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