What are the differences between the power of prayer and that of intention

[dawnbutt]

What are the differences between the power of prayer and that of intention
I now that Lynne Mc Taggart has written about both Prayer studies and the power of intention. I would be interested to know what people feel are the differences between them or if they feel that they are aspects of the same phenomena. Which should you use when?

love and blessings

Dawn

[dawnbutt]

Thankyou Wendy,
That is a very hepful insight. When I have a bit more time I will add aa few more thoughts.
love and blessings

Dawn

[Tom Flower]

Wendy,
I really liked what you wrote. It sounds as though you have read some Ernest Holmes and Science of Mind. Your definition of prayer was good too. I am not really clear on what the definitions are and the actually differences. But I think you are right on in that intention seems to be more scientific and prayer involves the belief in a power greater than oneself.? Please shed some more light on this if you will.
Thanks,
Tom

[AnnieInfinite]

It is interesting that prayer and intention are used interchangeably and I think depending on the intention and the belief system of the person, it could be. However I think that when someone hands over their power and their responsibility to 'God' they are not being as intentional as they could be. Perhaps the prayers of those who ask for their pain to be taken away and for more of what they need, are asking in a state of powerlessness and do not take responsibility for the creation of their life by their own thoughts and beliefs?

I am taking a bit of a hard line here, I know, but I grew up in a household where very little responsibility was taken for our lives and it was always someone elses fault and everything happened to us, as I have grown and taken my own power back I know that if I take responsibility for my life, it puts me in a state of empowered thinking, I still send up a 'prayer' for guidance and strength, but no longer do I wait around for 'God' to fix it.

So to summarise - in some cases depending on the persons state of mind and beliefs prayer and intention can be interchangeable but, if a person is praying in a state of dis-empowerment then prayer and intention are two different things... When you intent to do something or for something to happen you do what it takes to make sure it happens, when you are dis-empowered and you wish and hope and pray, you often leave it up to 'God', chance or someone else to do it for you and then place blame when it doesn't happen.

I hope that I haven't offended anyone, but I thought this needed to be said... Please go through life as an empowered person and intend to create a good life for yourself and others, lead the way by taking charge knowing that the universe is always behind the act of creation - particularly when it encourages more growth and creation... blessings Annie

[timbus2001]

Hello Annie: As I was reading your post, it suddenly occurred to me that often people pray because they need comfort, or a sense that there is hope for the future. It's good, as you say, to pray for guidance and strength, and it's also good that we don't wait around for 'God' to fix it. At the same time where does someone go who needs comfort when there is no one there to provide it? I guess we have to recognize that sometimes we just need to be our own comforters. That's sad but at the same time shows us that if we truly want to live, we have to get on with our lives no matter what disappointments life might throw at us. It all boils down to personal responsibility in the end.

Best
Lynne

[apachestone]

well howdy
all

i see prayer as a way to commincate our intentions for our betterment and the betterment of otheres to God .we do need to take a active roll in our own paths. prayer is imho is a means to commicate. in my prayes for example i have god remove obsticals in my path or shine light in areas i need to see better and to this date it works gr8. they do coinside with my intentions to be a better humanbeing.

heck i would love to by intention be a million dollars richer. HA ya right.

when i send healing i use intention as to the betterment of that person i see the person well as it is my intention to do so.

i pray that God will help me on my spirtule quest.

prayer for spirtule things and intention for the rest.

check yas laters
Rick

[Starlark]

Another one coming from SOM teachings back in the 80's. (Before that Christian) Before SOM I found my way to belief in distant healing through Edgar Cayce. So that brought me to more thinking on prayer,treatments and now the intention experiment and finally the conclusion that intention does work, prayer works and treatment works because it is all in the belief system of sender. There is the question however of the collective consciousness and how does the whole affect the outcome. I also think that the dark side manifests because of the universe being don-judgemental and that what appears to us doing the judging is not what it appears because we cannot see the whole picture.
Very interesting topic
Starlark

[AnnieInfinite]

I too believe that the universe is non-judgemental it seeks only balance and growth, it fosters creativity. In the universe we see evidence of this in that there is matter and anti-matter, light energy and dark energy... I have believed for quite a while now that the dark is not really evil or even bad or negative, without dark we would not know the many shades of light, we would grow tired of the constancy of light and grow weary without the dark to rest in... for me the dark = stasis, rest, time to heal, and the unknown potentiality of the void
while light = movement, growth, and what is known, and what can be seen

When in balance this is how the universe works, when out of balance it seeks to re-instigate that balance. When we intentionally use either the light or the dark for good and use them in a balanced way we are intentionally using the greatest force in the universe - that which grows and creates and that which rests and heals...

Just my thoughts.... have a wonder-filled day, Annie

[timbus2001]

I was taught that every action is preceeded by thought. Thoughts direct and influence the direction and flow of the Field. If a man/woman thinks 'dark' thoughts, that is what he/she will create and attract. If a man/woman thinks 'light' thoughts, that is what he/she will create and attract. In addition to that, the terms dark and light are defined by one's subjective opinion; i.e. what might be termined 'dark' thoughts by you, may be neutral to me.

I believe that the effects can expand outward and present itself universally 'only' if individuals choose to accept those effects. Personal responsibility rules. Just think about how we resist other people telling us 'what to think'. But if what they say resonates with what WE think, then we think they are brilliant and eagerly absorb what they have to say.

"Is it not man that needs to generate balance?" Yes. Andrew Jackson Davis said "Under all circumstances, keep an even mind." If every human being on the planet did that, we would live in balance, and peace would reign supreme. But as long as people resist that thought - well you see the mess we're in.
Best
Lynne

[AnnieInfinite]

It is man who judges what is good and what is bad, not the universe. timbus2001 is on the right track when he states 'the terms dark and light are defined by one's subjective opinion."

It is man who needs to be in balance and then man will allow the unfolding of light and dark in their balance... I was told a story once about a kingdom where it was nothing but light all the time as the king and the people had rejected all darkness, they found that having nothing but light was tiring and they had nothing that we not light with which to contrast their ideas and thoughts, even pure love is balanced, yes love is light, however pure love is not without shades and contrasts, if it is unconditional. To live in a world of nothing but light we would not see the stars, or the moon or twinkling light on the water, or be able to gather in the shade of a welcome and beautiful tree, or walk through the rainforest and wonder at the cool, damp twining of the many forms of plants and animals that live there... and if we live in a world without light then how do we grow, and see anything... we only have to allow the thought of total unbalanced light or dark to become a physical thing to see that we need to be balanced in our thought and beliefs and to understand that the dark is not bad, just different.

This is the test of true non-judgmental thought when we can see, feel and understand that balance is the key. Mans darkness is not the only darkness their is, however mans darkness is equated with negative thinking and evil, whereas there has always been a form of darkness in the universe evidenced by the fact that dark matter and dark energy far outweigh the total overall sum of light matter and light energy in the universe, so to label dark as bad is a mistake.

blessings, Annie

[AnnieInfinite]

"Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love."
A quote that I thought might illustrate my point of view, Annie

[timbus2001]

Hello StreamSource;

I know what you mean, it doesn't matter how 'spiritual' someone thinks they may be, when a tragedy like this happens, the ground is ripped out from beneath one's feet and there is no magic panacea for pain that bad. There is nothing to do but grieve fully and completely.

When and if the person is able to come out the other side of the grief, I suspect the one thing they will say is that the only thing they know for sure is that they know nothing. That may seem a strange thing to say to someone who may never have experienced that kind of pain, but those that have experienced that kind of pain will know what I mean.

The truth is we are human beings living in a physical universe, and in a physical universe things happen - sorrow, pain, loss, death - and no one or no thing can prevent our experience of these things. We will either somehow find the internal strength and determination to go on, or we will not.

Best wishes
Lynne

[AnnieInfinite]

I was speaking generally, I too have experienced loss and grief, like all humans, sometimes I thought it would be more than I could bear.... however one way or another we find the strength to carry on, or we don't. My wonderful brother took his own life about 9 years ago, this I will never forget and this I will always feel, most especially when I hear or see something I know I would have shared with him the next time I saw him and now I cannot...

But I did find the strength to continue my life, even though he didn't have the strength to continue his... I was talking generally about light and dark, not about whether we feel the loss or not, in fact I believe that is the ultimate reason we're here, to experience all that life has to offer, including finding out how strong we are and what we are able to bear... (See my blog, "Little Soul and the Sun".

Sometimes It helps to understand the big picture, before we get lost in the details, it has helped me in times past to understand that side of things, when my childrens father (the ex) is still bitter and cannot speak to me without this bitterness coming through it helps to remind myself of the saying, "A jerk (any word that works for you in here) is just a divine child of the universe sent to teach me something I would not otherwise have learned."

It might not help in the moment, although with him it usually does as I am not attached to his crap or opinion about anything at all any more... Knowing the big picture allows me to create a learning out of all situations rather than get lost in the grief or the anger of just being human. It helps me to know that it is all about me creating balance in myself by understanding the big picture, (maybe not straight away) and so then I am doing my bit in helping all to find that balance... (as a tiny fractal of the whole).

I hope this clears this up a little bit, and remember I am only voicing my thoughts, my perceptions and my understanding of this, perhaps you will find your own? I am not ever trying to preach to anyone that I am right, and I would be very sorry if anyone takes it that way, this is just me talking about me, and being very grateful for the opportunity to do so...

May all beings be free of suffering, May all beings be at peace...
I hope this is especially true for you today SS,

blessings Annie