PRAYERS

© 2018 - Reprinted with permission from Shining Lotus Metaphysical Bookstore newsletter October 2018

by Bob Romero

Praying to God is a very personal way to talk to God. Usually when we pray, we are asking God for something. Sometimes we feel guilty because we ask for so much, and we think that maybe we don’t deserve what we want, because we’re not worthy. That’s usually because we have been taught to be humble. Yet in the bible, it says “Ask and ye shall receive”. In my esoteric classes, I have learned that because we are created in God’s image, and God wants us to be happy. So it’s okay to ask for what we want, and more, as long as it’s for good and not tied to ego. The only limits to what we can receive are the limits that we place on ourselves.

We also talk to God to thank Spirit for all of the blessings God has given us. Unfortunately it’s not often that we do this, because this gratitude spurs more blessings and more manifestation. It’s actually very easy to do this every day, because we have so much to be thankful. And the more gratitude we express, the more we receive. Some people may have hardships, or may be on the receiving end of some bad karma, and think that they don’t have anything to be grateful. As we get older though, we realize that waking up each day, is a blessing. And when we take time to look at beautiful blue sky, with the spectacular cloud formations, and the beautiful flowers and trees, or listen to music that inspires us, we appreciate the wonders that are available to us. Then to be blessed with friends and family that uplift us, we are filled with joy and gratitude. The impact of hardships and karma on us, begin to shrink.

We can also just talk to God as we would with anybody. The more we communicate with Spirit, the more Spirit communicates with us. It’s amazing how many problems are resolved just by talking to God about them. There are many informal rituals in many different faiths that invoke Spirit. One that is common, is to light a candle with a special intention. The power of the light of the flame is tremendous, and I have personally experienced the positive results of this ritual.

There are also prayers that have been taught to us or have been written by someone else. These are sometimes referred to as “rote prayers”. At first I was bothered by the definition of rote, as it means learning something by repetition usually without comprehension or understanding. However, if you examine these prayers, they are beautiful and sincere. So if you think about what the words mean, and what your intentions are, and say them as if you’re saying them for the first time, they become much more meaningful. They are like mantras. Just don’t say them in a “rote” way.

This discussion about prayer has been about talking to God in different ways. So far it’s been a one-sided conversation. As with most conversations, it’s important to listen to the other party. Listening to what Spirit has to say is called meditation.

Bob Romero has been a diligent student of esoteric spiritual subjects and metaphysics for many years, with a life-long quest for answers. He has submitted new and original articles that focus on life lessons and experiences he wishes to share with our readers and the world.

A VIEW FROM A DIFFERENT HEAVEN

© 2018 - Reprinted with permission from Shining Lotus Metaphysical Bookstore newsletter October 2018

by Mario C. Veo

Long, long ago, in a time when the ancient Gods and Goddesses ruled this planet, a group of Beings [don’t you dare called them ‘angels’] were gathered together for their daily party. Yes, in this Heaven it was party, party, party all the time… the wine was divine, the music celestial, and the people just loved being here… Well, what’s not to like…?!  It was Heaven at its best !

And in this particular day the main attraction was watching those weird little creatures they had created to populate the planet…and see what foolish things they’d get up to now… Bizarre little creepy things they were, always running around doing crazy things – loving one day, fighting another, it was a wild roller-coaster ride, even though their lives were so short…but man, were they funny! Look at them now, rallying together under some silly pretense to go out and bash each other, vilifying even the most basic courtesies, as they postured and pointed their dirty fingers at those whom they’d decreed ‘were not as good as them!’

Yes, they still thought that they were better than others, without realizing that, from the point of view of Heaven, one dirty savage is no different from another…and still they fought for supremacy, still believed that ‘Might makes right’… and for what ? to gather some measly material possessions, a title or two, some gold or such like… and then they die! What a waste of life…

Well, it was quite amusing to these non-angels… and so they thought of making things even more interesting – they took bets on what it would take to bring about ‘evolution’ to these weird little creatures… Soon two different camps were formed – the first would send down a great leader – a Being of superior intellect, one with many gifts and powers, who – supposedly – would be able to unite these warring tribes, and bring them peace… while the other group would simply create more drama, more attrition, more chaos… and we’ll see who will win … [the wager was a cask of golden nectar, much valued in these lofty realms…] And so it began – this wonderful leader was born on this little dirt ball, and even though he was a great speaker – very passionate fellow, and with good diction too – still, he just didn’t catch on… Ok, so a few people followed him as he went around telling people about stuff like love and kindness and unity… but you see, no one really cared…

Yes, some did build temples in his image, and others even wrote down his most famous words… but greed being what it is, soon many elected themselves as being ‘his Acolytes’, his duly appointed ‘chosen ones’ , who will now speak with his voice, and tell all others what to do, how to do it, and how much to pay… [after all, you didn’t think the temple ran itself, now did you…!]… Oh, yes, and they all still fought one another, killing each other in the name of His Holiness…

So, that sucked… and now it’s the others’ turn…

Well, they had it easy – they sent earthquake after earthquake, tornadoes and volcanoes ripping the land apart, torrential rains devastating the land… thousand, nay, millions of creatures died… famine was everywhere… and what do you think happened …? Crazy people created temples and worshiped these new ‘Angry Gods’, and even offered virgin sacrifices to appease them [yuk ! what a weird thing to do… but hey, what’d you expect, they’s primitives, right !] …and when that didn’t work…then they just blamed each other, and went to  war…and killed, and killed, and killed…

And so it was declared a draw – neither side won, because, after all, what can you expect from such retarded little creatures… and so these mighty non-angels in their wisdom smited these lowly creatures …[smote, smit,  oh heck, killed off the buggers… ] for they were no fun after all… Bummer, after all that works… But hey, don’t worry, the party still goes on…the wine still flows abundantly, everyone still rejoices that they were born superior… and if you wait a while, someone else will create another race of weird little Beings… and the fun will start all over again… But hey, don’t hold your breath, you know what’ll happen – they just go and kill each other again…! What did you expect them to do – be ‘enlightened’…that’s a laugh, they’s primitives, man! Here, have another drink…

Mario C. Veo was born in Italy and grew up in Africa, and has been on multiple spiritual pilgrimages to India and other sacred places.  From an early age his love for Spirituality and Metaphysics led him to study with great Teachers and Masters from around the world. He is a dedicated Spiritual Practitioner and Counselor, a Healer and Shaman Initiate, a senior T’ai Chi / Chi Gong instructor, a Feng Shui Master… Mario is in private practice in Denver, and teaches and guides Spiritual Seekers on the path of Self-Empowerment and Transformation.
You can reach him: /by phone — 303.525.7223
/by email — PathtoSpirit@gmail.com
/by website — www.YourPathtoSpirit.com

Mario is available for personal guidance and consultations on Tuesdays and monthly on the last Sunday at the Shining Lotus™ Bookstore in Denver.