Mary Hanson
Mar 19, 2023
This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content.
Unity places great emphasis on prayer -- and its close relative, meditation -- but its approach differs from many traditional religions. Why do we pray? To whom? How?
Why: To change our consciousness. (Not to change our circumstances, although changing our consciousness does indeed change our experience and often our circumstances.)
To whom: God/the Christ Spirit within. (Not to a powerful being up in the heavens somewhere.)
How: In whatever way works to increase your awareness of God-within. To help facilitate a regular practice, Unity suggests a 5-step process:
1. Relaxation – a release of physical and mental tension
2. Concentration – a gentle focusing of the mind
3. Meditation – entering the Silence
4. Realization – a deep inner knowing
5. Thanksgiving – feeling grateful before the answer appears in the manifest realm
Unity founder Charles Fillmore called prayer “the most accelerated mind action known.” As we say in Unity, thoughts held in mind reproduce after their kind. If we want to change our circumstances or feel closer to God (which will result in changed circumstances), we must first change our thoughts—and the feelings that go with them. Prayer is the fastest route to that change.
And don’t forget the silence (meditation). That’s where we meet our Christ Spirit. That’s where we find peace. And often guidance. It may take time. You may wobble in your commitment. Just start. Believe. Repeat. And watch for changes!
-Mary Hanson
Licensed Unity Teacher (LUT), Unity Spiritual Center of Springfield