Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
The power of prayer
I just finished reading a small book by Gregg Braden, “Secrets of the Lost Mode of Prayer; The hidden power of beauty, blessing, wisdom and hurt”. It was suggested by a guest preacher at my church as a good guide to one way to pray. She told a story from the book about a Native American who was with Gregg Braden in New Mexico – right away I sat up straighter – and invited Gregg to go up the mountain to a sacred place to pray about the severe drought that had taken over the land. They drove into the hills and came to a spot where there was an ancient medicine wheel. Gregg watched as the man removed his shoes, walked to the center of the wheel, closed his eyes and stood still for a few minutes. Then he returned to the car and put his shoes on and got ready to go. When asked if he had actually prayed for rain, the man replied, “No, I prayed Rain”.
Gregg was confused and asked for an explanation. The gist of it is this – the man did not pray FOR rain, because that implies an absence of the precious heavenly water. Instead, the man explained, he “prayed rain”. He imagined the feeling of raindrops on his face, the smell of the rain, the sensation of walking through the wet grass, the sound of the rain coming down. In other words, he became rain with all of its attributes. He drew the power of a good rainfall down to the earth where he stood. His prayer was actually his feeling about the beauty and the possibility of an end to the drought.
As I read through the book I found myself underlining passage after passage so that I can go back and synthesize what I was reading. He quotes the Sufi poet, Rumi: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” To me that means going beyond what is known to me and trusting that there is much more. Right now, at my church, we are struggling like many churches are since COVID cut attendance sometimes in half. In practical terms, that means that our expenses, planned and unplanned, often exceed our income. As faithful Unity people, we believe in the reality of abundance and prosperity. I am in a small master prayer group that prays daily that a way around our difficulties will manifest.
The other point that I have thought about myself is that instant called “The Mystery of the Space Between”. That is a brief time when one action is finished and another one has not yet started. I quote from page 70: “Regardless of scale, between the ‘beginning’ and the ‘end’, there exists a moment in time when neither one has fully happened. That moment is where magic and miracles come from! In the instant of between, all possibilities exist and none have been chosen. From this place we’re given the power to heal our bodies, change our lives, and bring peace to the world. All events originate from this powerful magical moment.” It is in these times that prayers are given their greatest power because there is nothing between a prayer and the Universe that receives it. In that instant of time we have the opportunity to imagine the best possible outcome.
Rumi’s words about the field imply to me that there is a place where my judging self can enter and let go of my doubts, worries, and fears. From this space, I can pray more effectively. Braden writes, “Even if it’s only for a moment, we’re invited to create an experience that temporarily suspends our judgments, fears, and hurts. From this neutral state, we may offer our prayer from strength and clarity, rather than from the clouded judgment that stems from hurt.”
This book has gifted me with a whole new approach to prayer. Rather than praying “for” something I can learn to become that which I hope will manifest. If I am praying with another person who is asking for something, I can invite us both to enter that sacred space where we can visualize and become the desired effect. This seems like a much more affirmative action. I think I will give this a lot of thought and energy.