| May our Father daily increase our wisdom, | | | | this Father's authority in declaring the |
| love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, | | | | sacredness of it."Your kingdom comes" points |
| joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity. In | | | | to a future event every generation of |
| just about 15 seconds I declared my love for | | | | believers longs for, and it is our hope. Some |
| you by asking these blessings for you. If you | | | | of us know this kingdom is both at hand and |
| are one who does not know the One as Father, | | | | within us. We know it is one of justice, |
| I wish you double portions of blessing.Deepak | | | | tempered by mercy, without cruelty."Your will |
| Chopra tells us in the Second Spiritual Law | | | | is done". It doesn't seem so to many of us |
| of Success, the Law of Giving, that we should | | | | and many are critical of this will and its |
| never visit anyone without bringing a gift; a | | | | possessor. Never-the-less, form demands this |
| card with a sentiment, a flower, a silent | | | | identification in our address. "On earth as |
| prayer or blessing. In fact, he says, a | | | | in heaven" or even in the heavens, if you |
| silent prayer or blessing is the best gift of | | | | prefer. This completes the opening address or |
| all. He says we should make it a point to | | | | identification of the One we wish to hear our |
| bless everyone we meet, every day. He | | | | prayer. It is the attention getter. What is |
| suggested a brief blessing like: I wish you | | | | the point in writing a letter and sending it |
| peace, joy and happiness. I thought that | | | | to the wrong address? Should we then expect |
| covered a lot but I asked what blessings I | | | | any good result?I realized this prayer works |
| would like to receive and my list grew to | | | | equally well as a daily request or a |
| seven things. In a few weeks it grew to nine. | | | | thanksgiving. I prefer it as a thanksgiving, |
| In a few more it grew to ten, where I thought | | | | morning and evening. I will treat it as a |
| it enough.I began with wisdom because I | | | | thanksgiving here: "We thank you for this day |
| remembered a proverb that said wisdom was the | | | | and our daily bread". Even without bread, |
| principle thing. With all my getting, get me | | | | another day is a wonderful thing to be |
| wisdom. That pretty much defines my quest for | | | | thankful about. Our daily bread can extend |
| this life. Wisdom teaches the value of love | | | | far beyond our food to all our material |
| and love springs forth from wisdom. To have | | | | needs. It is worth noting it is the first |
| some of each brings gratitude for the gifts | | | | thing we ask for or give thanks for because |
| and reverence for all who provide them. This | | | | air, water and food are critical to our |
| attitude facilitates healing for self and | | | | life."And forgiving our offences as we |
| others. As we become whole, we find peace. In | | | | forgive those who offend us". Forgiveness is |
| peace we find joy, in Joy we find happiness | | | | conditional. We can expect it in the way we |
| and contentment. In happiness we find | | | | practice it. The blessing I began with |
| laughter. In the growth these blessings | | | | implies forgiveness in the act of blessing |
| generate, we find a natural prosperity | | | | all. I can bless those I despise and I can |
| unmeasured by material wealth. If I want | | | | just as easily forgive them if I so choose, |
| these things for me, so do I truly want them | | | | and receive it myself, as needed. Forgiveness |
| for you and for presidents, all their | | | | brings peace in a way nothing else does. Is |
| counsel, dictators and evil doers. Who on | | | | there little peace in your world? Then there |
| this earth has no need of blessing?As I began | | | | is little forgiveness in your world."Lead us |
| to apply this wisdom, I was blessed in very | | | | not into testing, (for this we do ourselves) |
| unexpected ways. Yet I had much difficulty in | | | | but deliver us from trouble". Many confuse |
| remembering to bless everyone I met every | | | | the word evil with the idea of wicked. |
| day. It occurred to me that I could | | | | Wicked is always trouble but trouble is not |
| incorporate this blessing as a blanket | | | | necessarily wicked and in other Scripture, |
| blessing for the world during morning and | | | | Father claims to create evil. We could say |
| evening spiritual practice. Everyone is | | | | the flood was evil but it was not especially |
| blessed, even when I forget to bless an | | | | scheming and calculated trouble for someone's |
| individual I meet. I still try to remember | | | | personal gain, which we know as wicked.In |
| personal blessing and grow better at it with | | | | Scripture the formal close comes next and I |
| time.I had nominal religious training in a | | | | decided this was the point at which I would |
| Protestant denomination between the ages of | | | | personalize this simple prayer, I had recited |
| ten and sixteen. I loved the ritual and not | | | | so often as a boy. "Thank you for helping us |
| much else. I left the church and the | | | | become instruments of your peace; blessing |
| religious family to have all day Sunday for | | | | those we bless and those who bless us". This |
| myself. I needed one day each week with | | | | is an acknowledgement that my blessing may |
| nobody telling me what to do, for most of it. | | | | help no one at all, except it is backed by |
| About fifteen years later, fatherhood had me | | | | superior power. I paraphrased a small part |
| asking questions about the meaning of life | | | | of the Prayer of Saint Francis because he was |
| and I began finding answers wherever I | | | | praying for himself and I am still praying |
| looked, especially in the Scriptures. I | | | | for us."Thank you for daily increasing our |
| became a fascinated Bible student. I would | | | | wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, |
| soon learn that every answer raised more | | | | peace, joy, happiness, laughter and |
| questions and I would never know it all.I did | | | | prosperity, especially the leaders and |
| a study on what is commonly called the Lord's | | | | authorities of this world, a world |
| Prayer, a prayer that already had a history | | | | transforming from one of fear to one of |
| in America and its schools. In 1962, when the | | | | love." This is the gratitude I have for the |
| Supreme Court declared that God had no | | | | increased power, as I see it, behind my |
| business in government schools, I could see | | | | personal blessing. I see it as a power |
| how the atheist's children could be made | | | | multiplier. You might see it |
| uncomfortable by this group activity. I did | | | | differently."Thank you for granting us |
| not protest the loss of this daily ritual, or | | | | wealth, prosperity and abundance, that our |
| keeping the Pledge of Allegiance ritual, | | | | light so shines before others, they will see |
| since I was clearly pledging allegiance to | | | | our good works and glorify you." Although |
| the ones who operated the school that was | | | | this repeats the last blessing, it is the |
| preparing me for a godless life.Less than two | | | | very thing secular society teaches us to want |
| years from the court decision, President | | | | and is worth repeating. It also reminds us |
| Kennedy was assassinated. Less than two years | | | | there is one proper purpose for wealth and to |
| after that, we were going off to Vietnam. | | | | pervert this purpose is asking for trouble. |
| Before that war was over we were fighting a | | | | Just ask a few lottery winners."For yours is |
| war on poverty. Before that war was over we | | | | the kingdom and the power and the glory, |
| were fighting a war on drugs. I sensed a | | | | forever. Amen." The close, in proper form, is |
| connection and my study of the prayer | | | | confirming the addressee and the equivalent |
| confirmed it.Incidental to my study of this | | | | of our Respectfully Yours, on a business |
| prayer, I learned it was a fitting prayer for | | | | letter. I never fully understood why the |
| those who see theirselves in a paternal | | | | Roman Catholic Church rejected this close, |
| relationship to the Supreme Power. Therefore, | | | | except some Pope decided it was understood |
| it could be prayed by Christians, Jews and | | | | and unnecessary. I will always feel it is an |
| Muslims. It is a prayer given to students by | | | | important part of form and properly closes |
| a master, recognized by all three faiths, | | | | the prayer.When American children |
| upon the request of one student who thought | | | | discontinued this prayer in school, one |
| it good to know just how to pray.It is | | | | disaster followed another; not that we were |
| important to note the master did not respond | | | | free from them in earlier years. I think it |
| saying, recite this prayer. He said to pray | | | | is safe to say that some families may have |
| in this manner and then gave the form which | | | | recited the prayer before breakfast each day, |
| prayer should take. We are free to modify its | | | | but the majority did not and this |
| content to our liking and it is a matter of | | | | precipitated much negative change in America |
| respect to frame our content in the proper | | | | and the rest of the world. I did not continue |
| form, as with a business letter. The form is | | | | with it on my "own time" once it stopped in |
| the thing of greatest importance to us and | | | | school. This was about the same time I left |
| the content as given is secondary, but still | | | | the church and became agnostic, suspicious |
| important.The very first word, "Our", is | | | | and resentful of all assumed authority.My |
| plural possessive - a claim of possession. I | | | | point is that if a great good to the whole |
| am not praying for me. I am praying for us. | | | | world could come from millions upon millions |
| Who we are depends on my worldview. We might | | | | of Christians, Jews and Muslims, asking for |
| be family, we might be the other people | | | | and receiving these wonderful, magical |
| praying with us. We might be the nation in | | | | blessings, through a few minutes of daily |
| which most of the children prayed for us, | | | | prayer and blessing, why don't we all do it? |
| five days a week. We might be all the | | | | A unity opportunity. I can think of two |
| Christians of the world. We might be all the | | | | reasons. We don't believe it makes a |
| people of the world. We might be every living | | | | difference and we don't care if it does.In |
| thing in this world. It is clearly a personal | | | | Napoleon Hill's book, "Think and Grow Rich", |
| choice to define we/our or child of | | | | he devotes at least a chapter to mastermind |
| God."Father", the next word, puts to rest all | | | | alliance. He says there is great power in |
| arguments about the name of God. The master | | | | many people working in common cause. An |
| shows it is our relationship that matters and | | | | Aquarian idea for sure. I believe it. What if |
| the proper address expresses this | | | | the purpose of each and every one of us is |
| relationship. "Who is in heaven" | | | | only to bless the earth, in word and deed? |
| distinguishes from a living biological | | | | What might be the effect of each of us |
| father, but not one who has passed over. | | | | fulfilling this purpose every day of our |
| "Sacred is your name" does distinguish from | | | | lives? It costs us so little to test the idea |
| any biological father and explains the | | | | and the result could just prove we can do |
| ancient Hebrew custom of not publicly | | | | something right after all. Surely the deeds |
| pronouncing a name. A sacred thing made | | | | will follow the words. Who can bless and |
| common is no longer sacred, as in common | | | | remain fearful?Ed Howes sought and found, |
| sense. Name in Scripture also symbolizes | | | | knocked and entered. Now he sees things |
| authority. For example; Israel means rules | | | | differently. To see more of what he sees, |
| with God. This is why Abram's name was | | | | please visit or do an author search here at |
| changed and Jacob's. We are acknowledging | | | | Ezine Articles. |