Why "prayer"?

_A blog reader recently asked, "Why can we only glimpse God through prayer?" Actually, we glimpse God in everything that expresses pure good. Prayer isn't key to glimpsing God. Prayer is key to moving on from glimpses, to really understanding and experiencing God's goodness (to enjoying it) in a larger way.

Prayer is a word loaded with different connotations for different people. When I speak of prayer, it involves a mental and spiritual looking up and turning away from a material sense of things. It means engaging one's spiritual sense to be open to an infinite God-perspective - a divine Love-perspective, a radiant Soul-perspective, an eternal Life-perspective - on reality.

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_ Healthy prayer is not meditation or seeking to find a private inner state of consciousness or have a mystical experience; although, prayer often involves deep, penetrating thought. Prayer is not self-hypnosis through the repetition of words or sounds and attempting to achieve some form of enlightenment. Healthy prayer is the mindful engagement with the dynamic power of ever-present Truth, God, in small and large ways.

For some, prayer is an "eye's closed" experience. Others pray with their eyes open. Some kneel. Others sit. A few stand. The physical position isn't important of itself. In other words - physical positioning means little more than the thought that motivates it.

A prayer on bended knee with eyes closed is not more effective or impressive than prayer in any other position. It's not the body's position, but the heart's disposition that counts. A heart full of gratitude and humility is most receptive to hearing, feeling, seeing and expressing more of God's goodness.

Here are some helpful thoughts on prayer.

"Prayer can neither change God, nor bring His designs into mortal modes; but it can and does change our modes and our false sense of Life, Love, and Truth, uplifting us to Him. Such prayer humiliates, purifies, and quickens activity, in the direction that is unerring.

"True prayer is not asking God for love; it is learning to love, and to include all mankind in one affection. Prayer
is the utilization of the love wherewith He loves us. Prayer begets an awakened desire to be and do good. It makes
new and scientific discoveries of God, of His goodness and power. It shows us more clearly than we saw before,
what we already have and are; and most of all, it shows us what God is. Advancing in this light, we reflect it;
and this light reveals the pure Mind-pictures, in silent prayer, even as photography grasps the solar light to por‐
tray the face of pleasant thought". (No and Yes, by Mary Baker Eddy,p. 39)

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What does prayer mean to you? When is your favorite time to pray?
Do you have any particular practices that help you when you pray?
(Comments welcomed)

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