Archive for Prayer
Defining Moments
Posted by: | CommentsThis was a week of defining moments, not only for me personally, but collectively.
Defining moments come suddenly, unexpectedly. They divert the course you were on. They require attention, awareness, and reflection.
And they demand change.
I won’t get into all the personal defining moments, except to say that they were several, and some were pleasant, some not at all pleasant. I share a couple of them below.
Both the collective and personal defining moments sparked tremendous grief. And, also, oddly, a sense of hope.
As you might have guessed, the collective grief I refer to has to do with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, whom I didn’t follow much but am familiar with.
From those who knew him, even if they disagreed with him, you get the picture of someone who spoke about faith, conservative values, and whose passion was that there would be vigorous debate and freedom of speech.
He was committed to encouraging a generation of young people to really think, and he was respectful and courteous to those he disagreed with. In fact, he told those who disagreed with him to get to the head of the line to interact with him on his campus debate tours.
When I first heard the news of the shooting on Wednesday, the first words that came to me were, “And so it begins.” I do not know where that came from or what it means.
I also remembered the parable found in the Gospel of John (John 12:24), where Jesus explains that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
When I saw the video Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, released just two days after his murder, I was moved to tears and wondered if—and prayed that—this seemingly senseless death would be the seed from which God would bring some good. “Much fruit.”
One of the sources of grief is not only the fact that a talented, good man and father of two young children was gunned down in cold blood, but the media insinuations by some that “he had it coming.”
To anyone who feels that way, I would ask, as Charlie might, “Where is that coming from? Did you actually view any of the videos of his interactions with those who disagreed with him? Or are you going by what people said about him?”
Whenever I hear someone being vilified, I always go back to the source and look at/listen to what the person actually said. Often words are taken out of context and spun along the lines of a person’s ideology. When they are spun with hate mixed in, I immediately know it’s evil.
I was grieving over all this as I drove to my dentist’s office, who graciously agreed to see me for a very strange dental emergency that arose last night. Suddenly in the car, I felt the presence of Jesus. His presence brought a peace I rarely ever feel, not even in prayer or church.
I asked him, “Why are you so peaceful? Here I am, feeling so sorrowful, and you come with peace?”
I felt him smile gently and confidently, and say, “I’m peaceful because I know what I’ve done [I knew he was referring to the cross and his resurrection], and what I am doing.”
He added, “And I give you my peace.” (See John 14:17.)
One of the other personal defining moments from this week was a therapy session in which I learned how to hold both the troubling emotions and the strengthening emotions and truths together.
Both the grief and the hope are true and valid. We need to hold them together, because that’s the world we live in. There is evil, and we need to face that.
There is also hope.
My hope is in what Jesus told me today: that he conquered sin (evil) on the cross, and that he is now in the process of undoing that evil as he spreads his light in this world, largely through the believers in which he lives by the Holy Spirit, to “expose and thwart evil, reveal truth, and guide our feet in the paths of peace.”
You and I can be part of that light. Jesus said we who follow him are the light of the world. Charlie Kirk unabashedly shone that light brightly. He knew there could be a terrible cost. He pressed on anyway.
We too can and must be—must be—lights that push back the darkness.
That is why every single day I pray the prayer below that every week I include in my Healing Heart Issues Digest newsletter.
I hope you will too.
Let this be the defining moment when we each commit to the true Light, and to being clear reflections of that Light.
[FAQ] When/Why To Do The Prayer Of Intention?
Posted by: | CommentsA reader had an important question that can affect your results from the Healing Codes, so I thought I’d address the answer to everyone.
Q: I have a question concerning doing the Healing Code, particularly about the prayer of intention: Do we say this prayer every time before doing the code, or say it just once?
For example, if I have a complicated health problem, working on it with the Healing Code might take months every day. Would it be enough to say this prayer just once? I would like to do it correctly.
I also cannot find any similar feeling or memory from my past, so I do the code without it.
Thank you very much for your time creating these emails, they are very inspiring!!
Have a great day!
–Michaela Chrdlova, Czech Republic
My answer:
It’s best to say the prayer of intention every time you do a Healing Code. Setting your intention tells your heart what to focus on. You don’t have to dwell on it or relive it, just note the feeling, belief, or memory.
As for the memory (or lack thereof), it is OK not to include it if nothing comes to mind. However, it can be quite helpful to connect with the feeling (e.g. how you feel about your health condition and how complicated it is), and then see if you can tune in to a sensation in your body that comes up with that feeling.
Connecting with the body in this way may help you connect with earlier, unconscious memories. Note that this may take some practice. If you have trauma in your life (and lack of memories can be a big clue that you have, often from a very young age), it’s common to disconnect from the body. Just get curious and nonjudgmental about any sensation that comes up. When the heart perceives it’s safe to connect with the body, you can then feel the sensations. Be patient and gentle with yourself.
Next, if you can feel any sensations, ask yourself when you might have felt that sensation before. Again, nothing may come up. Or, a memory or perhaps a period of your life may come to mind. Perhaps it’s a vague sense that something happened when you were two. Don’t question or analyze it. If anything comes up, even if you don’t understand it, put it in the prayer of intention.
Doing the Healing Code this way, you may come up with different feelings surrounding your physical issue each time you do the code. That’s another reason to include the prayer of intention each time. Your heart will reveal and unravel what you are ready to heal as you go. There is tremendous intelligence in the body. As we learn to tap into it, healing is enhanced and sped up.
Here is a sample prayer of intention:
Heavenly Father, please find, open and heal the source of any disease or dysfunction in my spirit, soul and body [can add, “especially ____” and name the physical issue(s)], with any connection to [insert heart issue, i.e. negative feeling, belief, harmful action such as unforgiveness), from [insert any memory if you have any, or just say “the source memory”]. Please restore everything to your original, intended design by replacing all negatives with your love, life, and light. Please also magnify the effectiveness of this healing to the maximum level for my highest good, at an optional pace. Thank you, Lord, for your willingness and ability to do all these things.
This prayer may be a little wordy, but every word is actually very intentional and important, at least in my opinion and experience. Without going into the weeds about quantum physics, the idea is that when we focus our attention on something, it tends to manifest. (I say “tends” because everything is under the sovereign will of God. He may have something even better for you, beyond all you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21)).
Please don’t be discouraged about needing to do the Healing Code every day. It took years to develop your issues. It won’t likely take that long to heal them, but it does take time and most of all, CONSISTENCY. Keep at it even if you don’t see results for a while. Much healing goes on below the surface.
The Healing Code is more like taking Vitamin C every day to maintain good health than an antibiotic you take for a few days to knock out an infection. Again, consistency is the key. Find a good time in the day when you can set aside at least 6 minutes, twice a day, to do the Healing Code.
It should be a pleasant experience, for when you do the pointing you want to be focused on something very positive: a peaceful memory, place, or Truth Focus Statement you resonate with. Being in such a positive mental state sends positive energy signals through your fingers to the healing centers (the code positions), which work to cancel out the negative energy of the thing you’re trying to heal. This frees energy in the body to get to work on healing what it in its wisdom knows needs to be healed next.
I hope this helps you get more out of the Healing Code for your issue. And remember: the Healing Code only addresses the “heart issues,” not physical issues directly. As such, it is no substitute for medical care, but rather and adjunct that addresses the true source of any issue, whether it manifests emotionally, relationally, spiritually, or physically. The physical healing often, though not always, comes last. It all depends on how many underlying heart issues need to be addressed, which is why consistency is so key.
Related Articles:
“But I Could Be Wrong.”
Posted by: | CommentsHow do you feel when you hear someone expressing a strong opinion about something, especially when you have an opposite viewpoint?
Do your defenses go up? Do you find yourself wanting to debate, to persuade the other person to a different point of view? Do you feel a little annoyed by their tone of certainty about a subject you know has many nuances?
What if the person then said, reflectively, “But I could be wrong”?
We live in a time when many people seem so certain of their positions, and are unwilling to even entertain the possibility that “I could be wrong.”
How refreshing would it be if more of us would hold our opinions lightly, recognizing that “I could be wrong” and being receptive to more information that may change the mind?
Photo by Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / The National Library of Wales
It used to be (I’m old enough to remember) that in the media, journalists saw their job as inviting debate from a variety of viewpoints, so that people could become truly educated and make up their own minds.
Same was true in higher education. Being exposed to different viewpoints was the whole point of education. Not anymore.
When exactly all that went by the wayside, I’m not sure, but it’s been quite a while.
I love it when I hear someone in the media posit some viewpoint or prediction, and add, “But I could be wrong.” There’s a humility about that which I appreciate—all the more because it’s so rare.
Are you willing to admit that you could be wrong about something you have heretofore felt strongly about? Are you willing to entertain new information that may lead you to learn something new?
Or even, God forbid, change your mind?
This seems like a good time to be open to the possibility.
It might even bring peace where you didn’t think peace was possible.
Politics, Evil, Discernment, Grace, And Prayer
Posted by: | CommentsIn my last blog, I talked about former President Donald Trump’s close brush with an assassin’s bullet being a miracle. An answer to the prayer that evil will be thwarted.
Photo by Ben White
One reader objected. She wrote, in part:
“It hurts my heart to hear people say that somehow God spared Trump. Especially people I have respected like yourself.
“Any assassination attempt is reprehensible.
“I don’t condone violence of any kind.
“I guess if Trump had been killed things could have gone out of control because a group of his violent-leaning followers would have probably tried to incite a civil war.
“And we were spared that.
“I hope that’s what you mean when you talk about a miracle.
“But the man who lost his life – should not have lost his life.
“Access to guns by troubled people is way too easy in this country.
“We have lost too many beautiful children in schools because of gun violence. Why were those beautiful souls not spared?
“. . . Trump was just lucky.”
She then went on to express her thoughts about Donald Trump.
Here’s what I answered: Read More→
Were You Part Of This Miracle?
Posted by: | CommentsEvery week, I include in my newsletter my exhortation to “be a light and push back the darkness.” I give you a prayer. I know many of you have joined me in praying that prayer.
I add a couple more words to what is in the image. I pray, “Dear God, shine your light into this dark world, to expose and thwart evil, reveal truth, and guide our feet in the paths of peace.”
Last week, I believe we saw evidence of God answering that prayer as former President Donald Trump’s life was spared when he turned his head just enough, and just in time, for the bullet to only graze his ear rather than hit the bulls-eye of his head.
Many are calling it “a miracle” or “Providence.”
I call it an answer to people’s prayers. Perhaps yours.
Whatever your political views are, if you’re a follower of Christ you should be seeking peace, and praying for our leaders, as the Bible commands. We partner with God’s work in the world through our prayers. Read More→
Call for Prayer for Victims of War
Posted by: | CommentsThe Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 are shocking and horrific, and now is the time, more than ever, to pray the prayer below.
The most disturbing thing to me was the report that people around the world were rejoicing over the killing of innocent people, the raping and kidnapping of women, children, and the elderly. Hamas was sending out videos of the atrocities they were committing, as if they are proud of it. The Nazis at least tried to hide it.
It also seems that the terrorists care nothing about the citizens of Palestine, either. They are quite willing to sacrifice them, too. Israel had always gone to great lengths to protect civilians when they were about to attack. (Note: Please don’t click on the link above unless you don’t believe me. If you’re sensitive, don’t click on it. Just trust me.)
Who rejoices over destruction, death, and suffering? Only those sold out to evil. Those who actually believe they are pleasing God by acts of atrocity. (What kind of god, you may ask, would encourage such a thing?)
Who protects and defends the innocent? Only those who value life. (The Israelis have always done everything they can to warn Palestinian civilians to evacuate before they bomb. Hamas hides their headquarters and military assets behind or under mosques, hospitals, schools. Hamas tells their citizens not to leave their buildings.)
As Ben Shapiro points out in this podcast explaining why he’s showing pictures of the atrocities, the terrorists don’t think like you do. They do not have the same values.
It seems to not be fashionable to call something or someone evil. But what else would you call it? “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20) I will call it what it is.
And I will hate it. In the scriptures, it says to hate evil. Not evil people–we pray for them as our enemies–but evil itself. And we do what we can to eradicate it, if necessary.
The desire to enslave or destroy the Jews entirely has reared its ugly head since the days of Moses. Yet God has never allowed that to happen, and he never will, if you believe the Bible (and history).
Perhaps not coincidentally, this very week I have been reading the Book of Esther in my regular two-year Bible reading plan. It is one of my favorite books of the Old Testament, and it’s quite timely now. The poetic justice in this story is very sweet. (I pray, “Do it again, God! Do it again. Deliver your people yet again.”)
(Interesting note: in Esther, Haman was the enemy that tried to destroy the Jews. Now it’s Hamas. One letter different.)
Prayer is a big part of spiritual victory of any kind. So pray the prayer below. Pray it often, pray it from the heart. You will be doing something important.
We are not battling against flesh and blood, ultimately (Ephesians 6:12).
This is a spiritual war, fought with spiritual weapons, which are more powerful than any earthly artillery.
Don’t forget . . .
Be a light and push back the darkness!
(Have you been paying attention to how God is answering this prayer? That’s how I read the news now….)
Aligned Decision Making
Posted by: | CommentsI recently faced a big decision.
It was one that would affect me, my family, and many other people—for years to come. I felt I had to get it right.
Of course I prayed for wisdom and guidance.
I started working through a grid called the OOVL Decision-Making Guide, which guides you in thinking through options, desired outcomes, how much you value each outcome, and the likelihood that each option would achieve your desired outcome.
It was helpful.
But . . .
The problem was, I didn’t know how likely it was that the desired outcome would happen, in most of the cases.
Or, it came down to a trade-off: more likely in the short term, but not the long term. Or vice versa.
And then came this question to my spirit: Which option requires the most faith? Read More→
The Science of Prayer
Posted by: | CommentsDo you pray? Have you seen some pretty amazing answers to prayer?
I have. Prayer is a big part of my life. I’ve always known it works (though I don’t get everything exactly as I pray for), but the scientist in me always wondered if there is an explanation for how it works that’s outside of religion.
And perhaps there is. It’s all connected to the quantum field.
What’s the quantum field?
A quantum field is a theoretical concept that helps us understand how particles behave at the smallest scales in the universe. Imagine that the universe is like a giant, constantly shifting, vibrating fabric. This fabric is made up of tiny units of energy called particles (the threads, as it were), and each type of particle has its own unique energy field.
Quantum fields are the mathematical description of these energy fields, which fill all of space and time. They are constantly fluctuating and interacting with one another, creating particles that come into existence and then disappear again. It’s all about energy and information. What looks to be matter, is really energy vibrating at a low enough rate that we can perceive it with the senses.
The fascinating thing about these particles is that they do not exist in a definite state until they are observed or measured. Instead, they exist in a state of superposition, which means that they can be in multiple states at once.
This reminds me of some words that dropped into my mind out of nowhere one day: “All perspectives exist in the quantum field. Choose the perspective that leads to gratitude, joy, and peace.”
When we pray, we put out attention on a particular outcome, which already exists in the quantum field as a potentiality. Our very prayer (observation) allows that particle to “manifest” in the physical world.
Then there is the idea of quantum entanglement.
In quantum entanglement, two energy “particles” interact with each other, and there is a full download of information. They become “entangled,” so that each “particle” instantaneously possesses the same energy information as the other, and both experience the same state.
This is mentioned in The Healing Code, referencing an experiment where two strangers met briefly, then were put in Faraday cages (through which no outside electromagnetic energy can pass). The experimenters found that when they shined a light in the eyes of one of the men, the pupils of the other man constricted just as if the light were shining in his eyes at that moment, though he was in that Faraday cage some distance away and no light was actually being shined in his eyes.
That’s the thing about quantum entanglement: distance and time mean nothing. It appears to violate the laws of classical physics, which dictate that information cannot travel faster than the speed of light. In the case of entangled particles, information seems to be transmitted instantly, regardless of the distance between them.
Let’s translate all this to prayer. If God is the creator of this quantum field, and exists within and outside of it as well (I don’t think God is the quantum field itself, but he created it and sustains it), and everything is energy, we too are energy. We are electrical beings, and we can interact on many different levels both with each other, and with God.
Prayer is interaction on this non-physical, energetic level. We can get “entangled” with a certain desire that we present to God, uniting our intention with God’s, and that makes things happen in the physical world, which is just a certain manifestation of energy.
Of course, God always has veto power. He is in charge of what gets manifested: only that which is His sovereign will, governed by His love and infinite wisdom. (Thank God for that!)
We can also get “entangled” with another person and their need, and present that to God.
Important to note about prayer: it must be activated by a certain kind of energy, namely faith.
When Jesus healed on earth, he almost always linked it to faith: “Your faith has made you well.” The person believed that Jesus could heal, or at least that he might, and that was all that Jesus needed.
Remember the man who asked Jesus to heal his demonized son, and said to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief”? (Mark 9:24) Jesus said we only need faith the size of a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds, but if we plant it in the soil of God’s power, that’s enough to “move mountains.”
I love that science is now “explaining” things that were revealed thousands of years ago in religion. You don’t have to know how to build a highway to drive on it, but you do have to know a few rules of the highway to use it effectively and safely. We don’t need science to explain prayer in order to pray, but it’s wonderful to know that science supports what we already knew from spiritual teachings.
All truth is God’s truth, after all. True science always reveals something more of God’s ways.
If this topic interests you and you want to know more, I think you’ll really like the book, Quantum Glory: The Science of Heaven Invading Earth by Phil Mason. It presents the science of quantum physics in the light of Scripture. I kept having to put it down to take in the wonder of it all, and give thanks and praise to the Creator who set things up so amazingly.
Hidden Stressors-Part Four-toxins
Posted by: | CommentsIn this series on hidden stressors, I’ve mostly focused on the emotional aspects.
For many of us, this is the kind of stress that’s easiest to hide, especially if we’ve grown up with Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN), or are high on the sensitivity spectrum.
Another reason I’ve focused on the emotional, is emotional issues can predispose us to being more vulnerable to yet another hidden source of stress: toxins.
All of us are subject to this hidden physical stress.
Toxins lurk in our food, water, air, cosmetics, household cleaners, even fabrics.
They also lurk in the energy around us, in the form of electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and dirty electricity.
I don’t think I have to go into detail about all this. No doubt you’re aware of it, and may feel a little helpless about what to do about it all.
However, we are not helpless at all. There is one main thing we can do to keep healthy, and that is to focus on the immune and nervous systems. Read More→
Pray for Haiti’s Dire Situation
Posted by: | CommentsEver since I graduated as an undergrad in 1978, I have sponsored a child through Compassion International.
Marie Michel, Haiti, age 9
I am now on my fifth child, Marie Michel, who is now 9 years old.
(I had the privilege of meeting my then-current child in Haiti in 1990. It was an unforgettable experience. It broke my heart to witness firsthand the poverty of the people, and to see that my child was sick. Yet, the courage and commitment of the Compassion workers totally inspired me. THEY were not depressed like I was by the circumstances.)
I just got the following update from Compassion, and ask that you would pray along with me and others for this desperate situation. (If you feel led, please also give to the relief fund.) We need God to shine His light of mercy here!
What to pray for Marie Michel
Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Haiti as they face a dire situation. Fuel subsidies have ended and caused major price increases. Many are protesting this in Haiti’s major cities, leading to violence, looting and blocked streets. Street blockages are causing banks and business to close — and preventing water and basic necessities from reaching those who need them most. As the situation worsens, families are forced to shelter in their homes to avoid the increasing violence. This grim situation follows a year of painful events for the people of Haiti, including a devastating earthquake and intense inflation.
Over half of Compassion’s Frontline Church Partners in Haiti are in areas reporting unrest. To keep children and staff safe, programing is paused, and staff members are reaching out to children and families over the phone to assist in any way they can. We hope to get children back into child development centers as soon as it is safe.
I know that hearing about the unrest and shortages in Haiti may weigh heavily on your heart. Would you join us in prayer? We ask you to pray with us for:
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Protection for children and families living in areas of unrest.
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Quick aid, including water, to be delivered to those who need it most.
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Safety for Compassion staff as they assess and help.
Thank you for your commitment to praying for and ministering to children in poverty.
In Christ,
Steven Marble
Senior Director, Supporter Care
Compassion International
P.S. Will you prayerfully consider giving to the Disaster Relief Fund to help children and families in Haiti during this difficult time?
