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Norman Vincent Peale sets up the following passage as follows: "Make prayer a regulative and a regular part of your daily life, and it will change things that need changing."
At one time the sculptor, Rodin, was approached by an extremely enthusiastic tourist who had viewed his major works in Paris. "Oh, Mr. Rodin," she fluttered. "Is it difficult work to sculpt?"
"Not at all, Madam," replied the master. "You simply buy a block of marble and chip away what you don't want." Simple? Yes! Easy? No!
Each of us must realize that, within our own block of marble, imprisoned by the fogs of our making that hem us in and stand between us and our true Self, stands the Son of God, just as surely as if the magnificent statues of Rodin were already complete both within his material and in the mind of the sculptor. The process then is one of freeing this Self which was made in the image and likeness of God. This will not be accomplished overnight for the reason that our prayer techniques will not be perfected overnight. Demons, doubts, unwanted bits and pieces must be chipped away, sacrificed gladly to Love's healing power through prayer as soon as recognized, until we stand free.
Prayer is simple, yes, but it is not an easy art-except sometimes for little children who are completely trusting. For most of us this most rewarding skill, as with all others, will never be mastered on a hit or miss basis. Prayer must be made a regular and regulative part of life...
We must be patient with ourselves if we would master prayer. Dedication and deep desire reinforce our will and carry us through arid periods when prayer does not come easily and we had rather not. If we are tempted to abandon regular prayer in moments when we are feeling fine or, conversely, when inspiration is lacking and we feel we have no talent for it, we can recall the little girl who fell out of bed during the night.
Her mother heard the crash, rushed in alarm and picked her up, crooning sympathy. "I'm all right. Mommy," said the child. "I just fell asleep too close to where I got in."
We must pray regularly not only to develop skill but so that it becomes a regulative part of our lives and we do not fall asleep too close to where we got in. No psychiatrist or psychologist or any other therapist would expect a patient to be helped if he came to the clinic irregularly or only a few times. Very probably he would dismiss the patient. There is a follow through, a gradual enfoldment, in all therapeutics.
Regular prayer helps one to identify oneself gradually with the spirit of Love-the spirit of Christ-the mind that was in Christ Jesus. It establishes internal controls which begin to give us spontaneously the responses we need. for this reason we must bring as much sincerity as we now possess to our prayers.
By praying regularly the last thing at night before retiring, and the first thing in the morning, always with an emphasis on Love, our prayer power will begin to increase measurably. Even in our present imperfect condition, still in the "presence of our enemies"-our doubts and demons-we will find we are growing toward that most Holy state which Brother Lawrence called "the practice of the Presence of God."
-William R. Parker and Elaine St. Johns Dare
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