"Hear my faith-cry for them who are more thine than mine. Give each of them what is best for each. I cannot tell what it is. But thou knowest."
___ Alistair MacLean, "Hebridean Altars"
This carefully worded prayer by a Scots minister is a good all-purpose appeal that does not overbalance the scales one way or the other; it neither neglects to remember those in need nor sets out to bring satisfaction to the pray-er. All too often our prayers are upped in favor of our own envisioned goals for others, rather than merely bringing their needs to divine attention.
When our words are combined with strong intentions,we make a magic that we cannot begin to realize. Intentions are the pathways of desire, and when words travel along them, they go as spirit messengers to their source. If we frame closely worded requests with a particular end in sight, we cease to pray-ers and become sorcerers instead.
If someone is indeed dying, for example, it is not helpful to him to offer prayers for his full recovery to health. This might only lengthen a life that he is ready to leave. We might more appropriately pray for his general well-being and comfort. And prayers for someone's harm - appeals such as, "I wish she'd drop dead" or "I hope he chokes on it" - follow the same pathways as our other prayers (and just as effectively as many have found to their cost).
Our prayers should not harm the world; nor should they attempt to tie up the threads of other beings and their soul-circuits for our own solace or satisfaction.
"Examine for harmful content any prayers, words, and intentions that you have uttered this day. Ask your spiritual allies to neutralize or defuse any inappropriate prayers that have passed your lips. Create a general (and harmless) prayer for common needs."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
This is such a great post. There are so many who don't know how to pray...or only when they want something.
ReplyDeleteMary
Yes, Ms. Matthews is certainly giving us some very good advice here.
ReplyDeleteSobeit
This is such an important message. I think that people need to look at themselves more closely and see how even the most well-intentioned wishes for other people might not be what is right for that person. As someone who has always tried to live up to what other people want for me (and have always failed), I can definitely identify with the idea that one should simply pray and hope for the general health, well-being, and happiness of their loved ones, instead of praying for something that their loved one might not want.
ReplyDelete