Pray is a Four Letter Word

Good evening. It is nice to be with you again. You can not fail. You can not fail if you dare to try. In any part of human endeavor you can not fail if you dare to try. Please remember, success is your birthright!

Many questions have been brought to me. De Rah, how do I solve my problems? The idea of solving a problem is unique to humankind. Many problems can not be solved. In many cases the problem is the solution and the solution creates other problems. All problems however, may be managed.

So, rather than think of solving a problem, think of managing a problem. To manage a problem is to control a problem, or to have control of the problem, and of course, (here comes the dreaded “R” word) to be responsible for the problem. I would caution you that in this case the use of the word “responsible” reflects the ability to respond to the problem, not the creation of the problem. Your language leaves so little room for positive nuance.

You always have control of your problems. You have control of your problems in any situation. You have control of your problems by choice or by chance. A primary law of nature states that all problems are in the control of the recipient. Therefore, whether by chance or by choice, you do in fact control your problems. Therefore you may eliminate them. Poof! All gone!

I hear you thinking, “But De Rah, you don’t know my problems. You don’t know my situation. My problems are unique. Other people have more money. Other people have more education,” and for most of you the BIGGIE, “You’re not even in body how can you relate?”

I will tell you tonight that you can accomplish ANYTHING. You can do anything you choose to do. You may be anything you want to be. You may go anywhere you wish to go starting from where you are right now if, - ah the big IF - if you BELIEVE that you can do this. If you dream big dreams, if you believe that they may come true, and if you are willing to work at it, it will be so. No - two out of three won’t do it!

I believe a story is in order. Many of your years ago after a Great War in a defeated island nation, men would come together in a small village on the shore. Sometimes many dozen men sometimes as few as six, but men would come together regularly and they would complain. They would drink and they would complain. They would say, “We have no self respect. We have lost the pride that we had. Our thousand years of tradition have been over run and destroyed by a barbarian enemy. There is no work. Our wives look at us as though we were not there. We can no longer hold our heads up around our children. Our parents and grandparents, when they lived in this village - yes they were poor but they were proud! They had pride. They had the ability to look one another in the face and be proud of what they saw! This country and this town have become a hell hole!”

These men would meet two to three times a week to talk, to complain and to drink. This situation existed for years and years and years. There was a hanger-on to the group of men that gathered. My friend here would refer to him as a “stand-up-guy.” I’m not sure what that means but I think it’s good.

He did not give up. He did not stop trying. He would drink occasionally with his friends, but most of the negative conversation passed him without stopping. One day this man (let us call him "John"), one day John went down to the shore. He had gone down to this spot on the shoreline since he was a small child. It was where he talked to God. God had never answered but John talked anyway.

John went down this afternoon to the shoreline, seated himself upon his usual rock, and he said, “Okay. I can’t do this by myself. If you’re up there and if you’re listening, I need help. In my temple they tell me that you are the head of the family. I come to you as a member of that family and demand my right of favor.”
God did not answer. John said, “Okay, you know what I want. It’s up to you. Bring it or not. You haven’t answered me yet.” John got up and he left.

Several days later Spirit saw to it that a map of the area was placed in John’s hands. This was not a new map. It had circulated for years. Everyone in the area had seen it. When John picked it up this time he saw it as though it were new. He saw it with different eyes. In looking at the map John understood that they had one of the few deep-water ports on that particular stretch of the island.

John built a marina. John knew that tourists would come to this beautiful spot in their big boats that could be moored in the deep-water port. Soon John built a hotel. Then he built a second hotel and shops and stores and restaurants. John became very wealthy.

The men who previously had gotten together to drink and be negative now have jobs in the thriving tourist industry of the island. They may now walk down the street in pride once again. From wherever you are you can get to wherever you want to be with just a little help from Spirit.

What did John do right? When John went to speak to God had John given up? No - John had given up trying to do it all by himself. John had given up running into the brick wall over and over and over. He went to Spirit and he asked for what was rightfully his. He went to Spirit as part of the family.

The Source is not someone that you kneel down in front of, and beg forgiveness of and say, “If I do everything right in the future will you please grant me this favor?” Common in your society is the separation of God from humans or the separation of the Source from the self. That is inappropriate. We are all one. There is no separation. That is an illusion. We are all part of the same family.

When was the last time you went to your physical father on bended knee and said, “Please Dad may I have something?” The answer is probably never! Why in the world would you do so for your spiritual family? It is your right as a member of the family to request favors from those elder brothers and sisters, or parents if you will. They, by right of their elder status, are disposed to grant favors to the younger siblings. It is your right to ask for a favor. It is their duty to provide it. Instead of begging God for help, ask, “Hey Dad, I need the car keys!”

The third thing John did correctly was John left it with Source. John said, “Okay, you know what I want. It’s yours. You keep it. You take it. You do something with it. It’s your duty to help me. Now I’m not going to worry about it anymore.”

There was once a little girl who had a broken toy. She went to her grandfather and said, “Grandpa can you fix this for me?” Grandpa was always helping around the house.

He said, “Sure, I can do that. Come back into my workshop.” So grandpa and the little girl and the broken toy went back into the workshop. The little girl held up the toy and said, “See, it’s broken.” Grandpa said, “I’ll fix it.” The little girl stayed around to help.

After an hour or an hour and a half the little girl said, “This is taking so long and you haven’t fixed it.” The grandfather looked at her and said, “I will fix it my dear, just as soon as you let go of it.” John let go of it so Spirit could fix it.

The fourth thing that John did that was correct, was John acted on the result of his request. When Spirit brought him the map and he saw it and understood it he did something about it. He did not just say, “This is a map. That’s wonderful.” He did something about it. He took action.

So you may do anything you want. You may get anywhere you want from right where you are with a little help from Spirit in the right way.

I had an “IDEA” I would like to share with you now. It is a way of working with problems. It is a way of helping you. It is a way of bringing management to problems.

So here is my “IDEA.”

“I” is for inspect the problem. Look at it in all its phases. Is it in fact a problem? Write it down. Break it into smaller pieces. It may not be as much of a problem as you think.

“D” is decide what to do with it. What is the worst that can happen? If that’s not too terrible it’s not a problem. Forget it. Decide whether or not you even need to continue to manage it.

Once you have made the decision, once you have looked at your options then you need to “E” energize it. Bring in spiritual energy. Bring in physical energy. Bring in emotional energy. Sometimes knowledge is needed. Sometimes financial energy is needed. Sometimes the energy of a group of people is needed. Bring in whatever energy is needed to work with the problem and then “A” act on it. Bring action to the problem. Just as John brought action to his problem, the best idea in the world does not work without action. But then you get the “IDEA.”

(To the group) Are there questions?

Question: Does “prayer” add energy to problem solving?

Answer: Energy always follows prayer and intent and thought. Most people in your world today put that energy into the negative. They “pray” to have this that and the other thing taken away from them. The correct form of prayer is to energize the positive, and is a mutual trade of energy with the “head of your household” shall we say. You get to borrow the car if you mow the lawn.

Question: So we should focus on the outcome we desire not the problem?

Answer: Oh no, Dear One. If you have a solution in mind you don’t need prayer. You are still doing it yourself. When you go to Spirit it’s because you have decided that you require help from a higher source. Therefore you bring the problem. You ask for help. You energize the help, and then you leave it with Spirit to bring the appropriate answer. If you’re doing it on your own you have closed the door on Spirit.

Question: How do we handle a situation where we are regularly re-confronted with a problem we have left with Spirit?

Answer: Take it back and say, “Hey Dad, it’s still bothering me! I’m going to give it back to you.” Don’t you energize it! You may have to take it back to Spirit many times. Some problems require vast amounts of tinkering with the machinery in order to manage them effectively. In that space of time the problem may arise over and over. As that happens simply bring it back to Spirit and say, “Here you are guys. Keep working.”

Question: Can the energy of a Reiki grid be used to enhance prayer?

Answer: First I would like you to regard it as taking a request to the family not praying. That word has connotations within your society that are totally inappropriate for communication with Spirit.

Second the grid that you have been taught in Reiki is in itself an affirmative positive action to help manifest that which you desire, as long as the information placed in the grid is positive. In other words you can not place something in the grid that says, please take this away from me, or I hate my poverty, or make this disease go away. Rather write I require wealth. I require health. I require peace of mind. Therefore as is my right, I am demanding that it be brought to me. I think you will find that much more effective.

I would like you to pause now for just a moment and you will feel your guides and teachers being energized, and that energy coming down to you. I would now like to bring you the energy of healing, the energy of love, and my thanks to you for a very enjoyable evening. Good night.

Commentary

De Rah asked me to title this lesson "Pray is a Four Letter Word" because he wants to make us think.

As he says in answering one of the above questions, “Prayer has connotations within your society that are totally inappropriate for communication with Spirit.” The strongest of which involves the concept of begging and pleading for something we need. As he says in the lesson, we are to go to Spirit and ask for what we need as an entitled member of the family, not as a beggar. We are to live our lives based in positive energy not negative. Problems should be managed from this point of view. One might read this lesson as an answer to the question once asked, “How should we pray?’