(Rough draft)
More About Prayer
Jesus’s comments about prayer and worship led the apostles to keep asking him questions for days afterwards.
The following information on prayer and worship is one of the areas in the story of the life and teachings of Jesus where the celestial authors state that they’re summarizing Jesus’ words for us in more or less modern language.
First, any prayer, regardless of how much, or not, it’s based in actual spiritual reality, will expand that soul’s ability to receive spiritual impulses if that prayer is offered with faith.
Second, when praying remember that sonship with God is a gift that has been freely given to you. In other words, you don’t have to do anything to earn the right to be a son or daughter of God. Just like it was your parent’s will that brought you into being on Earth, it’s God’s will that brought you the grace of the new life in the spirit.
Because of this, you must accept your gift of the spirit from God your Father with faith just like a child naturally has faith in the gift of life from its Earth parents. From there on, you earn righteousness by continuing to develop your character.
Third, Jesus used prayer to enhance his spiritual union, or his ability to communicate with, the Paradise deities. In a similar fashion, prayer leads man into true worship, or spiritual union, or spiritual communication if you would, with God the Father. The level of a soul’s spiritual receptivity is what determines how much of the heavenly response a person can recognize, and in turn use in their lives.
Fourth, prayer and worship are ways of detaching one’s self from the monotony of Earth life, and tools for progressive intellectual attainment and religious self-actualization.
Fifth, prayer cures the problem of too much self-critique. To pray like Jesus taught soothes the soul. And, Jesus reaped the benefits that come from praying for others. He almost never prayed just for himself.
Sixth, prayer is the breath of the spirit life in the midst of the temporal life on Earth. Worship is the salvation for pleasure-seeking generations of mortals.
Seventh, if praying is said to be like recharging the spiritual batteries of the soul, then worship is like tuning our mind into the spiritual broadcasts from our Father that are being sent throughout the universe.
Eighth, prayer is the Earth child looking for its spiritual Father, and facilitates the process of exchanging the human will for the divine will. Prayer turns what is, into what it should be.
One of the reasons why Peter, James, and John, the three who were usually with Jesus during his night long talks with his Father, never heard Jesus pray was because Jesus almost never prayed out loud. He prayed silently in the spirit.
Other Forms of Prayer
After these talks on prayer and worship, Jesus would, every once in a while, use other forms of prayers to help clarify some point or another for the apostles. He called these “parable prayers,” and he told the twelve that they were not to teach them to the people. Jesus offered them these prayers only to help them better understand his teachings. What Jesus didn’t tell them, was that many of these prayers were from other inhabited worlds in our universe.
The following seven parable prayers are some of the one’s that Jesus gave to his apostles. The authors of the Urantia Book had to get specific permission from their high-ups to put these prayers into the revelation, so because of that, I haven’t rewritten any of them. These are each as written in the original Part 4, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus.”
1.
Our Father in whom consist the universe realms,
uplifted be your name and all-glorious your character.
Your presence encompasses us, and your glory is manifested
imperfectly through us as it is in perfection shown on high.
Give us this day the vivifying forces of light,
and let us not stray into the evil bypaths of our imagination,
for yours is the glorious indwelling, the everlasting power,
and to us, the eternal gift of the infinite love of your Son.
Even so, and everlastingly true.
* * *
2.
Our creative Parent, who is in the center of the universe,
bestow upon us your nature and give to us your character.
Make us sons and daughters of yours by grace
and glorify your name through our eternal achievement.
Your adjusting and controlling spirit give to live and dwell within us
that we may do your will on this sphere as angels do your bidding in light.
Sustain us this day in our progress along the path of truth.
Deliver us from inertia, evil, and all sinful transgression.
Be patient with us as we show loving-kindness to our fellows.
Shed abroad the spirit of your mercy in our creature hearts.
Lead us by your own hand, step by step, through the uncertain maze of life, and when our end shall come, receive into your own bosom our faithful spirits.
Even so, not our desires but your will be done.
* * *
3.
Our perfect and righteous heavenly Father,
this day guide and direct our journey.
Sanctify our steps and co-ordinate our thoughts.
Ever lead us in the ways of eternal progress.
Fill us with wisdom to the fullness of power
and vitalize us with your infinite energy.
Inspire us with the divine consciousness of
the presence and guidance of the seraphic hosts.
Guide us ever upward in the pathway of light;
Justify us fully in the day of the great judgment.
Make us like yourself in eternal glory
and receive us into your endless service on high.
***
4.
Our Father who is in the mystery,
reveal to us your holy character.
Give your children on earth this day
to see the way, the light, and the truth.
Show us the pathway of eternal progress
and give us the will to walk therein.
Establish within us your divine kingship
and thereby bestow upon us the full mastery of self.
Let us not stray into paths of darkness and death;
Lead us everlastingly beside the waters of life.
Hear these our prayers for your own sake;
Be pleased to make us more and more like yourself.
At the end, for the sake of the divine Son,
receive us into the eternal arms.
Even so, not our will but yours be done.
***
5.
Glorious Father and Mother, in one parent combined,
loyal would we be to your divine nature.
Your own self to live again in and through us
by the gift and bestowal of your divine spirit,
Thus reproducing you imperfectly in this sphere
as you are perfectly and majestically shown on high.
Give us day by day your sweet ministry of brotherhood
and lead us moment by moment in the pathway of loving service.
Be you ever and unfailingly patient with us
even as we show forth your patience to our children.
Give us the divine wisdom that does all things well
and the infinite love that is gracious to every creature.
Bestow upon us your patience and loving-kindness
that our charity may enfold the weak of the realm.
And when our career is finished, make it an honor to your name,
a pleasure to your good spirit, and a satisfaction to our soul helpers.
Not as we wish, our loving Father, but as you desire the eternal good of your mortal children, even so may it be.
* * *
6.
Our all-faithful Source and all-powerful Center,
reverent and holy be the name of your all-gracious Son.
Your bounties and your blessings have descended upon us,
thus empowering us to perform your will and execute your bidding.
Give us moment by moment the sustenance of the tree of life;
refresh us day by day with the living waters of the river thereof.
Step by step lead us out of darkness and into the divine light.
Renew our minds by the transformations of the indwelling spirit,
and when the mortal end shall finally come upon us,
receive us to yourself and send us forth in eternity.
Crown us with celestial diadems of fruitful service,
and we shall glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Influence.
Even so, throughout a universe without end.
* * *
7.
Our Father who dwells in the secret places of the universe,
honored be your name, reverenced your mercy, and respected your judgment.
Let the sun of righteousness shine upon us at noontime,
while we beseech you to guide our wayward steps in the twilight.
Lead us by the hand in the ways of your own choosing
and forsake us not when the path is hard and the hours are dark.
Forget us not as we so often neglect and forget you.
But be you merciful and love us as we desire to love you.
Look down upon us in kindness and forgive us in mercy
as we in justice forgive those who distress and injure us.
May the love, devotion, and bestowal of the majestic Son
make available life everlasting with your endless mercy and love.
May the God of universes bestow upon us the full measure of his spirit;
give us grace to yield to the leading of this spirit.
By the loving ministry of devoted seraphic hosts
may the Son guide and lead us to the end of the age.
Make us ever and increasingly like yourself
and at our end receive us into the eternal Paradise embrace.
Even so, in the name of the bestowal Son
and for the honor and glory of the Supreme Father.
Although the apostles were not at liberty to use these prayers in their public teachings, they themselves benefited a lot from them in their personal religious growth.
Okay folks, that’s it for the second part of Chapter 23, “At Gilboa and the Decapolis.”
We’ll finish up with part 3 in a few days.
Defend liberty.
Protect the innocent ones.
Get out there and serve man for nothing more or less than the sake of God.
Bob