One way that I love to pray is to use a Thesaurus to help expand my sense of a quality and attribute of God such as stability, security, courage, or trust.
When I read that a nation or a person is dealing with instability, I look up stable. What does it mean? Where does it really come from? Recognizing synonyms for stable such as balanced, calm, lasting, and permanent show me that stability actually comes from God. They are attributes of God’s presence and power. They are evidence of our oneness with God. Because God is a divine Principle that is always present, the attributes of stability — mentally and physically — must be always present. This is because we live, move, and have our being in God, and we reflect God.
As each of us becomes more aware of stability, and it’s true source in God, we will recognize and experience more of the calm, peace, and consistency of good that comes from divine Spirit. God is always imparting these qualities in us and through us each moment. And God is able to voice them to each person. This is prayer of affirmation that awakens us to the good that is at hand and to our inseparability from God’s goodness. It helps us see spiritually, as Jesus did, “the fields are already ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35 NLT)
I have a favorite movie — Invictus — which portrays the beginnings of Nelson Mandela’s presidency of South Africa and his budding relationship with the captain of the Rugby team, Francois Pienaar. In the movie, Mandela invites Pienaar to his office to discuss leadership. He asks him about his philosophy on leadership, to which Pienaar says that he leads by example, which Mandela agrees with. Then Mandela asks him further “But how to get them to be better than they think they can be…Inspiration, perhaps. How do we inspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do. How do we inspire others around us?”
Mandela then shares he had a favorite poem that inspired him and kept him going during difficult times. Mandela’s example and words continue to inspire Pienaar throughout the movie, and a positive transformation in thought and character and the team is led to the win of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.–William Ernest Henley
What was this power that leds to forgiveness, reconciliation, unity, and healing? It was clearly a Divine impetus that led to the transformation of thought — to free themselves from self-imposed limitations and enabled them to surprise even themselves with the spirit of freedom, courage, unity, and victory.
Where do we get this inspiration and how can we feel inspired on a consistent basis? It is the Holy Spirit that communicates to us exactly what is need each moment. We have Scripture, hymns, mentors and other spiritual writings that are helpful. In addition to those, I have found praying for myself — quietly communing with God — each day to be so valuable. Praying in this way impels us to stay fresh, inspired and connected to God each day.
Jesus is a great example of this as he often withdrew from crowds to commune with God — to receive the inspiration needed to continue his walk with God. We even have the account of his visit with Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration who, no doubt, gave him the needed inspiration and insight needed to continue on his journey with confidence and courage (Matthew 17).
Inspiration is like a “refueling stop” — it charges our batteries, connecting us with God, and giving us needed renewal and freshness. This is the basis for feeling healthy mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Starting our day in communion with God opens our thought to exceed humanly limiting projections, and unites us with infinite possibilities for good just like it did with this underdog South African rugby team. Daily inspiration and prayer is a foundation for impelling lasting individual progress and collective transformation. Enjoy a stop at your “refueling” station today and everyday!
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
I’ve been enjoying exploring the world virtually through a National Geographic program. One that I found recently that I really enjoyed was about the Nordic region. The landscape is beautiful. The seasons are awe-inspiring. And the wildlife is spectacular.
It also portrayed people in various Nordic activities — surfing under the Northern Lights, dogsled racing, and reindeer herding. It was fascinating to see people who live and engage in activities that are completely different than I do. What I found particularly interesting was that I didn’t know these people or had never even thought about these people, but God does know them, and loves them, and happily cares for them. It was a remarkable revelation!
God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.1
I didn’t have to know all the ways — microscopic to infinite — of all the ways that God, divine Love, is caring for creation. God is beholding each one as spiritual, whole, safe, and complete. God isn’t afraid for His creation! God is rejoicing in the success, beauty, and harmony of His creation. It really expanded my sense of God’s love to see that, yes, even all the way up there in this Nordic region, God, divine Love, was and is there caring for and gladly supplying every need. As we yield to this fact, we open ourselves up to this incredible, infinite love that God has for us and feel and experience it more and more.
So, I’m grateful that even though I may not ever travel to various regions of the Earth, our Father-Mother God is there tenderly caring for each creation. What a reason to be in awe and rejoice!
Father-Mother is the name for Deity, which indicates His tender relationship to His spiritual creation.2
1 Philippians 4:19 2 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 332 Image by Christian Klein from Pixabay
Spirituality & Healing 