How We Think Is How We Pray
During our tribe Zoom this week, Shirley brought up a thought-provoking line from Haanel’s reading: “There are comparatively few persons who know how to pray.”
This got me thinking. I’ve been a Christian most of my life, and for years, I believed prayer was something we did verbally—out loud. Sometimes publicly, but most of the time, we were taught to do it privately, on our own.
It’s only in the last five to seven years that my definition of prayer has expanded. I’m not sure when it truly dawned on me, but so much of prayer is done with my eyes open, not saying a word—just thinking.
Isn’t it the apostle Paul who says, “Pray without ceasing”? The only way for that to happen is through our thoughts. Our thoughts are constant, so it makes sense that we should be mindful of them.
In Haanel’s Chapter 21, he starts off in Section 1 by saying, “The real secret of power is consciousness of power.”
Each individual is a channel whereby this eternal energy is being manifested. -Hannel, The Master Key System 21.3
To be conscious of this power is to become a ‘live wire’… The Universal is the live wire. It carries sufficient power to meet every situation which may arise in the life of every individual. When the individual mind touches the Universal Mind, it receives all the power it requires. Hannel, The Mater Key System 21.4
The more conscious we become of our unity with the source of all power, the greater will be our power to control and master every condition. Hannel, The Master Key System 21.5
Going back to prayer—do you think the apostle Paul understood and practiced what Haanel was teaching about the power of thought when he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:
“(16) Rejoice always; (17) pray continually; (18) give thanks in all circumstances…”?
Paul was encouraging us to connect with God—the Infinite—using all our senses, with a heart of gratitude, no matter what is happening around us. And yes, all of this happens in our thoughts.
Haanel goes deeper into the idea of thoughts and how to think in Sections 10-18. That may be a discussion for next week’s blog.
For now, I’m reflecting on the idea that God speaks to us through our thoughts. What we think, how we think, and why we think the way we do not only defines us but also shapes who we are becoming.
See more about what I have learned in my Master Key Experience by clicking here.
Terri, I just love how you’re exploring this–going deep into Haanel’s and Paul the Apostle’s phrases to test your awareness now that prayer and thought are remarkably intertwined. I would add the thought of being present to the T/thought also answers how we “pray always”–one of my fave scriptures, too.
Terri, that was great and what a wonderful insight. I feel you are right, the best way to talk more with God is in our thought life, continuously and with a mindfulness of that power! Thanks for the read!!
Thanks for this dive into prayer Terri. It wasn’t meant to be surface value by any means.