It's me, mike hillebrecht

Can world events change a revelation about God’s character? In this final installment to a series of articles where I’ve been briefly examining history and how the American Revolution restored the gospel of grace to the world I’m going to uncover the deception we’ve been living under through our ignorance.

A Revelation Withheld

Even in the aftermath of a successful revolution, the traditions of man still have made the word of God ineffectual (Mat 15:6) and compromised the message of grace to align with man-made beliefs. Consider the previous statement of grace in light of a new paradigm based on a revolution over the kingdoms of man.

Grace(1) is the unmerited favor(2) of God. It is His undeserved(3) love(4), mercy(5), and kindness(6) that He gives(7) to us freely. It is a gift(8) from God that we cannot earn or deserve(9).

1. Grace is represented here as the animating power of God love which springs from His throne by every word which comes from His mouth. (Heb 4:16)
2. Favor is a characteristic from the ancient Greek meaning of “charis” which is transcribed as the word “grace” in the bible. In the kingdoms of man, favors from the king were always given as a matter of merit to the king and subsequently bound those who received the favor with their full allegiance to the king.
3. This word modifies the nature of the words which follow. It demonstrates bias. See item 9 as to how this is addressed.
4. Love is not undeserved if the character of God is love (1 John 4:8)
5. The question which must be asked is if whether mercy can ever be undeserved? Mercy is a legal remedy to a justice system based on good and evil. In a kingdom functioning solely on grace, compassion, not mercy is the remedy to all circumstances and it is always deserved.
6. As with love and mercy, can kindness be undeserved? Kindness in this depiction can be seen as being able to be withheld. Kindness under the movement of grace can never be withheld and is rather a manifestation of grace in action.
7. Grace is giving – period. It is always in operation.
8. In ancient Greek thinking gifts were always associated with the nature of grace. “Reciprocal giving” best describes how the Greeks understood charis.
9. “Earn or deserve” are characteristics of man-made kingdoms. God as a Creator who is Love can never withhold His Love from anything, for once He does, all creation ceases to exist. God is impartial to all; hence we all deserve His grace, which comes without measure, simply by being a product of his Love.

Hopefully you can see how these positions are often missing in any discussion on the grace of God. Some could claim how this lack might be intentional in order to maintain control over the ignorant, however, I am more likely to accept how traditions have been handed down without considering their validity to reality. It is easy to follow the crowd of generations past. A revolution however shook the very foundation of those generations. It created a new footing, a surer foundation based upon truth from a divine realm which hasn’t shifted through the wiles of man.

While we have been inundated by professions of belief in all things relating to God, it is the kingdom of grace which has been most frequently hidden like the pearl of great price. While it has surrounded us throughout all time, and was spoken frequently of during the time of Jesus, it has only been clearly revealed through the refining fire of a great revolution. We must remain committed to keeping this truth from being compromised by powers which seek to re-establish dominance through a select few while ushering in a new religion devoid of God and devoted to ignorance for all.

Revolution Refines a Revelation – Introduction

Revolution Refines a Revelation – Part 2

Revolution Refines a Revelation – Part 3

Can world events change a revelation about God’s character? In this series of articles I’m briefly examining history and how the American Revolution restored the gospel of grace to the world.

The Kingdom Message of The Church

I need you to recognize how at this moment, as you read this article, you are only able to do so because of events which happened within the founding of this nation. For all that I have expressed so far, the majority of people (99.5%) in those experiences could neither read nor write. The letters the Apostle Paul wrote to the churches he founded, were often written by another in the language of those people and then read to those churches. It was extremely rare to find an individual who was capable of reading and writing in the native language. This is why Jesus proclaimed that direct revelation would be the basis for his church. People couldn’t read about the church of Jesus from the writings of an expert. They had to believe that God would reveal it to them.

As noble a thought of direct revelation from God might appear to the masses it was corrupted by the dealing of a State apparatus seeking to retain and strength the power over the populace. Hence, any language expressed about the nature of a heavenly kingdom would be framed in expressions which supported the present conditions familiar to the people. There is no inherit difference with the nature of a human king or a divine king when you mention how grace is the unmerited favor of the monarch. Since kingdoms are defined by their conquests, there is no difference whether it is a neighboring realm or the realm of darkness. The Church merely became an intermediary to the nature of kingdom influence by employing divine linguistics as a mediating tool to the masses.

The Kingdom Message by Revolution

Up until the American Revolution the message of the Kingdom of Heaven changed very little except to instill greater penalties upon the fallen human condition before an all-powerful deity. The mention of grace was uniquely offered to only those who were the worst of the worst (according to the dictates of The Church) and solely with a contrite heart towards the kingdom’s premise. The following description has been a common depiction of what grace is:

Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It is His undeserved love, mercy, and kindness that He gives to us freely. It is a gift from God that we cannot earn or deserve.

This is more than likely how you have understood grace for your entire life. However, this description is bound to the construct of all man-made kingdoms. When the American Revolution occurred, the true nature of a heavenly kingdom became apparent to those who had eyes to see and ears to hear. Thomas Jefferson penned a heroic claim in the Declaration of Independence which many today simply do not comprehend:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Never in the course of human history had mankind ever been recognized as being equal in position or stature with others. Nor had any rights been recognized as assigned by the Creator upon all humanity. In every instance prior to the revolution, kings, emperors, dictators, and rulers had direct control upon the condition of their subjects. The difference in classes was most prominent within the kingdoms of the world. If you weren’t the ruler, all cowered to the power the sovereign held over them. That power determined the issues of life, liberty, and happiness upon all. To be “in the good graces” of the king made life bearable, while “being out of the good graces” of the king put a bounty on your head, and possibly your entire family.

The Declaration of Independence redefined what it meant to be in relationship to God. God as Creator shifted the focus of mankind to the effect He holds on the entire world rather than just a small portion of it. “Unmerited favor,” “mercy,” “gift which isn’t earned or deserved” became terms unbridled to the bounds of the character of a few select men and their institutions.

Revolution Refines a Revelation – Introduction

Revolution Refines a Revelation – Part 2

Can world events change a revelation about God’s character? In this series of articles I’m briefly examining history and how the American Revolution restored the gospel of grace to the world.

Quelling the Masses

Riots, revolts, and rebellions are the tools to liberation. However, they are also the nightmares of every ruler. Keeping people pacified has been the top priority for every nobleman throughout history. Some were better at it than others.

One of the means to appeasing the hearts of the minions was found in their devotion to their gods. As long as you permitted people to worship their god in the manner their customs dictated, the people were more supple in how you could repress them.

When the governing body adhered to a particular religious devotion, the State claimed divine authority in all its actions. States then began to incorporate themselves into the rituals of devotees to secure their dominion over the people while professing their allegiance to a supreme deity.

From church to The Church

During the Roman Empire, all the people of the conquered lands were allowed to worship their own god so long as they recognized the divine nature of the emperor. In the land of Judea where the Hebrew people worshipped YAWEH there arose the man Jesus of Nazareth who spoke of another kingdom – a kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom of his Father.

On a particular journey into the countryside around Caesarea Philippi with his disciples, Jesus asked them who they thought he was. When Simon said that he was, ”…the Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus declared,

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (18) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Mat 16:17-18)

The writer of this gospel has Jesus using the Greek word “ekklesia” for “church.” This word roughly translated means “the called-out ones.” Its origin within Greek society had to do with the nobles and freemen of the individual Greek states who were called out to administrate the civil rules of the land. According to Jesus his “called-out ones,” the freemen and nobles of his kingdom who had received a direct revelation from the Father about who Jesus truly is, would be responsible for administrating the civil laws of the land.

Sidebar: The “gates of hell” in this passage is literal. There is in this area of Caesarea Philippi a cave dedicated as a Roman temple to the god Pan. This temple was founded by a Roman decree against the wishes of the Hebrew people. The inhabitants of the area called it The Gates of Hell. It was believed by the Romans who traveled the road alongside the temple that Pan would during the daytime enter the cave and descend to the underworld and come out during the night and spread havoc throughout the land. People would come and present offerings at the cave to subdue Pan’s lust as he made his exit and thereby diminish his reign of terror in the night.

During his ministry on earth, Jesus proclaimed the goodness of his kingdom to multitudes of people, Jews and Gentiles alike. Those who heard it directly from him took this to their homes and relayed with enthusiasm the message of hope and grace to all who would listen. After his crucifixion, the disciples carried the message far and wide. However, it was a message which came into conflict with the Romans.

Since the followers of the message could not be recognized as an official religion by the Roman authorities, the believers of Jesus’s church had to hide their worship from the occupiers as well as the Jewish religious system. Yet, the church grew across the Roman Empire, even into the capital of Rome where the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter would be imprisoned and executed.

Over the next 400 years, the believers of Jesus’s church were persecuted greatly. It wasn’t until the Roman emperor Constantine converted to the new Christian faith that the torment stopped. Almost overnight it seemed that the church of Jesus became The Church, official religious institution of an evolving empire. The Church gained status, prestige and wealth enough to be seen as a kingdom itself, one that could make or break the power structures of dynasties. Some men of learning within The Church would study the holy writings of their faith and pass on the message they discovered to the humble people they were surrounded by as a means to encourage them in their daily plight.

Revolution Refines a Revelation – Introduction

Can world events change a revelation about God’s character? In this series of articles you’ll have an opportunity to examine history and how the American Revolution restored the gospel of grace to the world.

Introduction

When John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman handed the Declaration of Independence to the members of the Continental Congress in 1776, the revolution which followed not only changed the colonies into a nation, it also impacted how scripture would be revealed to the populace. Freedom from a tyrant King now became a means to worship an eternal King in spirit and in truth. But what truth am I talking about? The truth about the grace of God and not the grace from a king or lord.

Would History Prevail

From the beginnings of human civilization all people groups have been ruled over by kings, queens, pharaohs, sultans, emperors, tsars, lords, nobleman, aristocrats, viceroys and regents. These titles were given or claimed by the few who, with great might and resources, conquered enemies, pillaged lands, plundered livestock, subjugated the inhabitants, and instituted laws which favored the ruler.

Every group of oppressed people has sought freedom from those who have held their foot on their throats. A savior, a messiah, a deliverer, a redeemer was the cry of their heart. These people beseeched their gods for the one who would break off the chains and shackles which bound them.

Across the span of history, a liberator would rise up and lead a few to their promised land only to have it conquered in future generations.  The hope of those who traveled to the New World was how they would be able to free themselves from the bonds which controlled their lives in the land of their birth. The hope for freedom to worship God in the manner they believed ordained drove many across the stormy waters to the adversity of an untamed land. Those who prevailed the passage and the native conditions created communities dedicated to the freedom of worship unlike the land of their ancestors.

However, the long arm of the monarch could not be outrun forever. Royal houses clamored to grab all they could in the New World and then subjugate all who resided therein. Those who would have no part in their royal conquest moved deeper into the hinterlands to retain their freedom. Those who remained nurtured the ember of freedom they had experienced hoping for the day when passion would ignited the fiery flames of liberation.

In the previous post it was revealed how the second posting in this series was not written by me but rather was generated by an artificial intelligence program. I fed this program the following information in order for it to generate the content: The title; keywords of grace, ego, level of consciousness, and David R. Hawkins; and the subheadings. I also had it review the first posting in this series to recognize my writing style. I entered these few items, and the result of the second posting, which henceforth I will refer to as the “AI-posting,” is what it produced. Only thing I added to the content was the opening paragraph which declared that what was being read was part of an experiment.

Context or Content

Technology these days is moving rapidly to the point where machines will be handling the “menial” work leaving humans with time to devote their lives to…

That phrase is pure propaganda. So is the second posting in this series. The question is are you able to distinguish it as such or are you following the herd?

The purpose of propaganda is to create a narrative which shapes context about reality and then floods the senses with content to support the narrative. The unsuspecting masses believe that what they are consuming is truth and blindly follow whatever is being promoted. When this process is viewed through understanding the levels of consciousness, the purpose and techniques all fall below level 200 which is defined as integrity.

According to Dr. Hawkins, the levels below 200 all require force to maintain themselves. This force can be physical but many times it is psychological. Many tyrants and even institutions operate below 200 simply due the need to control the populace. The use of propaganda is to create first a specter of fear and then develop a means to overcome the fear which is under the control of the person who initiated the message to begin with.

Controlling Grace

If there is one issue I have taken great efforts to debunk on this site from the very beginning is the narrative which has been handed down to us over millennia about grace being the “unmerited favor of God.” The AI-posting leads off with this in the first subheading:

Grace is defined as the free and unmerited favor of God, the disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency.

This is the classical definition that religion has been promoting since the times of Noah. It views God as an up-there, out-there deity who seeks to punish the entire world for being “sinners” but is willing to offer a reprieve from any judgment as a show of his grace as a kind ruler. Does any of this sound like an integris claim? If God is Love (level 500) then why does this description shriek more like the pride (level 175) of a despot?

On the Level

The consciousness level of integrity is the demarcation line of where actions require force or actions demonstrate power. Pride, greed, shame, grief, fear, desire, anger, and apathy are all lower levels of consciousness which reside below the level of integrity. Within these lower levels force must be employed to hold onto these thought patterns not only in yourself but within a social structure. This is the realm of ego.

This is the claim I made in the first post of this series. I recognize how introducing the model of levels of consciousness to many people of the religious persuasion can cause an immediate rejection because of the claim that this type of material is “not spiritual.” This is often more an expression of pride – spiritual in thought, but pride none the less. My only rebuttal, even if I needed to provide one, would be how such a response is evident of thoughts operating below the level of integrity.

We are all spiritual beings traveling through a human experience. Below level 200 is where the human predisposition for survival is fully expressed by the ego. Once level 200 is crossed, the ego begins its steady regression from first position to second position as the spiritual nature moves to the forefront.

Since this series is about what I see to be the demise of grace, my focus will be bringing attention to those thoughts and attitudes which are bound to the ego-mind which functions below the 200 level of consciousness. I recognize that many of you might already be above this level, however, allow this to be reminder of the potential traps all of us can enter into if we should slip below the mark of integrity.

In the next posting I will finish the expose on the AI-posting by looking at how it plays to the ego by demanding a level of consciousness it hasn’t achieved. Moving forward and upward…

The last posting was an experiment. It was designed to see how you would react to what the message was promoting. The responses, while few in number, were revealing in many ways. But how does this experiment portray the demise of grace? How do the responses also fall into this demise status?

The Back Story

Recently I met with a few intrepid spiritual sojourners in our weekly workshop. On this particular evening we were presented with the following video as a point of discussion. I recommend you watch it before proceeding forward.

I had only become aware of this technology days prior and only in a passing manner. So, while I knew what it was about, I was stunned by the depth in which it could and had been employed.

The was much discussion which followed covering a breadth of territory which only a subject like this could spark. At the end of the evening, it was pretty clear that we all agreed that no matter how far this technology goes, how will those who will be the ones driving this content be monitored and policed, if required.

Leveling Up

In the first article of this series, I stated my intention as follows:

My intention is to move us into the higher levels of consciousness beyond the level of integrity. As I proceed with these writings you may find that some of the materials hit too close to home. Grace is identical at every level, but our understanding of it is often stunted by a level of thought we have never encountered before or have difficulty in accepting. Whatever result this produces within you, stay the course for the answer will be revealed to carry you higher.

Talk about levels of consciousness might seem odd to many (especially in relationship to spiritual matters) but it comes from the work accomplished by David R. Hawkins M.D., PhD. In his ground-breaking book entitled “Power versus Force.” In this study he calibrated consciousness, or thought patterns, on a graduated scale which he established from 0 to 1000. What he discovered is how at level 200, which he called the level of integrity, there is a shift in whether one functioned from a position of force or from a position of power.

It is at these higher levels where true spiritual disciplines reside. Level 1,000 is the level of Christ and Buddha; level 600 is enlightenment; level 500 is unconditional love; level 400 is reason; level 350 is forgiveness and acceptance; level 310 is willingness. Within these levels the power of the thoughts is dominate as it is released in the actions which transpire.

Examining the Experiment

If I was to summarize the content from the previous post it might read like:

Grace is defined as the free and unmerited favor of God, the disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency. It is often thought of as a virtue and a sign of humility and respect. In today’s society, it is a rare and often overlooked concept. If we are to restore grace to our society, we must first change our level of consciousness.

Please make note of the crucial word “If” at the beginning of the summary declaration. In logic terms this establishes an “either/or” condition to the claim. Either I did or I didn’t. For your consideration, the “I” who wrote the summary is the same “I” who wrote the previous post. However, in both cases, it wasn’t me. Welcome to the world of AI!

The Next Step

In the next post I will break down what you may have thought was a human-centered writing about a topic which I have been solely promoting on this venue. I am not attempting to justify my actions in this matter, whether you deem them to be right or wrong, but simply to provide an Integris explanation from the consciousness level 200. If I’m going to explore the demise of grace, this appears to be a good place to start. Upward we go.

In light of the purpose to this series I defined in the previous post, the following is an experiment. See if you can determine the result. The answer to this experiment will follow in the next post and just might shock you.

In the modern world, grace seems to be a thing of the past. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we are so often engulfed in our own egos and the pursuit of success that we forget to be kind to one another. But grace has not always been forgotten. In fact, it has been an integral part of human life for centuries, and its absence has been noticed in recent times.

Currently

Grace is defined as the free and unmerited favor of God, the disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency. It is often thought of as a virtue and a sign of humility and respect. In today’s society, it is a rare and often overlooked concept. We have become so consumed with the “rat race” that we have forgotten the importance of grace and kindness. We are so wrapped up in our own desires and ambitions that we forget to show others consideration and compassion.

We are so focused on getting what we want, on achieving success, that we neglect to think of others. We are so caught up in our own worlds that we often forget to stop and appreciate the beauty of life. We fail to recognize the small moments of grace that fill our days, such as a kind word from a stranger or a helping hand when we need it most. We forget to be grateful for the people around us and the blessings we have been given.

The Demise

The decline of grace in our modern world has been noted by many. David R Hawkins, author of “Power vs. Force”, described the decline of grace as a decline in our level of consciousness. He argued that when we are focused on our own individual pursuits, we are less likely to be in tune with the needs of others. We become so focused on our own goals that we become disconnected from the world around us.

This decline in consciousness is also evident in the way we interact with one another. We are so focused on our own lives that we often forget to show grace and kindness to those around us. We become so wrapped up in our own affairs that we forget to extend a helping hand to someone in need. We are so focused on our own egos that we forget to be gracious and considerate of others.

The lack of grace in our society is not just evident in our interactions with one another, but in the way we view the world. We are so focused on achieving success and acquiring wealth that we forget to appreciate the beauty of life. We are so focused on our own pursuits that we fail to see the beauty of the world around us. We become so focused on our own ambitions that we forget to take a step back and appreciate the simple joys of life.

What is Needed

It is clear that if we are to restore grace to our society, we must first change our level of consciousness. We must become more mindful of the needs of others and be willing to extend a helping hand. We must become more aware of the beauty of life and be willing to appreciate the small moments. We must be willing to be humble and gracious, and to put the needs of others before our own.

We must also be willing to break down the barriers of ego. We must be willing to recognize the importance of humility and respect, and to be willing to let go of our own needs in order to serve the needs of others. We must be willing to put aside our pride and to be open to the possibility of grace.

Finally, we must be willing to make simple choices. We must be willing to choose kindness over ego, to make time for those we love, and to be willing to be present in the moment. We must be willing to be mindful of our words and actions, and to be willing to recognize when we are wrong. We must be willing to take a step back and recognize the beauty of life, and to choose love over fear.

Simple Choices

The restoration of grace does not have to be a complicated process. All it takes is a few simple choices. We can choose to be kind, to be humble, and to be mindful of our words and actions. We can choose to be present in the moment, to be open to the possibility of grace, and to be willing to put the needs of others before our own.

We can choose to break down the barriers of ego and to be willing to recognize when we are wrong. We can choose to make time for those we love and to be willing to extend a helping hand. We can choose to be grateful for the blessings we have been given and to be mindful of the beauty of life.

Grace is something that can be found in the simplest of moments. All it takes is a few simple choices. All it takes is the willingness to be kind and to be humble. All it takes is the willingness to recognize the importance of grace and to be open to the possibility of it in our lives.

Grace is something that we have been missing for far too long. But with a few simple choices, we can restore it to our society. We can choose to be kind, humble, and mindful. We can choose to be present in the moment and to be open to the possibility of grace. We can choose to be grateful for the blessings we have been given and to recognize the beauty of life. We can choose grace and, in doing so, make this world a better place.

Today, the world is fractured. There are forces at play keeping humanity divided along national, ethic, social, economic, and many other subcategories all intended to eradicate the divine principle this nation was founded upon, e pluribus unum, out of many, one.

Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Grace can be seen as the divine animating power of Love; a power which attracts and binds the cosmos together in union with it’s Creator. When grace is neglected and diminished, division and separation naturally occurs. What causes grace to be abandoned, particularly when it is so needed in times such as these?

Pro 16:18 (MSG) First pride, then the crash– the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

I have made reference to the works of David R Hawkins, M.D., Ph. D. dealing with understanding the levels of consciousness. Over these next few writings, I am going to explore how levels of consciousness move us from a linear perspective to a non-linear reality and how this shift affects our ability to function and utilize the grace we all possess.

“The self identifies not only with the mind, but also with the content – which becomes “my” memory, “my” senses, “my” thoughts, “my” emotions, “my” property, “my” success, “my” failure, “my” expectations, “my” feelings, and so on. Identification presumes ownership and authorship; thus, the ego sees and believes itself to be a personal, separate causal agent and the inferred source of its own existence.” David R Hawkins, M.D., Ph. D., Dissolving the Ego, Realizing the Self

You are not your ego/mind. Any argument to the contrary is merely a display of how low level the nature of consciousness is operating at. The ego is narcissistic in its nature and only seeks its benefit even at the expense of the life of the person it is operating in. Dying for a religious cause is just one example of this. History is full of other examples. Yes, even your history.

Pride is a low level of consciousness. We are taught in religious environs how it was the cause of the fall within the angelic realm. If it could happen there, it most surely can and does happen in mankind. And yet we are encouraged to show pride for our country, its flag, our leaders, our sports teams, our standard of living and our ability to overcome adversity. So surely not all pride is destructive, right?

The consciousness level of integrity is the demarcation line of where actions require force or actions demonstrate power. Pride, greed, shame, grief, fear, desire, anger, and apathy are all lower levels of consciousness which reside below the level of integrity. Within these lower levels force must be employed to hold onto these thought patterns not only in yourself but within a social structure. This is the realm of ego.

While I began this post dealing with the nature of the world, change in any conceivable form will only transpire on a personal level first. So, if I make mention of the macro effects of consciousness it requires a micro effect first on the lowest element in the cluster.

My intention is to move us into the higher levels of consciousness beyond the level of integrity. As I proceed with these writings you may find that some of the materials hit too close to home. Grace is identical at every level, but our understanding of it is often stunted by a level of thought we have never encountered before or have difficulty in accepting. Whatever result this produces within you, stay the course for the answer will be revealed to carry you higher. Buckle up, we’re heading up.

We’re drawing to the end of the spiritual tools described in the book “Transcending the Levels of Consciousness” by David R. Hawkins M.D., Ph.D. So far, I’ve written about kindness, reverence, asking for knowledge, looking with intention, forgiveness, humility, and selfless service. Each of these tools, as I have stated, are simple to apply towards your journey of spiritual enlightenment. Today, this next spiritual tool is the accumulated result of the prior tools.

Spiritual Tool #8

Make one’s life a living prayer by intention, alignment, humility, and surrender. True spiritual reality is actually a way of being in the world.

I recently heard someone claim how most people see God as a spiritual butler charged with the task of getting things for us and cleaning up our messes. I heartly agree – even I have been doing those same things too!

I would like to draw your attention to is the term “living prayer.” No western religious institution ever prepares its congregants to ascend to this level.

To some prayer is a means to tell God how sorry you are for the bad things you perceive you have done which will keep you out of heaven. In other circles, prayer is the routine where you remind God of any of a multitude of promises found in the bible which after some 3,000 years, your bible search program says belong to you. In some parts of the world prayer is the time where you extol God for all the curses He has heaped on your enemies. These definitions are far from a “living prayer.”

Your religious training will probably recall how the disciples of Jesus asked him to show them how to pray. Not many remember what the stated intention of the disciples were for asking Jesus to teach them. Yet, the ego is again at the forefront of this development. The disciples saw how John had taught his disciples pray and they wanted to be like them (or better).

Jesus saw through the disciple’s ruse and directed them to a higher level of consciousness. What many believe to be the Lord’s prayer is actually the disciple’s prayer to spirituality. Jesus was not trying to show them how to successfully pray but how to be a living prayer.

You know how living is a 24/7/365 business, whereas prayer is a one-time deal. When you mention “living prayer” is turns people away because they feel how there is no possible way to be praying all day long! While the apostle Paul even exhorts us to pray without ceasing, the ingrained perception of prayer only occurring at a certain time of day for a certain period of time is hard to break.

The primary item which must be overcome is intentionally eliminating the monologue of prayer and align with the dialogue nature of prayer. This means you will have to surrender to the notion that you are the only one who has a speaking role.

A dialogue has two components: the verbal and the non-verbal. Many think that talking is what a dialogue is all about. Get your point across and your done. A dialogue requires humility to allow the other to offer their thoughts. This is not as easy as it seems, particularly when a false premise is made. The ego is going to do everything in its power to defend the false premise, regardless of who made it. Most dialogues dissolve on this one issue.

The non-verbal aspect of a dialogue is thought to be the time when you mentally rebuttal what has been said. Often people miss the entire meaning to a response simply because they tune out the other person while they prepare their argument to what was just said to them. The ego is willing to play the prosecutor/judge just to keep a position of superiority. Do you seriously believe this is how God deals with you in prayer? Oh…I forgot! Monologues don’t permit a rebuttal.

The non-verbal element in a dialogue is “presence centric.” It is humbly accepting the other into the space of your life. It is allowing the energies from the other to mingle with your energies. It is receiving the equality of service being offered which transcends the limitation of words.

While listening is a vital component here, sensing is just as important. Sensing requires you to focus your attention less on what is being said and more on how what is being thought is affecting the other. I’m not saying that you need to become a mind reader. Words are limitations. They are the lowest form of communication because they lack an absolute meaning and thereby don’t have the ability to accurately convey the fullness of a thought.

Your spirit will sense a matter long before you have the words to describe it. Being a daily living prayer is living in The Presence sensing more than talking. It requires intentionality. Brother Lawrence wrote in “Practicing the Presence” about his daily journey as a living prayer in The Presence. He discovered how the ritual of prayer could not satisfy his desire for God’s presence. He began to seek and uncover the Presence in everyday tasks. He has become the model of living a spiritual reality in the world through humility and intention.

Since you’ve gotten this far in the spiritual tools, this one should be a piece of cake to implement. Being a living prayer in this world is simply living the spiritual life in The Presence.

The spiritual daily life will be one of the least pleasant undertakings if you think you are going to accomplish it with the same thinking that you use to carry out other tasks during your day. In the book “Transcending the Levels of Consciousness” by David R. Hawkins M.D., Ph.D. the nature of perception is revealed as an artificial construct of our ego. With the fourth tool I began to explore intention as a tool for sight.  This tool demands us to look at what are the intentions for why we seek after things.

Spiritual Tool #7

Be willing to forego all perceptions of gain, desire, or profit and thereby be willing to be of selfless service to life in all its expressions.

Desire is the fuel of our ego. Desire is the catalyst to our perceptions.

From an early age we seek to possess those things which soothe our needs. It could begin as a teething ring, nipple, favorite blanket, or toy which we desire so we can sleep. As we grow and mature, we develop “tastes” for new things from electronics to vehicles, clothing to makeup, sports to hobbies, education to religious doctrines, and so much more.

Across all media platforms we are inundated with pitches which appeal to some facet of our ego. They show us how to appear younger or older; how a product will make you look like a certain person or group of people; how having a product can socially elevate us above the people we are working with; how a degree from some particular institution will promote you faster in the workplace; how some drug will be able to enhance your libido and draw the opposite sex to you; how…

Each one of these appeals to the ego are based upon the perception which we have crafted about how our life should appear. This crafted life is all about the narcissistic yearnings we seek to feed.

Spiritual life is intentional. As this tool claims, one must “be willing.” I understand that willingness is also a characteristic of the worldly egoic life, however, spiritual willingness is directed not to the needs of the self as much as to the needs of others.

In the worldly egoic life there is the perception that one must not have any possessions, no titles, and no financial resources to live the spiritual life. Walking the spiritual path means not allowing possessions, titles, and resources to be attached to you. Recognizing how these are merely expressions of the self-gratification of our ego is the first step on the spiritual journey.

Selfless service is only capable when your actions aren’t dictated by how it will make you feel or appear to others. The saying, “It’s not about you, it’s about Him,” is the vanguard of those who live a spirit-filled life.

As simple as this tool is it is also the most subtle to implement. It demands a rigorous assessment from us towards all our thoughts and actions. It’s easy to do “good” works for people once or twice a year but doing it every moment of every day requires an inner strength and belief which caters to others first and foremost. This strength is developed as the ego dies to its agenda of self-exaltation.

Start today asking yourself if what your doing benefits you first or someone else first. You’ll know exactly what path you’re on by your answer.