Principle 11: Prayer is the medium of miracles. It is a means of communication of the created with the Creator. Through prayer love is received, and through miracles love is expressed. (T-1.I.11)

COURSE REFERENCES

“Prayer is a way offered by the Holy Spirit to reach God.” (S-1.I.1:1)

“Prayer is the greatest gift with which God blessed His Son at his creation.” (S-1.in.1:1-8) It was then what it is to become again; the single voice Creator and creation, Father and Son share. The Love the Father and the Son share is what all prayer will be throughout eternity, when time is done.

The secret of true prayer is to forget the things you think you need . . . and let them go into God’s Hands. (S-1:I.4:1,3) Prayer is a stepping aside, a letting go, a quiet time of listening and loving. And it is to Love you go in prayer. (S-1.I.5:1,4) Prayer is an offering; a giving up the idea of the individual self (of ALL its clamoring for perceived wants and needs), for the higher purpose to be at one with Love. (S-1.I.5:5)

Praying to the Christ in anyone is true prayer because it is a gift of thanks to His Father. To ask that Christ be but Himself is not an entreaty. It is appreciation for what you are and for what your brother is. Herein lies the power of prayer: It asks nothing and receives everything. This prayer can also be shared because it receives for everyone. To pray with one who knows that this is true is to be answered. Remember the “power of two” or more . . . praying in the Spirit of Christ. Perhaps the specific form of resolution for a specific problem will occur to either of you, or to both of you; if you are genuinely attuned to one another. The resolution will come because you have realized that Christ is in both of you, and you are one.

What is the true goal of prayer? God is the goal of every prayer, as He is the goal of life. The aim of prayer is to release the present from its chains of past illusions. (S-1.IV.3:5) You have a newborn chance to receive the peace of God each time you pray. It will lift you up and bring you home where God would have you be. Remember the gratitude of God. Remember the holy grace of prayer, the sharing of the Father and the Son as you pray.

Prayer is a way of asking for something and is the medium of miracles, thus also a means to correction of error. But the only meaningful asking is to be reminded of forgiveness, because those who have been forgiven have everything. The prayer for forgiveness, however, is nothing more than a request that you may be able to awaken to what you already are and already have. Once forgiveness has been accepted by the mind, prayer in the usual sense becomes meaningless, therefore, as there is nothing more to ask; you remember that you are the Christ and you already have everything. So it is also a prayer of remembering who you are in Christ. In prayer you have united with your Source, and understand that you have never left. This level cannot be attained until there is no hatred in your heart, and no desire to blame or to attack your brother, who along with you is also the Son of God.

Everyone who ever tried to use prayer to ask for something has experienced what appears to be failure. This is not only true in connection with specific things that might be harmful, but also in connection with requests that are strictly in line with this course. This might be incorrectly interpreted as “proof” that the course does not mean what it says. You must remember, however, that the course states repeatedly that its purpose is the escape from fear. The Holy Spirit knows what is fearful to you, and what is not, and answers accordingly.

Let us suppose what you ask of the Holy Spirit is what you really want, but you are still afraid of it. Should this be the case, your attainment of it would no longer be what you want. (T-9.II.1:1-4,2:1-2) The Bible emphasizes that all prayer is answered; this is indeed true. The very fact that the Holy Spirit has been asked for anything ensures a response. Yet it is certain no response given by Him will ever be the one that would increase fear. It is equally impossible that His response will be lost. Many answers you have already received, but you have not yet heard or accepted them. Be assured they are waiting for you, held for you by the Holy Spirit, in light, for when you are ready to hear and accept them without fear. (T-9.II.3:1-7) Invite the Holy Spirit to remove the causes of the fear to speed things along. Jesus will bring Him down to you at your request.

The Bible repeatedly states that you should praise God. This hardly means that you should tell Him how wonderful He is. He has no ego with which to accept such praise, and no perception with which to judge it. But unless you take your part in the creation, His joy is not complete because yours is incomplete, and you are part of Him. Blocking His channels of communication to you will block the joy you share with the Father. You will experience loneliness when the mind that God created does not fully communicate with Him. (T-4.VIII.6)

God is praised when any mind learns to be wholly helpful. This is impossible without being wholly harmless, because the two must coexist. The truly helpful are invulnerable, because they are not protecting or even thinking about their egos and so nothing can hurt them. Their helpfulness is their praise of God, and He will return their praise of Him because they are like Him, and they can rejoice together. God goes out to the truly helpful and works through them, and there is great joy throughout the Kingdom. The truly helpful are God’s miracle workers, whom Jesus directs until we are all united in the joy of the Kingdom. Jesus will direct you to wherever you can be truly helpful, and to whoever can follow his guidance through you. Communication with God (Jesus, Holy Spirit) is life. Nothing without it is at all. (T-14.IV.10)

The Holy Spirit’s function is entirely communication. He therefore must remove whatever interferes with communication in order to restore it. So, keep no source of interference from His sight, for He will not attack your sentinels, your blockages and guards against the truth. You are invited to bring them to Him and let His gentleness teach you that, in the light, nothing is fearful. Being vigilant for God is relaxing, not a strain. Open all doors and let the light come streaming through. No one can fail to come where God has called him, if he leaves the door open to welcome Him. Turn to the Name of God for your release, and it is given you. No prayer but this is necessary, for it holds them all within it. Words are insignificant, and all requests unneeded when God’s Son calls on his Father’s Name. He calls on Him to let all things he thought he made be nameless now, and in their place the holy Name of God becomes his judgment of their worthlessness. (W-183.10:1-6)

So now return your holy voice to Jesus. He asks but this: that you be comforted and live no more in terror and in pain. Do not abandon Love. Remember this: whatever you may think about yourself, whatever you may think about the world, your Father needs you and will call to you until you come to Him in peace at last. (S-3.IV.10:1-7)

All little things and sounds of earth are soundless now and have disappeared. The universe consists of nothing but the Son of God, who calls upon his Father. His Father’s Voice gives answer in his Father’s holy Name. In this eternal, still relationship, in which communication far transcends all words, and yet exceeds in depth and height whatever words could possibly convey, is peace eternal. In our Father’s Name, we would experience this peace today. And in His Name, it shall be given us. (W-183.11:1-8) Rest in your heart and mind with this one idea: GOD IS.