Consciousness and Prayer Part 5
July 3, 2025
Consciousness and Prayer Part 5
Our divine connection is the most essential aspect of our spiritual practice. It draws us closer to the Divine and opens communication. This connection happens in many ways; however, conscious prayer is the most intimate and interactive form.
Conscious prayer has three main components. The first is the desire to connect on a deep level. The second is being completely transparent to the Divine. The third is our being attuned to the arisings of each moment because these are often the Divine’s way of interacting with our spirit.
The desire to connect comes from several states of being, including desperation, loneliness, fear, intercession for others, thanksgiving, forgiveness, the need for guidance, and many more. The hallmark of the deepest desire to connect is dropping all other activities and concentrating on God. Christ describes this state in Matthew 6:6 — “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly"(KJV).
Being completely transparent to the Divine means speaking from our heart’s truth. Even though the omniscient aspect of God already knows our hearts, we express our submission, vulnerability, and truth when we open our heart to God. There are no lies, hiding, or covering of our feelings in this state. We speak what’s on our hearts regardless of shame, regret, or other feelings we want to keep secret. This helps make the connection and opens lines of communication. However, the most profound aspect of transparency is that it creates intimacy with God. The more open we are, the more we consciously invite God into our hearts.
Once intimacy has been established in prayer we may experience a solid connection to the Divine. These communications use our mind, heart, and body. Prayer built on intimacy with God makes us more sensitive to the messages received. Something may have troubled us, but in prayer we feel a distinct peace. God may gently nudge and guide us by voice, or by impressions beyond words. Sometimes, our heart receives transformational communication that bypasses the mind and the body. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, described such an experience when he said, “My heart was strangely warmed.” His words also express a bodily sensation of warmth in the heart region.
In conscious prayer, being mentally open to the Divine, vulnerable at the heart level, and aware of our body sensations all create an intimate and profound connection with God.
Spiritual practice: Journal a description of your intimacy with The Divine.
Self-inquiry: What is the reason you would want intimacy with God? Why would you not want it?
Dear God,
Yours is the deepest relationship of all. You are the Beloved above all beloveds. You are our rock, our compass, and our mainstay. Amen
