Magic Prayers

Day 24,840: Learning to Speak Out Loud

When you first enter into a relationship, experts remind you to let your partner know what you’re thinking. “None of us are mind readers,” these wise counselors will say. Now, spiritualists are saying the same thing suggesting adopting Magic Prayers, the ones you speak out loud so your better angels can be called to duty. Who knew? Angels aren’t mind readers either!

I was never a fan of prayer, at least the way it was presented in early trainings. It felt whiney. Meanwhile, I would caution people to be careful what they asked for, because the Universe is always listening and has a peculiar way of giving you what you want in way you may never have imagined.

The Affirmation Prayer

Recently, I came across a new approach to prayer that uses an affirmative style. The writer recommended we pray with intention, affirming things we can envision rather than wishful thinking prayers. It’s a subtle difference in style that assumes some self-reliance in asking for support rather than rescue. It is a way of putting intention out into the world. It’s a rallying cry and belief in optimism.

Flying My Flag

Recently, I have been overwhelmed by Trump supporters flying their flags. They are being very public about their desires and intentions. I can feel cowed (their intention), or I can create a different reality for myself. I’ve never been a flag flyer, but I’m learning that I need to be more vocal, more expressive, and need to speak my truth more out loud. This doesn’t mean I need to be confrontational. I just need to be courageous enough to speak up.

Related Post: Flags and Protests on the Water

In most congregations, prayers are spoken out loud within the community. Choirs sing, congregants do readings, religious leaders ask for responsive readings. These elements might just be good engagement tools, but they also create an environment for us to say things out loud more courageously in the company of others. It allows us to put our voices together to create a higher energy and intention.

I’m not ready to go back to formal religious services, but I’m working on slowly speaking out loud. When no one I know is listening, I have started to say my prayers out loud, first for my family but more recently for the world. Lately, I’ve gotten bigger and bolder in my verbal prayers:

I see the U.S. living up to its vision and promise.

And that each of us can recognize ourselves as part of the same earth community and welcome our diversity and differences as interesting and expansive.

I pray that we have truly progressed from times past and can now start to see ourselves in each other rather than seeing each of ourselves as “others.”

I’m still working on how best to express myself particularly in an election year. I see a generic yard sign in my future about hope and positive thinking. Meanwhile, a friend of mind shared this prayer written by Ellen Quaadgras from the Unitarian Universalist Association . Feel free to read it out loud.

https://www.uua.org/worship/words/prayer/prayer-white-people

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