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freddurgan
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Unceasing prayer
#6660810 - 03/12/07 08:23 AM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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I couldn't help but notice that the idea of unceasing prayer is the same thing as mantra. It's a constant thought which overrides all others to place your mind on God and God alone. Be it about Jesus Christ (the Jesus prayer) or any other mantra. Do it unceasingly and your mind will be on God at all times.
Pretty simple on paper
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shizznit
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: freddurgan]
#6660926 - 03/12/07 09:52 AM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Unceasing Prayer Is a Key to Deliverance
Acts 12:1-17
This conflict is a study in ongoing confrontation with evil. The Herods symbolize Satan's relentless attack on the church. Herod the Great had sought to kill Jesus; his son slew John the Baptist; his grandson beheaded James and now was hiding Peter in prison for execution after Passover. While Peter suffered in chains, the church suffered with him on their knees. Hour after hour they wrestled in prayer; and when they had done all they could do, God began. Suddenly an angel "anesthetized" the 16 guards and removed Peter's chains. (But neither God nor His angel did what Peter could do for himself. He had to put on his garments and sandals and follow.) Nothing hindered their escape. An iron gate opened by itself; and earnest, unceasing prayers brought deliverance. Curiously, the only place Peter found impassable was his friends' front door! Even those who pray sometimes fail to see or believe the speed with which God works when they pray.
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CerebralFlower
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: shizznit]
#6661211 - 03/12/07 12:28 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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yer talking pure faith
-------------------- God says dance with your heart And shake free of you desire Where theres a will theres always a way When you get confused listen to the music play
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MarkostheGnostic
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: freddurgan]
#6662704 - 03/12/07 07:46 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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-------------------- γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself
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freddurgan
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I posted that because of The Way of a Pilgrim. I just finished it today.
It has occurred to me that faith is by far the biggest mystery in my life.
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Demotriton
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: freddurgan]
#6674766 - 03/15/07 09:46 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Faith is an unusual thing. Lately my faith in God took a giant leap. For the first time 3D objects have been manifesting as God continues to prove his existence to me. It starts with little miracles at first then grows with your faith.
Everyone hear knows who God really is right? My heart goes out to those who follow false Gods when they don't know it. Simple truth = Know Jesus Know God
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Silversoul
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Demotriton]
#6674938 - 03/15/07 10:27 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Demotriton said: Everyone hear knows who God really is right? My heart goes out to those who follow false Gods when they don't know it. Simple truth = Know Jesus Know God
Jesus embodied godliness on earth, but he is by no means the only manifestation of God. The "false gods" are not gods of other religions, but rather the secular gods of materialism, greed, judgement, etc.
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evolprim
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Silversoul]
#6676508 - 03/16/07 11:52 AM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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beautiful and very true silversoul.
there are many paths to GOD, and JESUS, BUDDHA and all the other prophets who preached love are simply showing us that we too as humans can work to become like them living in a world of hope,happiness, and love
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Demotriton
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: evolprim]
#6677766 - 03/16/07 05:52 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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I know there are many paths to God, but why not choose the easy way. I know from PERSONAL experience just how easy it is to find God through Jesus.
How many here SEE God's miracles ever day, FEEL God's presence everyday?
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Silversoul
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Demotriton]
#6678130 - 03/16/07 08:11 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Demotriton said: I know there are many paths to God, but why not choose the easy way. I know from PERSONAL experience just how easy it is to find God through Jesus.
Yet I doubt you have taken it upon yourself to delve deeper into the mysteries of God. Faith is just the beginning. Some of us prefer gnosis.
Quote:
How many here SEE God's miracles ever day, FEEL God's presence everyday?
I do. So do many Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, etc. Christianity cannot claim a monopoly on either of these things.
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Lion
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Silversoul]
#6678189 - 03/16/07 08:29 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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What does Gnosis mean to you? This isn't intended as a koan, I am genuinely interested in the concept and as yet have no idea what it means.
-------------------- “Strengthened by contemplation and study, I will not fear my passions like a coward. My body I will give to pleasures, to diversions that I’ve dreamed of, to the most daring erotic desires, to the lustful impulses of my blood, without any fear at all, for whenever I will— and I will have the will, strengthened as I’ll be with contemplation and study— at the crucial moments I’ll recover my spirit as was before: ascetic.”
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Silversoul
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Lion]
#6678227 - 03/16/07 08:37 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
bug said: What does Gnosis mean to you? This isn't intended as a koan, I am genuinely interested in the concept and as yet have no idea what it means.
It is an esoteric form of knowledge, found through a direct connection to higher states of consciousness. It is a familiarity with the supernal realms of reality, which goes beyond simple faith in the words of others.
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Demotriton
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Silversoul]
#6678351 - 03/16/07 09:10 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Why take the more difficult path to salvation? God GIVES you any needed spiritual knowledge you need to accomplish his will through you. Why would you need to acquire spiritual knowledge to find God, when God gives you the knowledge needed to become aware of him.
I am sensing a lot of people here are taking a much more unnecessarily difficult path to God.
Simple truth: God Loves us, the ONLY thing keeping us from him is our will. By surrendering our will to God, God will give us all everything we need. For he knows what we need more than we do.
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Silversoul
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Demotriton]
#6678387 - 03/16/07 09:21 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Demotriton said: Why take the more difficult path to salvation?
Salvation is not the issue. That's easy. Some of us choose to go beyond salvation and seek enlightenment. Those things which are worth doing do not often come easy.
Quote:
I am sensing a lot of people here are taking a much more unnecessarily difficult path to God.
And I sense that you are taking the path of spiritual laziness. To believe in God is not so hard. To attain God-realization is a long and difficult path.
Quote:
Simple truth: God Loves us, the ONLY thing keeping us from him is our will. By surrendering our will to God, God will give us all everything we need. For he knows what we need more than we do.
However, by training the will, we can personally manifest the power of our God-self within.
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Demotriton
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Silversoul]
#6678492 - 03/16/07 09:58 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Salvation is not the issue. That's easy. Some of us choose to go beyond salvation and seek enlightenment. Those things which are worth doing do not often come easy. -why would God make what is worth doing difficult when HE wants ALL of us to know him & Love him. Knowing him & loving him IS enlightening
And I sense that you are taking the path of spiritual laziness. To believe in God is not so hard. -Actually it is, to fully believe in what God is, is to see him. I used to think I believed in God, until I found him and by strengthening my faith he continually reveals more of himself to me, the process never ends.
To attain God-realization is a long and difficult path. -It is a never ending path, but isn't difficult once you learn to surrender to God's will for you, and allow him to work in you. Although the surrender to God may be difficult.
However, by training the will, we can personally manifest the power of our God-self within. -One problem with this method of God realization, PRIDE. If we draw closer to God by our own means and not his, we develope a sense of Pride that can become invisible to us. At first the effect is not noticeable but it can slowly grow over time without our knowledge and we end up becoming like Lucifer.
Lucifer is the image of God + PRIDE, the only sin Lucifer had & now look at him, he has become a God of Death, the exact opposite of what God intends us to become. God wants us to come to him and ask for his help in humility so we do not become like Lucifer.
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Silversoul
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Demotriton]
#6678604 - 03/16/07 10:33 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
-why would God make what is worth doing difficult when HE wants ALL of us to know him & Love him. Knowing him & loving him IS enlightening
You're assuming that God deliberately made everything as it is. God must work through us. In order for God to manifest, we must realize our own God-nature, and this is a continual struggle.
Quote:
-Actually it is, to fully believe in what God is, is to see him. I used to think I believed in God, until I found him and by strengthening my faith he continually reveals more of himself to me, the process never ends.
A nice start, but you've got quite a way to go. You're stuck in layers dogma, and I only see slight hints of the kind of serious dedication that God-realization requires. I think God would appreciate you putting a little more effort in seeking Him rather than waiting for him to come to you.
Quote:
-One problem with this method of God realization, PRIDE. If we draw closer to God by our own means and not his, we develope a sense of Pride that can become invisible to us. At first the effect is not noticeable but it can slowly grow over time without our knowledge and we end up becoming like Lucifer.
It has nothing to do with pride and everything to do with dedication. Following God's will and turning one's own will towards God are the same goal.
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Demotriton
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Silversoul]
#6681316 - 03/17/07 06:48 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Why do you not believe Jesus is ALIVE inside of me speaking to you? "Do you not know I want ALL my children to be saved? What of the weak? Are you saying they should be cast into hell because they lack the ability to be saved? Did you not know that I came here to save the weak? My heart goes out to you my son. Open your heart not your mind and you will see."
Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ!
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jonathanseagull
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Demotriton]
#6681478 - 03/17/07 07:55 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Has anyone here actually performed this to the point where it IS unceasingly "going on" underneath everything you do? If so, does it make regular thinking difficult? I know it stops the useless chatter that goes on. But does the prayer or mantra stop when you need to think other things, then continue again? I'm wondering what this experience is like. And yes, I have read The Way of the Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Continues his Way (or whatever the 2nd one was called).
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Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, That the dear She might take some pleasure of my pain: Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know, Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain.
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Silversoul
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Quote:
jonathanseagull said: Has anyone here actually performed this to the point where it IS unceasingly "going on" underneath everything you do?
Maybe not unceasingly, but I do try to keep a prayerful state of mind throughout most of the day. I often keep my hands in a mudra position when I am not using them for other tasks. I find that I get a powerful feeling in my third eye chakra when I do this, and it helps center me.
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MarkostheGnostic
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I believe that the point of continuous repetition, along with the process of 'causing the mind to descend to the heart,' is a process of progressive identification. In other words, the prayer is first said aloud, it is then said silently with lips moving, then it is said mentally, finally there is a coordination of the breathing, heartbeat and visualization that the mental prayer has descended to the heart where it goes on of its own accord. The same thing is said of the Great Mantra of Tibet - OM MANI PADMA HUM. The Vajrayana have explained this process with unsurpassed analysis, but it applies equally to the Prayer of the Heart.
Here is one form of the practice that I learned from the Philokalia back in 1978. It was a powerful means of chasing away haunting, obsessive, sexual thoughts at a time when celibacy was important to me. This is by Nicephorus the Solitary in Writings From the Philokalia edited by Kadloubovsky & Palmer:

I include this animated Sacred Heart which belongs to Catholic mystical tradition. Although note the red and white 'drops' symbolizing blood and water, solar and lunar principles. The Tibetan Buddhists go into great detail about the 'drops' (thig-le) and their place in the process of death and transcendence. Also notice the Crown of Thorns, symbolizing the Head or Mind of Christ which has descended from the personal sphere to the Transpersonal Sacred Heart. Again, the Buddhist say that the Heart Center (HUM) is the seat of Mind and that the Brain Center merely reflects the light like the Moon reflects Sunlight (hence the 'moondoggy'/halo/nimbus around the Head of Christ). Sri Ramana Maharshi of the Jnana Yoga-Advaita schools of Hinduism says the same thing also. These meditative experiences are universal and find themselves within all major mystical traditions. Nobody holds a monopoly on Truth.
-------------------- γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself
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MarkostheGnostic
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Re: Unceasing prayer [Re: Demotriton]
#6697225 - 03/21/07 09:53 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Demotriton said: Why do you not believe Jesus is ALIVE inside of me speaking to you? "Do you not know I want ALL my children to be saved? What of the weak? Are you saying they should be cast into hell because they lack the ability to be saved? Did you not know that I came here to save the weak? My heart goes out to you my son. Open your heart not your mind and you will see."
Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ!
Ever read the book The Three Christs of Ypsilanti by Milton Rokeach? Probably not. It is about the mental hospital in Ypsilanti, Michigan in which three people with psychotic delusions of being Christ are put together in the same room. True story. The Christ delusion is probably the most common delusion of schizophrenics. Ram Dass relates stories about his brother-in-law who has been in and out of hospitals for this all-too-common delusion.
As a mental health professional, I have encountered this in individuals still in teenage years. I've got to tell you that your own language of ego-inflation is just not going to win converts to your shared delusion at these forums. It's old hat - very old hat. Healthy people learn to integrate spiritual realizations without identifying Christ with one's own ego. You have failed to do this integration and have instead misidentified the Divine Indwelling that is available to ALL of us, with your own ego. You are in error, and your error is simply obnoxious. Please make a note of it. It's not all about YOU. If you require some medication to deflate that ego, do yourself a favor, see a psychiatrist, don't self-medicate.
Best regards, MtG
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