When we are still, quiet, expectantly waiting, we can hear the Word of God. We can have our consciousness uplifted to His higher standpoint of thought and action. We can feel His leading presence gently guiding us safely all the way through the day.
How? Christ Jesus beautifully reveals to all mankind the ‘how’ when he gently speaks, “when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.2
To ‘enter into the closet’ we must still our thoughts, turn off the ‘to-do lists’, the hurt feelings, anger, resentments and fears. It is to have no other thoughts accept the open thought, expectant of receiving in His Word, ready for His commands. To have a still thought is a cultivation of working through all of the false ‘maybes’ and ‘what ifs’, and to close out any thought that darkens our thinking with fear and doubt. To open our thought to Him, inviting His Word through love and joyful expectancy to receive it, allows our thinking the readiness that it needs to hear His ‘still small voice’.3
With this mental attitude of stillness and expectancy we do receive His Word. It guides us, delivers us and reveals to us the truths that we need for today. That is another simple truth, when we turn to Him for His Word, we do not ask for tomorrow’s Word, guidance, supply. We only ask for the here and now of His Word, His Truth, His guidance. That is all we need and all we’re ready to accept. To ask in advance dishonors His perfect daily unfoldment and reveals our distrust in His wisdom and goodness.
Mary Baker Eddy, the discover and founder of Christian Science, gives the spiritual interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer in her textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Below you may find the full version from her chapter entitled “Prayer”. But the key to this ‘listening’ thought comes under the “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Where she interprets it, “Enable us to know,--as in heaven, so on earth,--God is omnipotent, supreme.”4
As we turn our thoughts to His Will He does ‘enable us to know, as in heaven, so on earth’ He is all-powerful and supreme. He enables us to know His Will, His direction, His Love. As we turn our still quiet thoughts to Him He reveals to us His power here in the ever-present Now of His perfect harmonious Being, heaven.
This revelation is as St. John saw heaven here on this plane of thought and described it to us5. He revealed to all that everyone and anyone that is spiritually, mentally prepared may see it in the present Now. His cultivated spiritual quiet thought gained for Him such a divine revelation as this. How important then is it for us to also demonstrate this quietness of thought, this active listening for and to the ‘still small voice’ of divine Wisdom, Love.
So today, let us be still and listen to Him for today’s guidance. Today let us quiet our thought continually throughout the day and be ready for His moment by moment guidance of Love and goodness. Let us learn how to live in that quiet closet of prayer continually and consistently. Then we truly will be living our prayer, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”6
Gentle hugs
1 The King James Version of the Holy Bible Psalms 46 vss. 10, 11
2 ibid Matthew 6 vss. 6-13
3 ibid I Kings 19 vs. 12
4 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy page 16 lines 1-3
5 See The King James Version of the Holy Bible the book of Revelation
6ibid Matthew 6 vs.10 (Thy will)
Only as we rise above all material sensuousness and
21 sin, can we reach the heaven-born aspiration and spiritual consciousness, which is indicated in the Lord's Prayer and which instantaneously heals the sick.
24 Here let me give what I understand to be
the spiritual sense of the Lord's Prayer:
Our Father which art in heaven,
27 Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Adorable One.30 Thy kingdom come.
Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present.
1 Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Enable us to know, — as in heaven, so on earth, — God is
3 omnipotent, supreme.
Give us this day our daily bread;
Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished
affections;6 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And Love is reflected in love;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
9 evil;
And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth
us from sin, disease, and death.
12 For
Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory,
forever.For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over
15 all, and All.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy page
16 line 20 to page 17 line 15
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