One of the most misunderstood aspects of the teachings of Jesus concerns prayer. In John 14:13 we read, "I will do whatever you ask in my name..." This has, of course, led to the common practice of ending our prayers with "...in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen." The common thinking is that, "I'll get my prayer answered if I just end the prayer with that phrase."
But this practice is a reflection of the magical thinking, prevelant in the time of Jesus, that one's "true name" is a key to the power of that person, and to KNOW another's true name is to have power OVER that person. I am certain that was not Jesus' intended meaning.
The Greek word 'onama' translated in the Bible as 'name' also means "character of" -- which is, I think, much closer to Jesus' meaning.
Throughout the Book of John, Jesus' reference to the first person ("I" or "me") is referring to the Christ-Self that Jesus so perfectly demonstrated. Keeping that in mind as you read this text will avoid much confusion.
Applied to the practice of prayer, we see that the message is, "When you ask for anything from the awareness of the indwelling Christ, so it shall be."
But do not be led astray, being in the awareness of the indwelling Christ is more than just "thinking about" Christ, it is actually "thinking FROM" Christ. Notice how your prayer changes when you are praying from the awareness that All is One, that every aspect of God is available at all times, and that every circumstance is, in some way, an expression of God. Now you are entering mystical thinking and leaving behind, perhaps forever, magical thinking.
For a deeper exploration of these ideas, join us for our upcoming class, "Knocking on the Door of Silence," starting Wednesday, March 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Know you're blessed -- all the time.
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