Praying for Peace

When called to write a column for his church's periodical, my friend asked if I had any thoughts on praying in response to terrorism. Applying prayer to our own lives can often be confusing - it becomes much more so when we hope to use it in any meaningful way to affect global events. Still, many of us wish to participate in this manner: how can we make our efforts more effective?

Faith is the active demonstration of our belief: prayer should reflect this. If we believe in universal laws such as "ask and you shall receive," or that God provides for our needs before we know of them, then our supplications should be expressions of gratitude rather than requests. We enter the flow rather than attempting to direct its course.

Obvious, though, is that there is more to the process: if the situation were this simple the medical efficacy of prayer would be well documented - it is not. Rather, it seems many people can pray for something over time and it still not happen. Is the problem that prayer does not work, or that we are confused about its purpose?

Our Creator is a divine parent, a portion of whom resides in our minds: we are all family and expected to love one another. While our own children may ask for many things, the wise mother lovingly only gives them what is appropriate for their level of development - and never is preference given to one child over another. With God, it is the same.

If we have prayed to our Creator to bring our world peace - and this has not happened - then it is because we are not ready to live that way. As the freedom that comes with adulthood requires us to mature first, so will the joy of living in a world without war. This growth requires our participation: we must want to transcend our animal origins and assume our spiritual heritage.

Just because someone wishes for peace does not mean they can live peacefully. To do so requires them to put their animosities aside, forgive those who have harmed them, and relinquish every vestige of ego in their desire to serve others. Peace is a result, not the cause, of love-based action.

This is a choice to evolve: a process. Spiritual progression requires intention - never do we advance outside of our own efforts. Peace cannot be given to us, made to happen by force, or occur magically because it has been prophesied: we have to earn it, person by person, one decision at a time.

Prayer plays an important part - not to grant that beyond us, but to help us grow into that higher state of being. Thanking our Creator for guiding our world's leaders, for comforting those in hardship, and for forgiving people who kill in God's name helps us to release our ego: we practice selflessness.

This is the key to humanity's evolution and the ultimate requirement for peace. Our greatest responsibility is to use prayer to express our wholehearted gratitude for guidance in transforming ourselves into better people - those who base decisions out of love, not fear. Working on our own conduct first - becoming souls who radiate the love of God - is our most effective use of communion with Deity, and gives our world its greatest chance for peace.

Robert A. Kezer
God Refined: A Proposal for Peace
http://stores.lulu.com/bobkezer