THOUGHTS ON PRAYER - 3

.

No prayer can be ethical when the

petitioner seeks for selfish advantage

over his fellows. Selfish and materialistic

praying is incompatible with the ethical

religions which are predicated on unselfish

and divine love. All such unethical praying

reverts to the primitive levels of pseudo magic

and is unworthy of advancing civilizations

and enlightened religions. Selfish praying

transgresses the spirit of all ethics

founded on loving justice.

.

Prayer must never be so prostituted

as to become a substitute for action.

All ethical prayer is a stimulus to action

and a guide to the progressive striving for

idealistic goals of superself-attainment.

.

In all your praying be fair; do not expect God

to show partiality, to love you more than his

other children, your friends, neighbors, even

enemies. All praying, whether individual or

communal, may be either egoistic or altruistic.

That is, the prayer may be centered on the self

or upon others. When the prayer seeks nothing

the one who prays nor anything for his fellows,

then such attitudes of the soul tend to the

levels of true worship. Egoistic prayers involve

confessions and petitions and often consist of

requests for material favors. Prayer is somewhat

more ethical when it deals with forgiveness

and seeks wisdom for enhanced self-control.

.

While the nonselfish type of prayer is

strengthening and comforting, materialistic

praying is destined to bring disappointment

and disillusionment as advancing scientific

discoveries demonstrate that man lives in

a physical universe of law and order.

The childhood of an individual or a race

is characterized by primitive, selfish, and

materialistic praying. And, to a certain

extent, all such petitions are efficacious in

that they unvarying lead to those efforts and

exertions which are contributory to achieving

the answers to such prayers. The real prayer

of faith always contributes to the augmentation

of the technique of living, even if such petitions

are not worthy of spiritual recognition.

But the spiritually advanced person should

exercise great caution in attempting to

discourage the primitive or immature

mind regarding such prayers.

.

The Urantia Book

Part III, 91, 4