1998-03-01-Change & Prayer

Session

Opening

Anatolia: Greetings to all of you this morning. My name is Anatolia. Welmek is away; he has asked me to fill in this morning. Welcome to all our guests. I would like to stay with the format that we have already established.

Change

Today's topic will be change. Change is very difficult for humans as we observe. I want you to think about what you would say if a friend comes to you and says, "I have so much difficulty with change, it makes me so anxious and nervous, so insecure. How can I begin to handle change?" I want you to tell them what change is to you. I want you to tell them how change has helped you, and then I want you to tell them how they could find a better way to cope with the changes in their lives. Please take a few moments to gather your thoughts and we will begin.

Group Comments.....

Lesson

Anatolia: Well said my friends, I bow to the spirit within you that has guided you to this understanding. What I hear as I listen to you is an ease with which you talk about change. I wonder if, you look back 5 or 10 years in your life, if you would have been able to talk about change with such ease? Most of your fellows look at change and then look at their external circumstances. Change creates insecurity, change creates a lack of control. They do not know what to do when they cannot see what is in their lives. They are adrift because they cannot control all of the outer circumstances of life. What they lack is, what you have mentioned, to realize that they are child of God. If you can come to that realization, that you are a beloved child of God, that you have the potential for an eternal destiny, then you find the security that you seek. Not in the external circumstances of your life, but in the internal - in the inner religious life.

Then, what does change become? It becomes a reshaping, a reforming of the picturizations and circumstances we see each day as we meet a new day. What do they do? They provide opportunities for new perceptions, new ways of seeing. They provide opportunities to make choices about these new perceptions. How is it that we grow? We grow through the changes and decisions we make. Change should not be feared, it should be welcomed. But it can only be welcomed if you feel the love and security within you; that no matter what changes come about in your external circumstances, it has no bearing upon your eternal destiny.

You are loved, you are a child of God. Without this, change is somewhat frightful. If you feel that love within, then each day is just a new step on your eternal adventure. What will you see today? Will it be sunny and will people smile beautifully? Will it be rainy or cloudy? Will there come a wind storm that beats about you? It does not really matter as you sail the ship out of the safety of the harbor and go out upon the open sea of life. There will be days of calm and days of troubled water and storms. But you must ask yourself, can you stop the troubled waters, can you stop the storms? No, my friends, you do not have the power. What can you do? You can try to steer through them as safely and securely as you can. Who is it who will help you sail through them? If you are wise you have found your pilot. The pilot knows the course, the pilot knows the destination, the pilot knows how to guide you to your destination. This pilot is the fragment of God within you.

But, how can you come to know and trust this pilot if you do not spend time to get to know this pilot? This is the importance of your daily time to seek the guidance of your heavenly pilot.

When a young child grows up in a home filled with love, when they have a mother and father who loves them deeply, do they fear things? Perhaps a little, but yet they know that no matter what happens on their first day of school or when they are going to try out some new type of event, they can return home to the loving safety of the home environment. And it is the same with you my friends. If you have found the safety of that home environment within yourself, then you know in time you can return to that stability and safety. No one can take that away from you. It is your inner bastion of peace. Once you find that, then change becomes much easier because you know that while it might alter life or how you earn your living, it will never alter your true permanent self. It does not alter your destiny. There is no shortcut, easy way. As each of you said, the way to cope with change is to find inner peace. I do not know of a better way. I do not know of another way. Wouldn't it be nice if you could swallow it in a glass and that would be it! You would suddenly be filled all of this peace and you would never be anxious or fear change again. It is like all things in your life. You must choose what you value, you must choose to spend time to develop your skills and abilities in what your value. Everything is dependent upon your decisions, your effort.

Change is very much related to faith, is it not? When you look at new decisions that occur in life, you have choices as to how you will react. You can react with fear, you can react with anxiety. You can react with "I do not know how this will change my external circumstances, but I know it does not change my self as a child of God. Therefore, I will move into this new circumstance with my Father holding my hand and I will face whatever new day or new circumstances life has afforded me." And so, your text says, "the struggle of life is the struggle of faith against doubt." (101:10.9) What is it that you fear in these new circumstances if you are securely held in the hands of our loving heavenly Father? Overcoming fear is a result of your ability to find the love within. The more you overcome fear, the less you will be concerned about the external changes of life.

But, even these internal changes can be fearful, can they not? After all, how do you go about finding this inner peace, this love within you? What if it's not there? What if what others have told you is not true? What if, in the process of seeking this, you experience some anxiety? Well, my friends, every path you walk, either external or internal, can be filled with doubt and uncertainty. But, if you continue to walk the path, you will grow in certainty, you will grow in serenity, you will grow in love. All of these are elements of the living trust you are developing with your heavenly parent. It is that living trust to face no matter what circumstances before you with a feeling of peace and love that will make you eventually, not afraid of change, but to actually welcome change. For change, as I said at the beginning of this lesson, brings new choices, new experiences. These are all part of the building blocks you add to the development of your self. The more change, the more decisions you make, the faster you are growing, the faster you are building yourself. So, truly there is no reason to fear. But to help your friends understand this you must help them find that inner pilot who will guide them so they can feel some peace and love as they face these changes. I will pause. Do you have questions or comments?

Dialogue

Prayer, Inner Life

Question: Prayer is a wonderful agent for change and in the instruction we have received from the teachers about effective prayer, the specificity of prayer is an important component, especially when you are talking about a spiritual outcome for the person. But the problem that I am still having with prayer is one of frequency. Once the prayer is rendered, it does not necessarily have to be repeated because that energy is going to be applied to the person and time has to elapse for the circumstances to develop for the person to be willing to embrace change. My understanding of prayer is that the more energy is sent to a person can increase the spiritual pressure. I am not really sure if not repeating the prayer cannot also be more an agent for change for the individual. Can you comment on that?

Anatolia: Yes, it is difficult for you because you do not see how things work in the universe. Therefore, you have some doubts. Often the extent of your prayer is a reflection of your lack of trust in the universe. I do not say this to be critical; I say it only as a matter of helping you understand the relationship. Let me explain. If you truly believed that no matter what happens, all works in the end as part of God's plan, then why would you need to repeat the prayer over and over? If your prayer for yourself, let's begin with that, is to help you overcome anger or your fear of change or whatever it is, the frequency and intensity of your prayer is a direct reflection of the level of doubt and insecurity within yourself about those things. For the more you feel the need to pray the greater is the need.

When you pray for others it is such. You look at others and you pray for them. What does it mean to pray for them? It means that you are not sure they know what or how to pray for themselves, so your prayer is for them. Your prayer is your perception of what it is that you believe they need. So this prayer arises on the energy current of our universe. It is directed to those who have the ability to respond. But you see, you become confused because, as a wise parent may sometimes withhold things for a variety of reasons, when your prayer does not see immediate response or action, you begin to think well perhaps I have not prayed hard enough or sincerely enough. In fact, it may not be such. It may be that whatever the reason is, the answer or solution is being withheld. This is not your decision to make. But because you cannot understand all that goes on in this process, you see that the lack of results as your own fault, so you think you should pray harder or more often or send more energy. Does that help you understand?

Student: Only to a certain extent. I don't believe that I feel that the prayer was ineffective because I didn't say it enough. When you talk about prayer being sent over the energy circuits to those individuals who will help them, spiritual beings, angels, etc. who will help the individual, my understanding is if you say a prayer, then you repeat it, it does build the spiritual pressure. Or, if you have a large number of people praying for a specific outcome for an individual, then maybe their circumstances - this person will have an opportunity to have an experience for spiritual growth. That is what puzzles me - how does that spiritual pressure work? Or, is that an erroneous concept I have - the greater the spiritual pressure then that may be more of the time span in which a result be accelerated. I guess that's where I am trying to concentrate my understanding. If there is a lot of spiritual pressure, does that accelerate the process for that person to grow?

Anatolia: Well, could you force the Father to do something that He thought was unwise? Let us look at an example. You are parents and you have disciplined your child or withheld something from your child. In your judgment this would be unwise, to give something to your child at this time. You feel there is some lesson that is important for them to learn from the circumstance they are in. The brothers and sisters see them and see that they are tearful and unhappy. So, they come to you and they say, please, our mother, take this circumstance away, for we love our brother or sister and we would like for this not to be part of their circumstance in life. Now, you are touched by the love and concern of their brothers and sisters for them. On the other hand, if you truly believed the circumstances they are in will be for their best benefit in the long run, then would you change your mind?

Student: I see what you are getting at. And I would say no, in that circumstance.

Anatolia: Let us be clear about our distinction. Do not apply spiritual principles always at the material level. So when you talk about healing energies, or praying and sending these kinds of energies to an individual, yes, healing energies can be transmitted through space. If more people send energy, would that not apply to that particular malfunction in the human body? Would it not perhaps help rejuvenate or restore or help build new cells or help re-establish the pattern of a more healthy organ or part of the body? Yes, that can be beneficial to an individual. But do not confuse your help and prayer for the material welfare of an individual with their spiritual welfare.

Question: If someone, let's say, I was interested in praying for someone because they were sick, say cancer. The prayer was for the disease to improve. The more that I and other people pray, the volume or quality of prayer, would be more likely to generate health in the person. However, if the prayer was for spiritual development then it (unintelligible).

Anatolia: Let's us look at the situation that you describe. If a person's body has become dysfunctional, diseased or whatever reason, the prayer can have some degree of effect. Is it enough to alter 30-50 years of decay? Perhaps not. But, whatever the circumstance, it is possible for the prayer to help in some way. But, if your prayer is as such, then it is for physical healing, is it not? And so, the more who send this energy, the greater the rejuvenation energy might be for this individual.

But yet, still, you must realize that there might be some limitations upon this. Now, let us say that the individual is very despondent about their disease, and they feel hopeless and do not understand why this is happening to them. You look at them and say to yourself, I know what this person needs is to find this love of God within them even though their outer physical circumstances may not change, they could find an inner peace that would help them live through this circumstance. Understood? Now, as you look at this individual, what would you think the prayer might be that this individual should want to say for themselves?

Student: The prayer would be for the wisdom to achieve the understanding.

Anatolia: Would you not want this individual to become quiet and say, God if you are there, I need to know you are there, I need bring you into my life.

Student: Yes, I was thinking there was already a conception of God.

Anatolia: There might be a conception of God, but is the feeling, the experience there? Now, if that individual said that prayer for themselves, do you really think that they would have to say it more than once to appeal to the mercy of our loving heavenly Father. Would He, through His angels, through the Adjuster in some way try to respond to the sincere prayer of this individual? Of course the Father would respond in some way. Therefore, would that prayer need to be said over and over? No. If the individual feels insecure and uncertain that they are receiving an answer, then this individual's own uncertainty propels them to say this prayer over and over until they begin to feel it within them. They are praying, they are beseeching the Father's mercy to feel that love and to make that contact. That door has been opened once the question has been asked. How could a loving parent not respond?

Now, let's say you look at this individual and you are not sure that this individual even understands what prayer can be. Then, my friends, pray for them. Say that prayer, "Father, my friend is your child and I know that they love you and yet they are not aware, they do not feel your love and presence. Reach into them and open up, let them feel their love within." Now, if you pray for your fellows, then our Father can respond to your prayer for them. So that is what it means. Say the prayer that you feel this person needs most within them. Pray for them and allow them to be responded to. But, if it comes it is always best that the individual pray and ask for this themselves. (Tape turned) this love, this contact within is what they most need. If you send that petition out through the universe circuits, then perhaps they will in a quiet moment be led to do this. Perhaps you will be one who will actually verbalize to them that this is what they need. Perhaps someone will give them a book and they will read a line that will help them see this is what they need.

Student: In light of that, if there was a group of people who were to pray that, would that increase the spiritual pressure or does that not have any bearing?

Anatolia: I would go back to my analogy. When the brothers and sisters of this errant child come and beseech you, do you not already love your child? Would you not already do whatever is in your power to help your child? Does it really matter that these others ask for this? Do you not already love them? Do you not already want to help them in whatever way you deem to be wise?

Student: At the spiritual level, a concentrated effort by a large group of people doesn't really work on the same principle as the material level?

Anatolia: No, there is no reason. The love of the Father, the love of the universe is awaiting everybody. It does not take 5 people or 10 or 15 people to open that door. It only takes the sincere petition of that individual to open the door.

(Comments from other students)

Anatolia: If you ask and say, I need more strength, courage and compassion. This is wise and good to ask this for yourself. I need to understand and see this situation from a new perspective because I can't within my own mind see it clearly. There must be another view that would shed light on another situation. That is beneficial to you. But often what happens is that people continue to pray over and over for the same things for themselves because they have projected from the thoughts of their own mind that this is what they think they need or what they think is best for them. But even if it is a spiritual and not a material goal that they seek, they always want it right now. So, the tendency is to think that if I keep asking for it over and over again, that means I can have it tomorrow, and not that it might take an eternity to find it in its true and complete perfection. And so, do not think that because you are not suddenly transformed in one day that your prayer is not being answered. For as you know, every sincere prayer will be answered in time. And whether time is the next moment or billions of years down the road for you, I cannot say. But you know every sincere prayer you ask for in terms of your spiritual growth will eventually be answered.

Ask, "Shed light on the next step I need to take. Sometimes Father I feel as though I walk in darkness and if you could shed light on the next path I need to follow, it will be very helpful to me. I do not feel or see what that is." That would be a very wise and beneficial prayer.

Student: I have a comment about the fear in seeking the guidance of the Father. When I first practiced the stillness I remembered that I had a lot of fear about making that attempt...that this might really work, and if it does really work, then I will have to change a lot of the ways I have been living.

Anatolia: But, if you can think back to that time, you envisioned in your mind what a more spiritual person might be. Think back to what those images were. You thought that you had to sell all of your possessions or be like Mother Teresa or something of that nature. You see, this is what holds many back from pursuing a spiritual path. They have these somewhat misguided or puerile images of what true spirituality is. They think I must give up pleasure, I must give up all of these things...wow, that doesn't seem like much fun, does it? So who wants to really do that? Now that you have walked the path, can you see that the spiritual path is compatible and you can walk the spiritual path and live and enjoy the material world?

Student: It's made all the pleasures pleasurable and life more interesting. It hasn't deprived me of anything at all that was worthwhile. My past perception of spirituality was so distorted. I thought that I would have to give up things in seeking the Father, when in fact, I got things.

Anatolia: But there was that critical juncture, was there not? You chose, did you not, to move forward even though the future was uncertain, even though you did not know exactly where the path would lead. You said, "Father, I do not know where this path will lead. But I do know that I want to share my life with you." And so, you reached up and the Father held your hand to help you walk that path. That, my friend, is the meaning of being born again. It is the meaning what your religions talk about but only do not truly understand. It is only in turning within and sharing your life with God that is required. Once you do that, then you can walk the path and your fears will disappear; your peace and love will grow. Those fears of what you could turn into would change and crumble. New images and understandings of what true spirituality is emerge. Not only do the images emerge, but as you see them and pursue them, you actually become what it is you seek.

Closing

You know how this has benefited you. When you look out on your world and see your brothers and sisters in bondage, the bondage of fear, what should be your prayer? It should be for them to find this feeling of love, to walk that path. It will do for them exactly what it has done for you. Until they make the choice and walk that path, no matter how much money they have, no matter how thick the walls they build around them are, because of their fears, it will not work, it will not last. They must learn, as you have learned, that the only true security comes from within. Good day, my friends.

Note

Dear Friends: Here is a lesson from Teacher Anatolia, who is the teacher for the Columbus group, visiting Indianapolis. She would usually fill in for Welmek when he was away on assignment. She is a very beautiful, soft, gentle energy and personality. I hope you enjoy this lesson as much as we enjoyed receiving it.