Many people pray to God as if they are communicating with a mighty man who can somehow alter people's lives and peform miracles.  Many of us on this forum know there is no such being.

IMHO the true nature of God is simply the creative force which we and everything else all came from/are part of.

However, there are people who share my belief of god, and yet still believe prayers to be very important.  

Upon first glance, I thought, we'll since the major god stereotype is not accurate, then what is the point of praying?  There is noone to pray to!

But I began thinking, and started to realize that perhaps there was a connection between praying and Intent.  I came to the conclusion that praying is simply sending your thoughts out into the universe in hopes of their future manifestation.  Praying is simply a form of placing intent.  

Some people pray to Jesus.  Some people pray to Buddha.  Some people pray to Satan.  When their prayers come true, I believe it is not because this being they are praying to answered the prayer, but rather because they tapped into their power of intent, their connection to the universe, and created the reality they had prayed for.

What does everyone think?

Prayer is the active application of intent/thought as it applies to action and situations in the real world.  The problem with the common notion of prayer, is that it is not often applied correctly, or for the right reasons.  

There is a science behind proper prayer, much like a science of thought.  The prayer should be stated with thanks and the belief that the request has already been fulfilled.  Images of the after-effect of the prayer are important, for like a painting, it paints a broader picture of the belief that the request has been fulfilled.  It should be done in a calm state of mind to quiet what Kathy on this site has called cross-purpose ideas and intentions.  Prayers may be for material things, states of mind (focus), to end suffering, or ultimately for selfless spiritual endeavors.  

Most people in the world turn to prayer only in times of crisis.  If thought/intent is applied on a regular basis, in a church, or internet prayer group, and if intent is applied selflessly in the service of others, then one can grow and mature in a spiritual sense through the experiences.  

Vin, as far as filtering the Big Cahuna out of the experience - that is up to you.  You do not need to anthropomorphize God into one of Chumley's superbeings with a long white beard.  Prayer and intent act by changing probabilities in the physical world when our belief is impressed on the very fabric of the universe.  This can only occur through God's grace.  If your concept of God is broad enough (to include each of us in it as a spark of the divine), then there is no reason to think that your intent won't reach him.


Matthew

Yes, like Doc says, you begin with gratitude, the felt sense that the aim of your intent is already accomplished.

What we are in reality is outside of ordinary time. You can feel it by deeply relaxing, allowing the 'sky that holds you in place' to get bigger and more spacious. You don't have to stop thoughts. You just give those sheep (thoughts) a bigger field to roam in, so they have space to do whatever they want to do on their own, while you (without need of distraction or attachment to them) hold your intent in your hands and offer it up to the universe, letting it flow out in all directions.  You'll feel an even deeper relaxation after you do so, almost like a sigh or a tear of happiness falling.

This isn't 'other power'. It's not asking for a favor from a supernatural being who's ultimately in charge. Nothing like that....

This is what it is: it's engaging with universal force, the actual creativity of the universe.

It's not owned by any belief system. It's not separate from your own ordinary mind and imagination. To engage it, as a friend said recently, all you have to do is "relax and trust".

If you get into that 'all-good' universal flow where prayer happens you can make interesting discoveries about what you previously thought was your separate being. You intimately realise that you are deeply connected to all that you see, boundries of space and time are not so solid as previously thought, you are way more than your physical body. Much, much bigger than any concept.

For me (and lord knows this is all very hard to put into words) the mystery is in knowing intimately that nothing exists outside myself AND AT THE SAME TIME interacting with spiritual beings, bodhisattvas or angels, knowing I am not separate from universal force but able to engage or dialogue with different 'qualities' or aspects of God. Like you and me talking together, right now (for instance)

My congratulations to you Dude (Vincent?) in opening up a wonderful can of worms with your question. I could rattle on for days about this subject. I hope after I tend to what's on the kitchen stove to see some other responses from the kind hearts that are reading this thread. That would be a real treat.

Love,
         Tim

 Nice replies Doc and Tim, couldn't agree more.  Tis hard to put these kinds of feelings, ideas, and concepts into understandable words...


 In my own experience (and i should really practice this state of being, this intention more consistently), i've found the prayer, "Not my will be done, but Source/God/Father/The Conscious All etc., be done and help me to become an active vessel of this Will."  to be the most universally and consistently constructive when sincerely prayed and then lived.  If there was such thing as a "higher", then i'd guess this is the highest prayer/intention around.  I prefer the term, most expanded and most universally oriented.

To me, prayer is Sharing.  That's my definition.  

To open your eyes in the morning is to participate in God's prayer.

To speak to what is highest in Yourself and commune with It is prayer.

To strive toward understanding is prayer.

To talk, to read, to learn, to create....is prayer.

To simply "be" is prayer.  

Prayer can be loud and earnest....or quiet and speechless.

It is making the joke....and it is getting the joke.

Love is prayer and Life is prayer....

The Light finds its way to us no matter which way we seek.

love, blink  

Prayer is the active application of intent/thought as it applies to action and situations in the real world.  The problem with the common notion of prayer, is that it is not often applied correctly, or for the right reasons.  

There is a science behind proper prayer, much like a science of thought.  The prayer should be stated with thanks and the belief that the request has already been fulfilled.  Images of the after-effect of the prayer are important, for like a painting, it paints a broader picture of the belief that the request has been fulfilled.  It should be done in a calm state of mind to quiet what Kathy on this site has called cross-purpose ideas and intentions.  Prayers may be for material things, states of mind (focus), to end suffering, or ultimately for selfless spiritual endeavors.  

Most people in the world turn to prayer only in times of crisis.  If thought/intent is applied on a regular basis, in a church, or internet prayer group, and if intent is applied selflessly in the service of others, then one can grow and mature in a spiritual sense through the experiences.  

Vin, as far as filtering the Big Cahuna out of the experience - that is up to you.  You do not need to anthropomorphize God into one of Chumley's superbeings with a long white beard.  Prayer and intent act by changing probabilities in the physical world when our belief is impressed on the very fabric of the universe.  This can only occur through God's grace.  If your concept of God is broad enough (to include each of us in it as a spark of the divine), then there is no reason to think that your intent won't reach him.


Matthew
*****************
Actually, Matt, the image I always had of a "personal God" since
childhood, has NOT involved a long white beard, or even an aged
figure.
I always imagined "God" as a very large, very muscular, and
VERY VICIOUS man of about 35-45 years of age (or such was the
image that occurred to me.) Think Bluto from the "Popeye" cartoons (only a LOT smarter and a LOT meaner) and you've (more or less) got the basic picture of "God" that I've had since my mother first dragged me to Sunday School...

B-man

I used to go to the church of religious science. two steps to prayer:
1) treat
2) move your feet

so I agree. prayer is not to an image of a man (a black woman, maybe, not a man!)
thats funny right? :)
prayer is allowing. or setting intention. or to be in yearning, to pray without ceasing is to be yearning for our completion rather than to be always in a striving position for our own will to be done versus what is the highest good.
also as mentioned here, gratitude, or giving thanks through the emotional nature for what is not on the table yet, is definetely a powerful tool in conjunction with the highest good.
I do believe we struggle with the concept of a god. I would take the word itself to be a shortened version of the word good. I cannot get too confused with what is good.
along with gratitude is trust mentioned here. trust is the relative of faith. believing is one thing, trusting is another and faith is another. true faith is like a rock and can heal the sick in an instant.

love, alysia

Hi, I would have to agree that prayer is a form of stating intent and for me to see it as done is the ultimate faith that it will happen and further spur your guides and helpers to fulfill your prayer/intent...its always worked for me, many times, some times when it appeared that there was no way for a prayer to be answered...but I saw the results as if they happened and sure enough they happened as I saw them. So for me I know it works, not a belief, but a known.

So I am in constant Gratitude

Love, Ricardo :)

I love that concept of gratitude which you demonstrate and always remember to mention, Ricardo.  

People say that after one has said their prayers in their own ways for their own selves or for others.... to step back and let go.  This really works.  
It is the origin of the idea of "letting go and letting God" do it.

I believe that this does not mean we must be motionless until our answers are received.  However, we must reach that place of greatest Power and Love, and Trust is essential.  

I think that is why intention should not be confused with "my will be done" and others have mentioned here that it is "Thy Will" which must and will be done, for the greatest good of All.

love, blink

Hi OOBD I feel so much in my heart that God is helping my mum in her fight against cancer as i have asked God every night to send her love and healing and i know God is listening because mum is getting her strength from somewhere and i know its God. So prayers are needed all the time,its our chance to ask for our father Gods help.

Love and God bless       Love  Juditha

I've prayed for spiritual help have received a lot.