slowly or one may run with great effort, it matters not, for it does the body good. A prayer uttered sloppily or one done with great poetry will both likewise benefit the soul and establish communion with its Maker.

We spend our time within only to recognize the importance of all that is about us. Our niche in life is never static; it will continually change bringing new difficulties as well as new achievements. Herein lies the importance of not becoming overly attached to a particular standing, a particular level of spiritual status, for the deeper you go into your soul in fathoming the significance of your being, the broader will become your applications in the world around you. True, you will never, ever leave behind the skills you have developed, rather you will extend them into more complex areas of application. Just as you once learned to hold a crayon and then a pencil, a pen, and then an artist's brush, the skill of that crayon is retained. The extent of your abilities has enlarged.

Today you are housed in physical vehicles, and to a certain extent this limits the freedom of the soul, but this freedom is unfolding. Every attempt you make in this life to bring greater awareness, though you may hit the barriers of the limitations of a mortal life, you are establishing the successes of your subsequent life. It may not show now.

No foundation ever appears to reveal the final structure. Never be discouraged at the enduring task before
you of this foundation-building.