Salt and Light
Bible Verse & Affirmation for November
Why Tell God Anything When He Knows Everything?
Why Offer God Anything, When He Has Everything?
Truth is one and eternal. Realize oneness with it in your deathless Self, within.
The following commentary is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.
Jesus Christ teaches as the ideal prayer one that addresses very human demands to God: “Give us this day our daily bread,” “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” and, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Jesus himself says, just before suggesting this prayer, “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Why, then, his recommendation that we pray for anything? The answer is that we should offer ourselves up in acceptance of His abundance. Don’t pester God, as though pulling constantly on His sleeve to get His attention. Approach Him with the confidence of a child in its parent. And in that spirit, then, ask Him lovingly, but with complete trust, as though demanding your birthright, and without the slightest doubt in your mind that He wants only your best. For you don’t have to persuade Him, the way a beggar or a stranger might. You are His own child.
God knows everything already. He knows what is in your heart. It is you who need to clarify your feelings, that you attune yourself to Him in turn more clearly. For only by such clarity will you be able to receive perfectly what He gives you.
For the same reason, we need to offer ourselves to Him not because He needs anything from us (except, as Yogananda said, our love, to complete His love for us), but because by self-giving we expand our awareness from its confinement in the little ego, outward to infinity.
“Those who partake of the nectar remaining after a sacrifice,” says the Bhagavad Gita in the fourth Chapter, “attain to the Infinite Spirit. That person, however, who makes no sacrifices never truly succeeds in enjoying even the blessings of this material world; how, then, could he attain happiness in subtler realms?”
Thus, through holy Scripture, God has spoken to mankind.
Whispers From Eternity
98. Demand that God respond
Today, Father, Thou hast come into my temple. With Thy coming all the lights of my sense-servants have sprung to life and the door of my heart has been opened wide. Thy blessing has driven away the darkness of ages, sending its heavy vapors fleeing at the first glimpse of Thy approach. The loud-beating drums of my craving announced Thy manifestation. The incense of devotion, rising from the incensor of my soul, wafts upward to Thee. Oh, bless me always! Respond to me whenever I call to Thee.
Paramhansa Yogananda
Inspiration from the Rays of One Light
Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
Matthew 6:8
We will take these meaningful words into our meditation together for deep reflection and contemplation. But firstly, we will listen to the beautiful Psalm of David, sung by Mary Kretzmann.
Psalm of David
Listen to the Psalm of David
Reflect, Meditate and Listen to Instrumental Music
Reflection from the Rays of the One Light
Peace Sangha,
This week, I was moved by the words of Matthew 6:8 from Rays of the One Light.
“Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
These words inspired me to create a poem called “Before we Speak”.
Before we Speak
Before we speak
Father you know our hearts
You know our tears before they start
Each silent prayer
Each hidden trial
You know them all
You hold us so lovingly
Guiding us to rest and be at peace
Letting worry fade and striving cease
God the Supreme Knower of all
You know what we are going through
Keep holding us in a love
That is ever true
Aum Peace Amen
