The prayer that works for me

[Ron Green]

is "Thank You." Thanks for my life, for every loving connection with another being, thanks for every hard lesson learned and for every close call.

When I used to pray "Please," my life didn't seem to work very well. Later, when I didn't believe there even is a God, my life didn't work any better. More years of study, reflection and experience brought me a different kind of faith, in which I began to be thankful, in a very simple way, for whatever crumbs came my way.

I can't prove cause and effect, of course, but after my prayer became one of appreciation rather than supplication, my life started to work much better and continues to overflow with riches.

This, to me, is completely in keeping with the idea that God is within and needs only to be thanked.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

1. I call it my gratitude list. I use it for those times when I get to

telling myself about how bad things are. I pull out my list and slowly begin to realize that I have life made and am just to dumb to know it.
:spank:

One really doesn't have to get involved in too many peoples lives to realize that there are some real tough stories out there. Life can really be a bitch but all in all its good.

:hi:

[Joe Chi Minh]

2. Such a simple post, but very profound.

It reminds me of a line in the hymn many of today's young American atheists apparently love to scoff at, "Kumbaya" - with a closely connected theme:

"Someone's laughing, Lord, kumbaya!"

We tend to forget that we need to share our happiness as well as our sorrow.

[blue sky at night]

3. thank you for nailing it on the head.

Our seperation from god is the only lack we need to address. For those unaware, there is none.

a link for you

http://www.hayhouseradio.com/

[Ron Green]

5. Thanks.

I've bookmarked this link.

[BanzaiBonnie]

4. Our needs are met

All we need to do is give thanks. This is a project I've been working on to share with others.

http://www.8000forpeace.com/

[Ron Green]

6. Thank you; this is very interesting to me.

I'm checking out the site.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

7. Gratefulness is universal

and I think we all would do well to stop and appreciate what we have, as opposed to what we want.

But I still want a new laptop.

[cyborg_jim]

8. Alternate explanation

I can't prove cause and effect, of course, but after my prayer became one of appreciation rather than supplication, my life started to work much better and continues to overflow with riches.

There is a cause and effect but the prayer is only incidental - it is only the change in your attitude that effected the change in your life. Once you stopped hoping for a god to provide for you it became possible to actually do these things for yourself.

[Ron Green]

9. Could be, but I'm willing to explore the idea that my "self" is a larger

and more powerful entity than the self that was asking for things. To say that only the change in my attitude has been responsible for this increased abundance is not supported by evidence that I changed my behavior in significant ways, made better decisions, etc. Indeed, I believe my behavior is just as foolish and non-productive as it ever was, to take a clear look at things, yet my life is full of blessings. My only communication with God now is to acknowledge this, and be thankful that I am allowed to "co-create" my life, despite my many and obvious failings.

The God that is summarily dismissed by many people posting on this forum is a very limited concept indeed; an external force that controls the affairs of the world and of lives. My experience and understanding is that God is much more abstract, and more infinite, than this personification.

[cyborg_jim]

10. RE: Could be, but I'm willing to explore the idea that my "self" is a larg

To say that only the change in my attitude has been responsible for this increased abundance is not supported by evidence that I changed my behavior in significant ways, made better decisions, etc.

Action follows intent.

Indeed, I believe my behavior is just as foolish and non-productive as it ever was, to take a clear look at things, yet my life is full of blessings.

So you're saying you haven't changed anything you do other than what you pray for? You're saying that suddenly cirumstances you see as being beyond your control have just changed for you?

The God that is summarily dismissed by many people posting on this forum is a very limited concept indeed; an external force that controls the affairs of the world and of lives. My experience and understanding is that God is much more abstract, and more infinite, than this personification.

I can't say what you think god is - but I tend to dismiss any notion that people need to invoke something else to effect a change in their own lives.

[Ron Green]

11. What I'm invoking is not "something else"

but rather part of me. This "something else" notion is what was not working for me for so many years. However, I won't characterize it as simply another part of my psyche, or some personal resource that I've been able to activate. Instead, I believe I'm getting closer to the true nature of God, something I wouldn't have allowed or understood 20 years ago.

Even if we pay attention, this stuff takes time.