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The
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Worldwide
Prayer Circle
The Power of Prayer
The Highest Service to Humanity
Spiritually sensitive individuals feel the suffering of others as their own. In our troubled world, where countless thousands are ravaged by war, poverty, disease, anxiety, and lack of purpose in life, sympathetic men and women naturally feel a great concern for the welfare of their brothers and sisters in all nations. Such individuals often wonder, "What can I do to help alleviate the world’s problems?"
Paramahansa Yogananda’s answer was unequivocal: "Only spiritual consciousness—realization of God’s presence in oneself and in every other living being — can save the world. I see no chance for peace without it. Begin with yourself. There is no time to waste. It is your duty to do your part to bring God’s kingdom on earth."
Realize the presence and the love of God within — radiate it without. Great saints and masters throughout history have taught that this is the only practical answer to the troubles of humankind, for there is a dynamic relationship between our consciousness and world conditions. When people speak of "political," "social," or "international" problems, they often do not realize that these conditions are nothing more than the accumulated thoughts and actions of millions of individuals. And the only way to change world conditions is to change ourselves. Paramahansa Yogananda said:
"The sudden cataclysms that occur in nature, creating havoc and mass injury, are not ‘acts of God. ’ Such disasters result from the thoughts and actions of man. Wherever the world’s vibratory balance of good and evil is disturbed by an accumulation of harmful vibrations, the result of man’s wrong thinking and wrong doing, you will see devastation ...."Wars are brought about not by fateful divine action but by widespread material selfishness .... When materiality predominates in man’s consciousness, there is an emission of subtle negative rays; their cumulative power disturbs the electrical balance of nature, and that is when earthquakes, floods, and other disasters happen."
Man has reached a critical point in history, where he must turn to God to avoid the consequences of his own faulty thinking. We must pray, not a few of us, but all of us. We must pray simply, fervently, sincerely, and with increasing power as our faith grows. We must condition the world’s leaders by asking God’s Spirit to descend upon their hearts and minds. We must condition ourselves, each and every one, by asking God’s help in living so that peace may be possible. We must pray in church, at home, on the train, while driving, on the job — and keep at it. Each of us is important now. The ability of every individual to seek divine help is a necessary link in the golden chain of harmony and peace. Prayer is a dynamic manifestation of love by the concerned, reaching out for God’s help for man. You can help change the world by your prayers and your prayerful action. —Dag
Hammarskjöld at the dedication
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Directing Healing Energy to Others
The Highest Service to Humanity
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Updated
12/10/99
Copyright © 1999 Self-Realization Fellowship. All rights reserved.