Course VIII - Teaching 12: A Way of Praying

The habit of prayer is extremely difficult when usually our soul is troubled and our mind upset.
So, sometimes we feel that this exercise is in conflict with our attitudes and that we never will practice it properly, and this produces great disappointment and despondency. Even the soul deems itself unworthy of the spiritual path when cannot practice the exercise of prayer.
This is totally wrong.
Our soul is made for elevation, sublimation and spiritualization, but necessarily its elevation needs a support, a spontaneous way out.
Above all, to pray means to think, imagine and fantasize.
We should not force ourselves for something exactly determined that we find difficult, but simply we have to get used to think about it most times we can during the day.
Think about general images, for instance: about the infinite light emanating from the Divine Mother, or about an ocean of blood flowing from Her heart. Imagine a boundless blue sky, or vast snowy mountains. Feel all this covered by a divine light, or imagine the Mother’s blood like a great ocean where She fades away.
If your soul finds these abstract images impossible, think about something more clearly defined. Think about the Divine Mother, not as an abstract and absent being, but as a living and loving woman at your side. Adorn her with beauty and perfection of any kind, which you would wish for your beloved. Or imagine Christ, like a liberating Messiah, the one that will come to liberate your soul from chains of bondage. Think about Christ’s physical beauty, moral gifts and spiritual force.
Even you can afford fantasy of any sort about these images, and not only during the time fixed for your meditation, but also all day long.
Once your soul gets used to think about something related to prayer, you will intensely desire to think about your love and about your likes and wishes, and to talk to those images that you have forged, by requesting their assistance, trusting them your secrets, and giving ear to their responses. You should not get tired of looking and calling because the Divine Mother will meet your desires and yearnings.
Even if you are unable to think about these images at least now and then, this should neither discourage you nor make you believe that you ignore how to pray.
Whatsoever thought arises in your imagination –even the most varied and material– becomes a prayer if your soul looks at it, analyses it and really appraises it.
If even this is impossible, do not believe that you do not pray.
Right intention and inner fidelity are also prayer –they keep you on the Good Way.