Affirmative Prayer

 
 

Affirmative Prayer    

 
Prayer and meditation are intimately linked in Unity practice. We sit in the silence as the gateway to our connection with God. We engage in affirmative prayer that lovingly accepts the reality of what is, and all is as it should be. 
 
 
We celebrate our own divinity and interconnectedness in prayer, in the affirmative belief that there is One Presence leading us to our highest good, despite any superficial and temporary appearances to the contrary. 
 
We have been so persistently taught that prayer consists in asking God for some human need that we have lost sight of our spiritual identity and have become a race of praying beggars.
—Charles Fillmore, Teach Us to Pray
 
We do not pray to Jesus—we say he is the great example, not the great exception—but we instead pray to become aligned with  our Christ-consciousness, or the “Christ within.” Some in Unity do pray “in the name of Jesus” to connect withthat Christ-consciousness. Others in Unity pray to the “Buddha within” or their “divine nature.” Whatever term you choose to use, it is all the same: we pray to that spark of divinity within all of us. 
 
This divinity, or God, is never separate from us and we are never separate from it. The emphasis on affirmative prayer means we don’t believe in asking God for something specific, no begging or beseeching prayer. Instead we connect with the spirit of God within and assert our positive beliefs about the desired outcome. As Jesus taught, “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).

 

Affirmative prayer is the highest form of creative thought. It includes the release of counterproductive, negative thoughts as well as holding in mind statements of spiritual truth. Through meditation, we experience the presence of God. Prayer and meditation heighten our awareness and thereby transform our lives.

Five Steps to Affirmative Prayer

  1. RELAXATION: We relax our bodies and empty our mind and become open and receptive to Spirit
  2. CONCENTRATION: We center our attention on an idea and if our mind wanders, bring it back to our center.
  3. MEDITATION: Once we are centered on a God idea, we turn our attention inward.
  4. REALIZATION: We have faith deep within us that our prayers have been answered.
  5. THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks in advance frees us to accept our good.

When most people think of prayer, they think of asking God for something.

Unity uses "affirmative prayer." Rather than begging or beseeching God, this method involves connecting with the spirit of God within and asserting positive beliefs about the desired outcome. Affirmative prayer is the same method of prayer Jesus taught when he said, "So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24).

If, for example, one were to pray traditionally, one might say: "Please God, help me find a job." By contrast, an affirmative prayer might be: "I am now guided to my right and perfect employment."

Affirmative prayer reflects the certainty that we are each being led to our highest good, despite any temporary appearances.

Metaphysicians believe that thoughts transmit magnetic energy and this energy attracts other energy of the same frequency. Whether you are conscious of it or not, your thoughts are transmitting energy that is attracting more of the same. When you remain focused on your intentions, you will draw those things into your life.

"In Unity, we believe that all things work together for our highest good," says Lynne Brown, vice president of Unity's 24/7 prayer ministry called Silent Unity. "We pray to align ourselves with God and to allow ourselves to be inwardly guided to that good. Through affirmative prayer, we help co-create the good that is possible in our lives."

By using an affirmative prayer approach, we can visualize and plan for the future with faith that the power of God is continually blessing our lives with unlimited possibilities. Affirmative prayer leads to an awakening of our spiritual selves. In faith, we pray giving thanks in advance that the Universe is meeting our every need."