More than one Truth teacher has noted that prayer is not to change God -- its to change us, to open our hearts and illumine our understanding. As we enter a new year its a great time to get in shape prayer-wise.

As Myrtle Fillmore writes, "Prayer is an EXERCISE to change our own thought habits and our living habits, that we may set up a new and better activity, in accord with the divine law rather than with the suggestions we have received from various sources."

Continuing a closer look into the teachings of the "mother of Unity," here are some words from Myrtle Fillmore on the subject of prayer that can help us get moving in the right prayer direction this new year. You may find yourself surprised at the directness and practicality with which Myrtle Fillmore speaks - but remember, shes the one whose study of Truth principles freed her to let her little boys run and play in the rain - which they loved to do - without fear of their "catching cold" or worse. As a result, the neighbour children wanted their parents to "get Truth" so they too could be free! May these words on prayer free your spirit to new joy as well.

"We sometimes think that we pray when we read and declare certain statements of Truth. We have very little idea of the way in which the answers to those prayers-are coming. And we do not prove that we expect them to be answered. For almost immediately after praying we go on doing the things we have been doing, which does not allow for any answers. And we think and say that which is not in accord with the prayers we have made."

How We Sabotage Our Prayers. "For example, we go into the silence and declare statements of prosperity. Then in writing a letter we speak of lack and failure and longing, which proves that we have those thoughts and feelings of lack in our heart and that we are really dwelling on them more strongly than we do on the Truth that we have prayed.

"Prayer, then, is to change mind and heart so that Gods omnipresent good may fill our mind and heart and manifest in our life. If we do not keep on thinking in accord with the prayers we have made, we do not get good results. For all thought is formative; ail thought has its effect in our life. When some of our thought energy is expended in negative beliefs and feelings, and we show that we have old mental habits in the subconscious mind, we get those old negative results -- even when we are praying daily and when others are praying for us.

Our Part in Prayer. "We have a very decided part; we are to cease worrying, and being anxious, and thinking and speaking of the past and of the apparent lack and idleness. We are to concentrate all our attention upon the Truth of God, and the truth of our own being, upon the very things we would see taking place in our life. We cannot do this so long as we have negative thoughts in our heart.

"As we pray, the word of life is going down into us, breaking up old fixed beliefs and reorganizing our life. The word of life - life as God has planned it - is taking hold of our subconsciousness, and we know that we are free and will begin to use our freedom. Working in the consciousness of freedom, we will be happy, well, busy and prosperous. But our attention will be upon what we are doing rather than upon outer results. The results will take care of themselves once we have started our foundation in Truth. (continued on next page)

"All down the ages humanity has been making the spiritual effort to realize conscious union with that innermost centre where Truth in all its glory abides eternally. This realization can be accomplished only through true prayer." This statement from the teachings of Charles Fillmore brings to Unity students the realization that in prayer there is great power, and that prayer properly practised can bring to us healing, prosperity, and better human relations; in fact, it can literally remake our lives.

Anything that is dynamic is active as opposed to that which is potential or static.  Websters tells us that anything that is dynamic is " ... of or relating to energy; forceful."  One of the greatest lessons we can learn is that true prayer is creative, active, and forceful.  It causes things to occur and it changes conditions.

Quite often I hear someone say of a difficult situation, "We will just pray about it." I always wonder if the word just implies that since they think nothing can really be done, they will "just pray" and hope that God will heal the condition.

Prayer does not consist of just hoping fur desired results, for prayer is far more than that.

Prayer is communion with God, who is wisdom, love, substance, and power. When we commune with God, we place ourselves in the great stream of creative life that will bring to us wisdom, love, understanding and all else that is needed to solve any of life's problems. As we form the habit of using the power of prayer, we find that in lifes smallest problems or in its greatest, the answers to our problems are made manifest.

One of the wonderful things about the teaching of Jesus is that He often clearly outlined a method for us to follow in obtaining certain goals in our lives. This was especially true in His teachings about prayer. He never implied that we "just pray" in an indifferent manner and then hope, but He gave us methodical instruction as to how to pray. In Matthew Chapter six, He gave several very important rules for us to follow in learning how to pray and how not to pray. If we are willing to follow these instructions, we will find peace of mind, a new joy in living, and the power to accomplish good things in our lives. In short, these instructions point the way to finding the answers to our twentieth century problems just as they pointed the way to solving problems in the day they were given. Let us consider the instructions He gave.

In telling us how not to pray, Jesus said, "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men" (Mt. 6:5). It would be wrong to assume from this statement that Jesus criticized outward observances of religion and the real teachers of His time. Jesus was speaking against the professionally pious. In His time it was customary for all people to pause in their activities three times a day and turn toward Jerusalem to acknowledge their God. There were those who took advantage of this by standing on the street corners and praying in loud voices to attract attention to themselves.

When Jesus criticized those who loved to stand on the "street corners, that they may be seen by men," He wished to show that in reality, prayer is communion with God, and anything that is done only to make an impression on others destroys the spirit of true prayer. Jesus wanted all to know that a sincere desire to know God is the only preparation for true prayer.

Jesus said, "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret." (Mt. 6:6). This instruction is very important to proper prayer. It is true that prayer may be a spoken desire of the heart even if uttered on the busiest downtown street corner. But Jesus wanted us to know the importance of having a time when we can withdraw, when we can be alone in some place and shut the mind's door to all the distractions of the world. It is then that we can enter the "secret" place within us and enter into the consciousness of our own indwelling Christ. We can still our minds, shut the door to negative thoughts, and become immersed in Spirit.

"Your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Mt. 6:6). Here, Jesus clearly states that prayer brings results when we become aware of the indwelling Spirit. As we do so, we receive the inspiration, the guidance, the strength, and the vision that are necessary to reshape our lives according to the Fathers plan.

"Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do." (Mt. 6:7). Jesus taught diligence in prayer. He taught that we must pray often enough to bring about a change in consciousness. The time Jesus spent in prayer in the wilderness, His visit to Gethsemane to pray, and His parable of the man who was granted a request at midnight because of his persistence in asking for it, all point to the fact that Jesus knew that God is ready and willing to give, but we must continue to pray to the extent that we become ready and willing to receive. We cannot, however, speak empty words, for words must have feeling and must be backed by faith. It is good to repeat statements, but they must be repeated with concentration, and as we do so, we must turn all the force of our desires on the meaning of the words spoken.

Then comes the wonderful promise that should give us the reassurance we need: "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Mt. 6:8). Jesus was speaking a great principle of Truth here, for He was explaining that our prayers do not create more good. and we do not create more of God. We also do not seek to change Gods mind. Gods very nature is all that is good, for God is love, peace, strength, power, substance, and understanding. All this is already in existence and is everywhere present. Thus, the answer to every need is already supplied.

We may ask: "If it is true that all our wants are already supplied, why do we need to pray?" We need to pray because it is by our prayers that we change our own consciousness. True prayer raises our vision to the divine level and enables us to visualize conditions as they can be when we are in perfect harmony with God. We turn from that which is negative, from any appearance of lack or need. Appearances of negative conditions in our lives are not real although in our world they may seem to be very real. True reality consists of this: God is good, God is all, and God is waiting for us to use our God-given good.

This is very different from the metaphysical form of prayer practice known as active meditation. This is passive meditation or contemplative prayer. "One of the signs that St. John of the Cross pointed to as an indication that one is ready for contemplative prayer is that active meditation no longer works," (FGC, p. 4). Thomas Keeting says, "This prayer is not meant to replace all other kinds of prayer" (FGC, p. 24). The mystic understands that all prayer is first of all a response to God's call whether this is realized or not. Therefore, the only true response to such an invitation is to open oneself in stillness, without dictation or preconceived ideas of what God seeks to make known. This is coming as a little child into the Presence (Presents). The name, centring prayer, was inspired by Thomas Merton. In his teachings he emphasized that the only way to experience God is to go to one's centre and from there pass into the Presence. In centring prayer, God does us! The key word for all the stops involved in this type of prayer is "let." The steps for practising centring prayer are as follows:

1. Relax, seated with feet on the floor, hands resting in our lap and gently closing the eyes. It may help to focus a moment on your breathing.

2. Centre all the focus of your attention to the Presence of God within you. We know by faith that this Presence is within us, around us, over us, underneath us. In love we turn ourselves over to the Lord God of our being. For the next several minutes, we are all His. This prayer is a pure gift -- a gift of ourselves to the Presence of Love within.

3. To abide in this Presence quietly and attentively, we use a simple word that expresses our heart's desire in being with the Presence. This word may be Jesus, Father, Love, Peace, One. . . whatever is meaningful for you. Let that word be there. Repeat the word, gently, within yourself.

4. When we become aware of a thought going through our minds, we consciously return the mind to the chosen word. At first we may have to use the word constantly -- that is okay. Each time we use it we can return to the Presence of Love within ourselves. During this time, we don't seek anything for ourselves. This time is our flight to the Love that dwells within us. All of our attention is on this Presence. It is outside this time of prayer that we will see the difference in our lives -- the love, peace, joy, kindness that will begin to flourish in our lives.

5. At the end of our time, we do not want to jump right back to activity. We have gone very deep, even if it doesn't feel that way. We need to end our prayer very gently. One suggestion would be to silently say "The Lord's Prayer," very slowly, allowing each phrase to give its own meaning to us.

This is a prayer of experience. Practice it for a period of time, test it out -- notice if love, joy, peace and kindness seem to be in your life to a greater degree. If so, continue to use it. If not, don't hesitate to return to whatever form of prayer works for you.

Contemplative prayer is the world in which God can do anything. To move into that realm is the greatest adventure. It is to be open to the Infinite and hence to infinite possibilities. Our private, self-made worlds come to an end; a new world appears within and around us and the impossible becomes an everyday experience.

Centring prayer is not a way of turning on the presence of God. Rather, it is a way of saying, "Here I am. The next step is up to You." It is a way of putting yourself at God's disposal; it is He who determines the consequences.

Contemplative prayer is a way of tuning in to a fuller level of reality that is always present and in which we are invited to participate.

Centring prayer is not so much an exercise of attention as intention. It may take a while to grasp this distinction. You do not attend to particular thought content. Rather, you intend to go to your inner most being, where you believe God dwells.

In contemplative prayer the Spirit places us in a position where we are at rest and disinclined to fight. By His secret anointings the Spirit heals the wounds of our fragile human nature at a level beyond our physical perception, just as a person who is anaesthetized has no idea of how the operation is going until after it is over. Interior silence is the perfect seed bed for divine love to take root.

The purpose of contemplative prayer is to facilitate the process of inner transformation.

Centring prayer is not just sustained attention to a special word or image onto one's breathing, but the surrender of one's whole being to God.

Centring prayer is not a relaxation exercise although it may bring relaxation. It is the exercise of our personal relationship with God.

Contemplative prayer is a preparation for action, for action that emerges from the inspiration of the Spirit in the silencing of our own agitation, desires and hang-ups. Such silence gives God the maximum opportunity to speak.

Contemplative prayer fosters a whole different attitude toward one's feelings; it puts them in a different frame of reference. Most extreme feelings come from a sense of insecurity, especially when we feel threatened. But when you are being constantly reaffirmed by the presence of God in deep silence, you are not afraid of being contradicted or imposed upon.

Contemplative prayer is not a conversation in Words, but an exchange of hearts.

The work of the will in prayer is real work, but it is one of receiving. Receiving is one of the most difficult kinds of activity there is. To receive God is the chief work in contemplative prayer.

In teaching contemplative prayer I do not speak of effort. The word effort is immediately translated in our work ethic into trying. Trying dilutes the basic disposition of receptivity that is necessary for the growth of contemplative prayer.

As no single definition can possibly capture the many facets of the word "love," even so, no single definition can explain the wonders of "centring prayer." Here are some of the many definitions used by Thomas Keating in his book, Open Mind, Open Heart.

Centring prayer is an exercise in letting go. That is all it is. It lays aside very thoughts. One touch of divine love enables you to take all the pleasures of the world and throw them in the wastebasket.

The contemplative state is established when contemplative prayer moves from being an experience or series of experiences to an abiding state of consciousness.

If you are going to practice centring prayer, the only way to do it is to ignore every thought. Let it be a time of interior silence and nothing else. If God wants to speak to you in successive words, let Him do so during the other twenty-three hours of the day.

We should communicate with God on every level of our being: with our lips, our bodies, our imagination, our emotions, our minds, our intuitive faculties and our silence. Centring prayer is only one rung of the ladder.

The ultimate goal of contemplative prayer is to integrate your whole being with its active and passive, masculine and feminine, expressing and receptive aspects. If you begin to be aware of the fact that you are not thinking at all and can just not think that thought, you have it made. There is only a short stop from that point to divine union.

Through the regular practice of contemplative prayer the dynamism of interior purification is set in motion. This dynamism is a kind of divine psychotherapy, organically designed for each of us, to employ out our unconscious and free us from the obstacles to the free flow of grace in our minds, emotions, and bodies.

Contemplative prayer fosters the healing of our inner wounds. In psychoanalysis the patient relives traumatic experiences of the past and in doing so, integrates them into a healthy pattern of life. If you are faithful to the daily practice of contemplative prayer, your psychic wounds will be healed without your being retraumatized.

Centring prayer is a kind of request that God take our purification in hand. It takes courage to face up to the process of seif-knowledge, but it is the only way of getting in touch with our true identify and ultimately our true Self.

The purpose of centring prayer is not to experience peace but to evacuate the unconscious obstacles to the permanent abiding state of union with God.

The principal discipline of contemplative prayer is letting go.

The ripe fruit of contemplative prayer is to bring back to the humdrum routines of daily life not just the thought of God, but the spontaneous awareness of His abiding Presence in, through, and beyond everything.

In contemplative prayer we confront the most fundamental human question: "Who are you, Lord?" -- and wait for the answer.

1 I ACCEPT
I now accept that I am personally powerless to transform my life. It is the Christ within me that does all perfect work.

2 I BELIEVE
I believe in One Presence and One Power active in the universe. This Power is perfect life, love, intelligence, and wholeness expressing through me now. With God, all things are possible!

3 I UNDERSTAND AND FORGIVE
I understand that erroneous self-defeating thoughts and feelings are the cause of my problems, fears, and unhappiness. I nowforgive all others and myself for any real or imagined mistakes. I am willing to be changed at depth.

4 I ASK, BELIEVING
In the awareness of the Christ Presence, I ask, believing that my hearts desire is fulfilled now. (Prayer partners visualize the request fulfilled.)

5 I GIVE THANKS
I give thanks as I joyously and expectantly assume the very feelings I will have when my h~art~ desire is made manifest.

6 I LET GO
I let go and let God express through me in perfect ways.

7 I COMMIT
I now make the commitment to place my life completely under the direction of the Christ within. I dedicate myself to be of maximum service to God and my fellow man and to remain an open channel of Gods will. I am filled with joy, trust, and enthusiasm.

8 I CELEBRATE LIFE!

1 I SURRENDER
I admit that, of myself. I am powerless to solve my own problems, powerless to improve my life. I need help.

2 I BELIEVE

I now come to believe that a power greater than myself--the Infinite Creative Intelligence, the Master Mind--is responding to me in a personal way.

3 I UNDERSTAND
I now realize that erroneous, self -defeating thinking is the cause of my problems, failures, unhappiness, and fears. I am ready to have my belief system completely altered so my life can be transformed.

4 I DECIDE
I make a decision to turn my life over to the care of the Master Mind, surrendering my will and false beliefs. I ask to be changed at depth.

5 I FORGIVE
I forgive myself for all mistakes I have made. I also forgive and release everyone who has injured or harmed me in any way.

6 I ASK
I now make known my specific requests to the Master Mind and my partners.

7 GRATEFULLY ACCEPTING
I joyously accept and give thanks, believing that the miracle-working power of the Master Mind has responded to my every need. I assume the same feelings I would have if my requests were already fulfilled.

8 DEDICATION AND COVENANT
I now have a Covenant in which it is agreed that the Master Mind shall supply me with an abundance of all things necessary to live a success-filled and happy life. I dedicate myself to be of maximum service to God and my fellow man, to live in a manner that will set the highest example for others to follow, and to remain an open channel of Gods will. I go forth with a spirit of enthusiasm, excitement, and expectancy. I am at peace.