Introduction:
In this deeply personal account, I share my journey from traditional religious practices to a revolutionary understanding of spirituality and manifestation. Through my experiences as a former pastor and spiritual seeker, I explore how our focus shapes our reality and why looking within is the key to unlocking our true potential.
I do a much better job explaining it in my course Why Am I Here? in case you are interested.
Nights of Fervent Prayer: A Pastor’s Reflection
I’ll never forget the weekly all night prayer sessions I attended and held as a pastor. We were so passionate and sincere. Those nights were extremely emotional as you can hear people crying out all over the building. Some were crying, some were begging, some yelling and some sitting quietly giving their petitions.
From Religious Bondage to Spiritual Freedom
I want to be sensitive to those who are still in their “religious” stage but when I speak about MY personal experiences I refer to it as bondage. Religion to me was absolute bondage and I had no clue. I was blindly led by the religious programming that there is God in the sky somewhere who approves or disapproves of your prayer. Sometimes he says yes to your prayer, sometimes he says no, but it’s for your own good, and sometimes he says maybe. I lived with this philosophy for over 20 years. I actually taught it to the masses. This is utter programming at its best.
The Importance of Inner Focus
What’s the big deal? Why can’t we let them be and have their belief? What’s the programming? As long as you are reaching out of yourself for someone or something separate from you, you’ve missed the key to manifesting your desires. The Kingdom of Heaven is WITHIN YOU, not outside of you. The consciousness that is looking through your eyes is ONE with God. There is nothing outside of you that will save you. You must go within to connect with the ONE TRUE GOD, which is the consciousness of man.
Understanding the True Self
When I say “YOU”, I don’t mean the ego you. I don’t mean the false self with the voice in their head. I mean the consciousness that is inside that body who is aware of the thoughts. The true self. The one that is giving the body life. That part of you is a fractal of God. That part of you is ONE with God. That God lives within you, not without in some imaginary place in the sky called heaven. Heaven is within you!
The Problem with Traditional Prayer
The point is that the focus is on the problem when you beg a god outside of you. Please give me this……., please please can you just give me……., #1 you are declaring that you don’t already have it. Faith is having it before you have it. It’s knowing that it is already yours. It’s the substance of things not seen. If you are asking for it, you are saying you don’t already have it.
Debunking Common Church Phrases
One of the phrases the church loves to use is… “God is about to”… God is about to pour out a blessing on you that you cannot contain. God is about to give you everything you’ve always wanted. That statement is filled with such lack and misunderstanding.
First of all the focus is.. I don’t have it. You are in a state of wanting not having. Secondly you are saying you are separate from God. Someone apart from you is about to.. give you something you don’t have. As long as you are in the vibration of waiting, your answer will mirror that by never coming. You will always be in a state of wanting and not having because that is ACTUALLY what you were praying.
The Power of Vibration and Feeling
Your core vibration is your prayer. Not what you say with your words. That is why prayer (with words) is rarely answered. But what you are feeling and emanating from within is ALWAYS answered with a yes. ALL of God’s promises are yes. Can you imagine what we were actually praying for when we got together as a group? It was literally the opposite of what we were saying. The answer is always yes. We were in the vibration and focus of lack and victim. We coupled that with fervent emotion and literally received exactly what our focus was on. More circumstances to be in lack and be a victim.
The Programming of Lack and Separation
The programming is to get you to focus on lack, on wanting and separation, so all you get back no matter how much you beg, is more lack. You must already have it, to have it. You can’t be in the state of wanting. Your focus is on lack when you want. Your focus is on lack when you ask. Even if your words are full of faith, your vibration (your true prayer) is I am in a state of wanting. You will only get more circumstances to want. It’s a never ending cycle until you realize the truth.
The Pitfalls of Problem-Focused Approaches
I remember the years I spent in therapy. The amount of money I spent on counseling. I only got worse. Why? Because therapy and counseling focuses on the problem. You talk about the problem, you feel the problem and give it energy with your focus. You go back week after week and talk about how bad it was when you were a child. How horrible your parents were. How you were abused. How you were victimized. The more you talk about it, the more you feel like a victim. The more you feel like a victim, the more victimized you become. It’s a never ending cycle.
Harnessing the Power of Focus
What you focus on is what you will receive. The answer is always yes. Stop going outside of the true self within, to a god outside of you. Stop begging a heaven outside of you. You are ONE with God and the kingdom of heaven is within you. Stop using words to pray. Pray with your imagination and feeling. If you imagine already having it and feel as though you would feel if you already had it, THAT will be mirrored right back to you. That is faith. No words! You are not the mind, don’t use the mind and body to pray. Use vibration from “feeling” and imagining already having your answer.
Conclusion:
This journey from traditional religious practices to a deeper understanding of our inner power has been transformative. By recognizing the kingdom within and shifting our focus from lack to abundance, we can truly harness the power of manifestation. Remember, your vibration is your true prayer, and the answer is always “yes” to your core frequency. Embrace your oneness with the divine and watch as your reality transforms to reflect your inner state.
Coach Joe