Genuine prayer is a
state of receptivity and aspiration to the contact with supra-human
energies. Through prayer one invokes these energies and affirms the
willingness to get united with them, within one's innermost. It is a
powerful instrument, although little is known about its effectiveness.
That can be partly attributed to the fact that human beings have so far
practised prayers for their own benefit and they are mostly focused on
emotional level. A prayer that aims personal well-being or the
well-being of others is a targeted action, with human objectives and
therefore, it creates karma, while the uninterested prayer is
unconditional receptiveness, pure surrender and sincere offer to
the will of a Supreme Consciousness, which is mirrored within the will
of the inner being. It moves one's energies and elevates them to the
intuitive level or beyond. It does not engender karmic debts, nor does
it create bonds or binds him to retribution circuits. His own energies
are gathered, offered and the Cosmic Life can count upon them for its
purest manifestation.
Therefore, in prayer there is only
the boundless search for the truth. Built in inner silence, prayer is
founded on faith and vigilance. It projects itself onto the exterior
world as pacification of desires and thoughts, as well as a cessation
of superfluous actions. Even without knowing it and without conducting
anything, a person in prayer brings about transformations upon others:
one irradiates clarity and lucidity for the planetary aura. Prayer is
hence instrument of service to the world and in order to be effective
it should be born out of humility. Invisible, abnegate, it is the
cornerstone for evolutionary work.
Considering the current
condition observed on the Earth's surface, there is great need for
individuals and groups dedicated to the Plan of Evolution to take up
their role as intermediates between the light of the Hierarchy and the
planetary life, since intense transmutations are required for the
energies of the superior worlds to be able to pervade and act more
freely on concrete levels. It is possible to cultivate this state even
during external activities, by offering ourselves to whatever need
comes our way and offering the fruits of this effort to the Supreme
Consciousness. This is a way of active prayer, in which the divine
presence can be recognized in all things. Prayer leads the individual
to find out and better understand what really sustains life. However,
those who dedicate themselves to attaining higher stages of prayer, the
inner union, need to transcend the tendency to want, at the same time,
to preserve their personal affections, since these two movements may
not match.
Some recommendations inspired by the work of
St Theresa of Avila
(1515- 1582) may be useful."
