Category: Daily Prayer

MAY 24   

TODAY I LOOSE ALL CONDEMNATION; I JUDGE NOT AND I AM JUDGED ONLY BY THE LAW OF GOD   

… forgive us our debts; as we forgive our debtors.   Matthew 6:12

When Jesus said that we should not judge lest we be judged, he was stating the action of the law of cause and effect.  If we wish a complete clearance from any sense of condemnation about ourselves, we must first be certain that we have released all condemnation of others from our own minds.  When we do this we meet others in a new light and reaching back of all judgment and criticism, establish a relationship that is within us, for God is One in all people.

Realizing that love is the great motivating power of life, and knowing that God must be at the center of everything, today I am meeting this God in everyone and seeing the manifestation of His life in everything.  If there is any condemnation or animosity in me, I gladly loose it.  I loose it and let it go as I turn to that silent Presence within me which gives all and withholds nothing.

Giving and receiving, loving and being loved, I rejoice with all creation and find in field and flower and running brook, in the sunshine and in the stillness of the night, that One Presence which fills everything.  I enter into the harmony of eternal peace, into the joy of knowing that I am now in the Kingdom of God, from which no person is excluded.  My yesterdays are gone forever, my tomorrows stretch forth into an endless future of pure delight.  And from out the Invisible there come to me these words: Today thou art with Me in Paradise.

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 23   

I DO EVERYTHING WITH RELIANCE ON THE LAW OF GOOD

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.    Matthew 28:18   

While Jesus said that all power was given to him in heaven and earth, at another time he said that he of himself could do nothing.  This sounds like a contradiction until we understand the subtlety of its meaning.  Jesus realized that there is but One Power and One Presence and he knew that when he surrendered himself to the Presence, that is, when he thought the thoughts of God after Him, then the Power would automatically respond to him.  Therefore, in surrendering himself to the Presence of Good he commanded the Law of Good.  This is fundamental to our whole concept of what we believe and the way we use it.  For we use the Law of Good, which of itself is entirely independent of us, like all other laws of nature.  Responding to the Presence of Love, we use the Law of Good.  This is what meditation, affirmation and prayer mean.

I am now depending on the Power that is greater than I am and the Law of Good that is available right here and now.  I identify my life with the Presence and the Power and the Love of God.  I recognize the Divine Presence within and around me, and in all people.

If there is anything in me that denies this Presence or this Power, I loose it and let it go.  I am surrendering myself in faith and with complete conviction to the acceptance that everything necessary for my well-being, my physical, mental and spiritual self-expression, is now operating in, through and around me. I know that everything I so shall prosper.  I know that the One Life, which is God, is my life now.  Therefore I accept this gift of Life and Love, for myself and for all people.  

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 22   

I FREE MYSELF FROM EVERY SENSE OF CONDEMNATION, EITHER AGAINST MYSELF OR OTHERS   

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness … He that loveth his brother abideth in the light … I John 2:9, 10

When John said that it is impossible for us to remain in the light while we hate someone else, he was pointing the same truth that Jesus had in mind when he said, Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  We could not expect the law of Good to operate for us alone, shutting all other out.  It is only what we share with others that really is ours.  We are so constituted that when we think evil of others or condemn them it is impossible to escape this condemnation of ourselves.  This is why Jesus said, “Judge not that ye be not judged.”  Everything that goes out comes back again.  Our thoughts and acts move in circles.

I bless myself for the good I would do and I bless everyone for the good they would do.  I recognize the Presence of God at the center of my own being, and I know that the Divine Spirit within me responds to the same Spirit in others, comforting, unifying and making whole.  There is no criticism, no false judgment, no unkindness in me.  My whole thought and feeling is one of praise, of thanksgiving and blessing.

Today I am living as though this moment were eternity.  I am recognizing that the kingdom of Good is at hand.  Seeing the Divine in everything, I know that the Divine in all things responds to me.  Receiving the silent blessing of the Spirit, I permit this blessing to enrich the life of everyone I meet, to bring comfort, faith and good cheer to everyone I contact.  Therefore, I walk in that Light in which there is no darkness, in that Love in which there is no fear, in that life in which there is no death.

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 21   

THE SPIRIT WITHIN ME COMMUNES WITH EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING 

… thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind … and … thy neighbor as thy self.    Mark 12: 30, 31

When we let the love that is within us go out to the God who is in all people and the Divine Presence that is in all things, then we are loving God with all our heart and with all our soul and mind because we are recognizing that the Spirit within us is the same Spirit that we meet in others.  This is loving our neighbors as ourselves.

The love that within me goes out to the God who is within all people.  I recognize the Divine Presence everywhere.  I love and adore this Presence.  I know that it responds to me.  I know that there is a Law of Good, a Law of Love, forever giving of Itself to me.  This Divine and Perfect Law is circulating through me now.  Its rhythm is in my heartbeat; Its perfection is in every organ, action and function of my physical body.  Love and perfect Life circulate through everything.  This Love and this Life I accept as the truth about myself, now and forever.

This same Love, this same Presence, this same Law of Good, I recognize in others.  It is a Divine Presence, a Holy Presence, and a Prefect Presence.  It is a Law that heals and makes whole, that prospers and makes happy.  This is the law of my life.  This is the good that I meet everywhere.  I know that the only Power there is and the only Presence there is, is Love, the living Spirit Almighty.  There is no condemnation, no judgment and no fear in me.  I feel that I belong to the world in which I live.  I love people and am loved by them.  I have a deep sense of confidence and trust.  I feel that I am secure in life and that I need not be anxious about anything.

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 20   

TODAY I PROCLAIM MY DIVINE INHERITANCE   

Neglect not the gift that is in thee …

I Timothy 4: 14

If two persons were exactly alike, one would be unnecessary in the scheme of things.  Emerson said that imitation is suicide.  The Divine Spirit never made any two things alike – no two rose bushes, no two snowflakes, no two grains of sand, and no two persons.  We are all just a little unique so that each may wear a different face, behind which is the same, the one and the only Presence, which is God.  It is right and necessary that we should be individuals.  Unity does not mean uniformity.  Unity means that everything draws its strength, its power and its ability to live from One Source.  One Life flows through everything.  This Life is never monotonous; it is forever doing new things in you and in me.  

Realizing that the Divine has made me just a little different, I affirm that I am one with this original Spirit and that It is doing something new through me today.  Therefore, everything I do shall be original; it shall be like a new creation.  There will be a new enthusiasm, a new zest for life.  Even the old songs I sing shall be a little different because of a renewed influx coming from “the Maker of all music” and “the Master of all singing.”

Realizing that the Divine Spirit is flowing through me in an individual way, I accept the genius of my own being.  I know that the original Artist is doing something new through me today.  Therefore I do not imitate others; for each is a king in his own right, each is a Divine Being on the pathway of an eternal unfoldment.  Gladly do I recognize and unify with the genius in others, but always keeping the uniqueness of my own personality.  All the Presence there is, is flowing through me in a little different way.  All the creative genius there is, is thinking in me in an original manner.  I invite the inspiration, the illumination and the guidance of God, and gladly co-operate with it.

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 19    

I SURRENDER ALL FEAR, DOUBT OR UNCERTAINTY AND ACCEPT THE GIFT OF LIFE TODAY   

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom: 

Luke 12:32

We should always keep in mind that we are beneficiaries of Life.  We do not put the chicken in the egg, nor the oak tree in the acorn.  Rather, we take them out.  We did not create the Divine Presence nor the Law of Good; we commune with this Presence and use the Law.  Therefore, Jesus said that it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.  It is our business to receive it.  And in doing this we follow the same method that any scientist would, for the scientist knows that he did not create the laws that he uses or the principles which he employs.  

It is my Father’s good pleasure to give me the Kingdom.  Today I accept this Kingdom, which it is the pleasure of the heavenly Father to give to me, and I accept it in its fullness. Today shall contain joy and happiness; today shall be filled with peace, and through it all will be running the silent power of spiritual forces, which will harmoniously and happily govern my thoughts, decisions and acceptances so that everything I do will be done without effort.

I lay all weariness aside and accept the life-giving, invigorating, dynamic power of the Spirit, knowing that It vitalizes every organ of my body: It flows with power and strength and purpose through everything I do, even as It leads me gently down the pathway of life.  Today is the day that God has made, and I am glad in it.  And when evening comes, the cool shadows of peace shall fall across my pathway and the quiet of the night shall enter into my soul, while the beatitude of the Spirit flows through me as a river of life.    

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 18   

MY MIND IS RECEPTIVE TO NEW IDEAS AND MY THOUGHT IS CENTERED ON NEW BEGINNINGS   

For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth:  and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.   

Isaiah 65:17

Nothing is ever twice alike.  It is said that the physical body is never more than a year old, that we discard many bodies through life.  Everything is continuously being re-created and it literally is true that the Divine Creative Spirit is forever making a new heaven and a new earth.  We must permit It to make a new one for us.  

There is no judgment, no condemnation, no fear and no doubt in my mind.  I condemn no one and no thing, not even myself. Forgetting that which is past and having no fear of the future, I live today as though the new heaven and the new earth were already an accomplished fact in my experience.  I live in harmony with people and with all the situations that surround me.  I see and feel the presence of good running through everything.  I have complete faith that this Divine Presence will reveal Itself to me in every thought, in every word, and in every act.

There is nothing in my past experience and nothing in my thought about the future that can in any way deny me the pleasure and the privilege of living today as though everything were complete and perfect.  “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.”  My whole confidence and expectancy is of much and more, of good and of better.  The future is bright with hope and fulfillment.  The present is perfect, and there is no past.

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 17    

THE SPIRIT IN ME IS ALIVE, AWAKE AND AWARE, FLOWING EVER THROUGH ME IN PERFECT LIFE   

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.    Job 33: 4

Man is a spirit but he seldom recognizes this greatest of all truths about himself.  Seldom does he invite the Spirit into his mind or open all the doorways of his thought in complete acceptance.  The Bible tells us to let that mind be in us which was in Christ, which, of course, is the Mind of God and the invisible Guest in every person.

I know that this invisible Guest within me, the Angel of God’s Presence, is counseling me wisely, leading me unerringly, directing my thoughts and actions in harmony, in peace, in poise, in love and in co-operation.  Because God cannot fail, and because the Divine Presence within me is God as my real self, I know that there is a Power flowing through my word of faith which makes straight the way before me.  I know that the great Giver of life is giving through me that gift which is gladly made and which returns multiplied, only to go out again to increase its blessing and to multiply its own good as it blesses others.

I know there is a Presence that came with me when I entered this life, and I know that this same Presence will go with me when I leave this physical form, for it is the Presence of Eternal Life, the Life that cannot die.  I have no fear of the past, the present or the future, for I am living today as though God really were all-in-all, over all and through all.  I feel this Presence in love, life and goodness.  I feel It in action, power and certainty.  It is with me today, making my life whole and complete.

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 16   

MY LIFE SHOWS FORTH THE SPIRIT THAT NEVER FAILS AND CONSTRUCTIVE ACTION FILLS MY DAY   

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men unto me:    John 12: 32

When Jesus spoke of being “lifted up from the earth” he meant that that which is human about us must be consciously become united with the Divine.  In ancient writings the earth stood for the lowest form of life while heaven represented the highest.  Therefore, being lifted up from the earth means uniting earth with heaven.  This daily lifting up of our thought is necessary if we wish to so unite ourselves and everything we are doing with the Divine, the spiritual Power that flows through us and into all our acts.

I am now waiting upon the Spirit within me.  I know that It is close to me and that It governs my life in harmony and peace.  And I know that through me It brings joy and happiness to everyone I meet.  Through the power of this indwelling Spirit I am a blessing to myself and to others.

I am lifting up my whole mind in faith to the realization that the Spirit of God is within me and that this perfect Spirit is my real self.  I invite the Spirit to direct my thoughts and acts, and I believe that It is doing so.  I expect new ideas, new thoughts and new ways of doing things to stimulate my imagination into action.  I invite and expect new circumstances and situations.

I know that as they present themselves, the Intelligence within me will accept them and act upon them.  I know that the Divine Presence within me will make Itself known to every person I meet, to every situation I contact.  I know that It will bring life and joy and happiness to everything and everyone.

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker

MAY 15    

I KNOW THAT THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT IS MY DAILY LIFE   

The Lord is my shepherd … He restoreth my soul … Psalm 23: 1, 2

As we take this thought for our meditation today: “The Lord is my shepherd … He restoreth my soul,” let us feel that we are one with the Divine Presence; and enter into conscious communion with It.  This is affirmative prayer and spiritual meditation.  It is through spiritual meditation that we reach out, or in, to that Divine Presence which fills all space and also finds its dwelling place in the sanctuary of our own hearts.

“The Lord is my shepherd … He restoreth my soul.” Believing that God is everywhere, and knowing that the Divine Life can and does restore my soul, I now affirm and deeply accept Divine Guidance. I believe that I am sustained by an infinite Power, guided by an infinite Intelligence and guarded by an infinite Love.  I feel this Presence in, around and through me, and through all people.  There is a Power greater than I am upon which I may rely.  I am relying on this Power and I am letting Its Intelligence govern and guide me.  I am fully aware of Divine Love and Protection.

I lay aside every doubt or fear and gladly enter into a newness of life.  I do believe that the Lord is my Shepherd.  I do believe that He restoreth my soul.  I am lovingly aware that the Divine Presence is not only close to me, It is not only right where I am; It is also within me and what I am.  It is this inner “I am,” this Spirit of God within me and what I am.  It is this inner “I Am,” this Spirit of God within me that is my Shepherd.  I not only shall not want – my cup shall run over.  A table is prepared before me.  This is the table that God has spread and I gratefully acknowledge this Divine Bounty, this Feast of Life.  For God’s abundance is my abundance, His good is my good, and His Life is my life now.

Taken from “Richer Living” by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker