Prayer To Maintain A Spiritual Focus

The Science of Spirituality: 5 Tips to Build Your Spiritual Practice

Photo by Eli DeFaria from Unsplash

The science of spirituality explores the link between religion and well-being. Does maintaining a spiritual practice improve people’s biological health?

If you are curious about the health benefits and biochemical effect of religion, then this article is for you. 

“Spirituality lies not in the power to heal others, to perform miracles or to astound the world with our wisdom, but in the ability to endure with right attitude whatever crosses we have to face in our daily lives and thus rise above them.”

– Sri Daya Mata

Why Spirituality?

For years, philosophers, psychologists, and thinkers have returned to the following questions:

• Why are we here?
• What is the meaning of life?
• Does everything happen for a reason?
• Why do we suffer?
• Is there a best way to live?

To answer these questions, some people lean into religion, philosophy, art, and nature.

Others turn to spirituality and science.

In this piece, we offer a unique look into the scientific underpinnings of spirituality. Why separate the two fields when there is worth in exploring their connection?

Definitions

What exactly is spirituality? There are many definitions, but here are a few:

• “The experience or expression of the sacred” (adapted from Random House Dictionary of the English Language, 1967);
• “Certain kinds of activity through which a person seeks meaning, especially a “search for the sacred. It may also refer to personal growth, blissful experience, or an encounter with one’s own “inner dimension” (Wikipedia);
• “The search for transcendent meaning” as expressed in religious practice. It can be expressed in relationship with “nature, music, art, philosophy, or relationships with friends and family” (Astrow et al. 2001);
• “The search for meaning in life-events and a yearning for connectedness to the universe” (Coles 1990);
• “A person’s experience of, or a belief in, a power apart from his or her own existence” (Mohr 2006);

A lot of people equate spirituality with religion, but the two are different.

Spirituality might include peace and harmony with nature and humanity. Others feel spirituality via connection with their loved ones, their music or their art. Others find it in their values and principles.

Moral guidance allows many people to find meaning in the messy world we live in. This meaning helps some humans find purpose. 

Spirituality and its expression are unique to each individual.

Spiritual or Skeptical?

In a world driven by science and evidence-based systems, are we losing the value of “spiritual” in place of skepticism? Do people have to choose between the two approaches?

Religious trends throughout history offer insight into the “science-verse-religion” dialogue. One trend shows how over time, many countries shifted from spirituality towards a society rooted in science.

Recently, Americans have become less religious, as measured by the frequency that they attend religious services and by the value that they assign religion in their life (Masci, D., Lipka, M., & Posts, 2016).

There has also been growth in expressed wonder about the universe, and the deep quest for well-being, both explorations blurring the lines between spirituality and science (2016). 

Data supports this trend: between 2007 and 2014, the percentage of U.S. Christians who report weekly wonder about the universe increased from 38% to 45%. There has also been a 17 point rise among self-described atheists (Masci, D., Lipka, M., & Posts, 2016).

This rise in spirituality has occurred among both religious and non-religious people.

So in America, even as religiousness decreases, spirituality shows an increasing trend.

Benefits of Spiritual Practice

If Western societies continue to increase the role of spirituality into discussions and practice, then health benefits may also follow. 

According to the APA in 2014, people who report having a spiritual practice are more ly to:

• Live longer; 
• Report higher levels of happiness;
• Experience more commitment to their romantic partners;
• Promote the healthy development of their children;
• Cope better with the death of a loved one;
• Have a lower risk of depression and suicide; 

If you want more information before continuing, here’s a Ted Talk about Science and Spirituality.

Spirituality and Stress-Reduction 

Dr. Emma Seppala, science director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism and the author of “The Happiness Track,” explains the mechanisms that can lead to these outcomes.

According to Dr. Seppala’s research, spiritual people engage in practices known to reduce levels of stress. For example, spiritual people are more ly to:

• Volunteer or donate to the poor; According to research, regular community service can serve as a buffer against the effects of stress, thus leading to longer lives;
• Meditate to cope with stress; 42% of spiritual people meditate when stressed rather than overeat or indulge in unhealthy coping behaviors. Meditation has all kinds of benefits—from improved health, happiness, and focus to decreased pain and depression;
• Live with a built-in community. After food and shelter, social connection is the top predictor of health, happiness, and longevity. Religious people are more ly to spend time with family and feel a strong sense of belonging to a community of -minded people;
• Turn to prayer. Research suggests prayer helps people find comfort by helping them deal with difficult emotions, encourages forgiveness, and leads to healthier relationships;

Of course, these findings could also be placebo – we tend to feel better when we believe something will make us feel better.

Even if they are placebo effects, can it hurt to go to a yoga class, volunteer at a homeless shelter or attend a silent retreat? The benefits may be worthwhile.

Starting Your Own Practice

“Spirituality is recognising and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning and purpose to our lives.”

– Brené Brown

So how does anyone increase the role of spiritual practice in their life? There are many ways to begin and the positive psychological effects of stress-reduction are well-supported. 

If you want to increase your spirituality, we have five ways to begin:

1. Determine the type of people that you want to surround yourself with. Join groups and events where you are ly to find them;
2. Volunteer or donate to a cause that is important to you;
3. Learn to meditate. This doesn’t mean you need to sit cross-legged forever. There are many different techniques and types of meditation, it’s a matter of experimenting until you find one that suits you. You may even create a meditation routine specifically for you. (Don’t forget to share it in the comment section, we’d love to know). 
4. Use movement to connect with your own body. Research shows that “green exercise” decreases stress, improves mood and enhances focus. Whether walking, running, or practicing breathing exercises, take it out in nature.
5. Create rituals. Which small activity increases your sense of calm? And how can you transform it into a daily ritual?

Remember to start slow, if you are adding a new practice to your daily or weekly routine. You are more ly to stick to your practice if you start small (APA 2014).

So whether you are walking outside, or adding meditation to your life, begin with a 10-15 minute practice.

Do you think there are other ways to connect science and spirituality? What are ways you find spirituality in your daily routines? Please leave your thoughts in our comments! 

Источник: //positivepsychologyprogram.com/science-of-spirituality/

The pastor: maintaining spiritual fitness

The sun beamed mercilessly. “Before you graduate from this place, you'll run three miles in under 25 minutes,” barked a Marine Corps drill instructor. His words sounded a death sentence to those of us who aspired to become chaplains pastors in a military setting.

During our civilian pastorates, most of us had led less active lives. But now at the Navy's chaplain school, the rules were different. In this new milieu physical readiness was an absolute essential.

Miraculously each of us survived the three-mile “freedom run” as we entered military service and ministry to God and country.

During the past 19 years my thoughts have often returned to the challenges that confronted me in my chaplain school training. I can still hear the staccato commands of my drill instructor.

As a minister determined to maximize my ministry potential, my concern for spiritual fitness now takes precedence over my quest for physical excellence. Paul's admonition, directed at a young pastor, seems most appropriate: “Keep yourself in training for a godly life.

Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, be cause it promises life both for the present and for the future” (1 Tim. 4:7, 8).*

Prayer, meditation, self-examination, fellowship, service, sacrifice, and submission to the will of others, witness all of these can assist me, through the Spirit, to become a more godly person.” 1

My spirit resonates with Wiersbe's sentiments. Combining physical and spiritual exercises has, in fact, strengthened my relationship with Jesus. For example, during my daily jog, I listen to Bible tapes. The experience is simply transforming: the Bible has come alive for me in a way I never expected. Spiritual calisthenics does make a difference.

Importance of spiritual fitness

How important is spiritual fitness for clergy? Because of our ministerial calling, some assume we stay spiritually fit simply by doing our work. Yes, we are remunerated for studying the Bible, for participating in worship, for lifting our hearts in prayer, just basketball players are remunerated for doing their jobs and for training to be fit.

The sad truth is that just because we do our work, we as pastors are not necessarily spiritually fit.

Didn't Jesus confront one of his disciples, who would soon preach on the day of Pentecost, and warn him of the danger of falling short of the standard of spiritual excellence? After Peter had declared his undying loyalty, our Lord challenged him with these words: “Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff. I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me. you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31, 32).

Clergy—an enemy target

Why should ministers be so concerned about spiritual fitness? Shouldn't all Christians press toward the mark of the prize in Christ Jesus? While each believer should grow in grace, ministers need to be even more vigilant. The fall of a minister has more far-reaching con sequences than that of a member. As a leader of the flock of God, a spiritually unfit shepherd can endanger the sheep.

Richard Baxter, the great Puritan preacher, believed ministers must be prepared for greater temptations than the average Christian. “Take heed to yourselves,” he once wrote to ministers, “because the tempter will more ply you with his temptations than other men.

If you will be the leader against the prince of darkness, he will spare you no further than God restraineth him. He beareth you the greatest malice to those that are engaged to do him the greatest mischief.

As he hateth Christ more than any of us, because he is the General of the field, the Captain of our salvation, and doth more than all the world besides against his kingdom; so doth he hate the leaders under him, more than the common soldier: he knows what a rout he may make among them, if the leaders fall before their eyes.”2

Spiritual disciplines

What spiritual disciplines can help produce spiritual fitness? Are there spiritual calisthenics to enable one to maintain a spiritual glow? Even as a variety of exercises bring positive results in physical fitness, so it is in spiritual fitness.

Simplicity, confession, fasting, meditation, worship, celebration, prayer, silence, submission, and study can each contribute to spiritual fitness.

While my focus will concentrate on only five of these disciplines, remember God's power can make any spiritual exercise valuable.

• Study. Paul, old and awaiting martyrdom, wrote to Timothy to bring his books (2 Tim. 4:13). The great preacher, having written works that would last as long as history, still wanted books. He enjoyed direct communion with Jesus, yet he wanted books. He had preached for three decades, but still wanted books. Paul was a student all his life.

The study that Paul intended to do went beyond sermon preparation or doing research to write an epistle. Paul studied to nourish his soul, to prevent spiritual malnutrition.

What should ministers study to maintain spiritual fitness? Obviously, we must study God's Word. I have often found it helpful to read through a book of the Bible, a portion each day. This practice nourishes me spiritually.

We should also read spiritual classics by such writers as Augustine, Thomas a Kempis, Broth er Lawrence, Blaise Pascal, George Fox, William Law, Ellen White, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Thomas Kelly, and C. S. Lewis. We should also study nonverbal books, such as nature and relationships.

With our ears eager to hear the voice of God, we may find sermons in stones, and books in babbling brooks.

• Self-examination. Once after listening to a powerful sermon, I asked the preacher for the secret of his power. He told me he had spent the night in prayer and soul-searching.

Do we really engage in substantive self-examination? This important spiritual discipline can mean the difference between a productive and unproductive life. Benjamin Franklin accomplished great things in his life through the use of self-examination.

At the end of the day he would reflect to see how well he had mastered the virtues of silence, temperance, order, frugality, industry, sincerity, moderation, humility, cleanliness, and others.

3 Though he never reached his ideal, Franklin's life was immeasurably enriched.

• Prayer. Most ministers know that prayer imparts life to the soul. When life's vicissitudes disconcert us, prayer provides a wonderful source of strength.

Jesus frequently sought the strength-renewing reservoir of private prayer.

Charles Spurgeon assiduously applied himself to private prayer and believed other clerics should do the same. He wrote: “If there be any man under heaven, who is compelled to carry out the precept 'Pray without ceasing,' surely it is the Christian minister.

He has peculiar temptations, special trials, singular difficulties, and remarkable duties; he has to deal with God in awful relationships, and with men in mysterious interests; he there fore needs much more grace than common men, and as he knows this, he is led constantly to cry to the strong for strength, and say T will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.'”4

I have found it helpful to use scripture as a springboard for prayer. Pouring a little water into an old pump primes it, and the pump begins to work.

wise, the water of prayer begins to flow in my spirit when primed with the water of God's Word. I also seek to keep a prayer list.

Although it's only a 3 x 5 card, it helps me keep a focus and avoid distractions during intercessory prayer. These simple strategies have enlivened my prayer life.

• Silence. As a tool of spiritual fitness, silence provides a powerful force for growth. Ralph Heynen puts it this way: “God's usual way of working is in silence. The breaking of the day or the setting of the sun or the falling of the dew are not heard by the human ear. The character of a man is built the temple of Solomon that rose in silence on Zion's hill.”5

Silence can impart valuable spiritual strength. But we run from it. We can't drive without the distraction of the radio. We can't exercise without background music. Should we not realize and practice that there is a time for silence and a time to talk (see Eccl. 3:7).

• Submission. Submission refers to self-denial without self-hatred; it en tails embracing the revolutionary life of subordination taught by Jesus.6 Sub mission means dying daily to self, taking up the cross of service, and fol lowing Jesus. “The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought.

The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, and being clothed with humility, possessing that love that is pure, peaceable, and easy to be entreated, full of gentleness and good fruits, is not an easy attainment. Yet it is [our] privilege and [our] duty be a perfect overcomer here.

It is not easy for ministers to practice submission. People place us on pedestals. We receive so much attention. Because of the high esteem we receive, we tend to forget the importance of servanthood, and instead the disciples seek the chief seats in the kingdom.

According to Robert Greenleaf, author of Servant Leadership, submission and leadership are not antithetical.

“Servant and leader can these two roles be fused in one real person, in all levels of status or calling? If so, can that person live and be productive in the real world of the present? My sense of the present leads me to say yes to both questions.”8 Ministers in full submission to the lordship of Christ will be servant leaders of His people.

Even with the spiritual calisthenics of study, self-examination, prayer, silence, and submission, the journey of maintaining spiritual fitness will always have hills and valleys. one of our preaching predecessors dis covered, God can empower us to forget what is behind us and press toward the prize of Jesus Christ.

* All Scripture passages in this article are from Today's English Version.

1. Warren Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton, 111.: Victor Books, 1989), vol. 2, p. 226.

2. Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (Carlisle, Pa.: Banner of Truth, 1983), p. 74.

3. George L. Rogers, Ed., Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue (Eden Prairie, Minn.: Acorn Pub., 1990).

4. Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, (Lynchburg, Va.: Old Time Gospel Hour, 1985), p. 41.

6. Richard Foster, The Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco: Harper and Row Pub., Inc., 1978), pp. 96, 97.

7. Ellen White, Pastoral Ministry (Silver Spring, Md.: Ministerial Association of SDA, 1995), p. 20.

8. Robert Greenleaf, Servant Leadership (New York: Paulist Press, 1977), p. 7.

Источник: //www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1996/01/the-pastor-maintaining-spiritual-fitness

Spirituality and the Rat Race: can you maintain a spiritual focus in the 9-to-5 world?

I work in New York City in the frenetic world of advertising. After a two-hour early morning commute, I usually walk into the office with a couple of tight deadlines to make, two to three meetings to attend and an average of a crisis a day to handle. I work with people who approach their jobs with the same level of intensity you might associate with brain surgery.

Now I consider myself a spiritual guy and place the utmost importance on my relationship with God/the Divine. Which raises an important question:

Can a working professional in a high-stress job maintain a consistent spiritual focus—or are the stresses of work incompatible with the contemplative life?

One person who thought about this subject was the prolific American writer and Catholic mysticThomas Merton.

When Merton joined the Trappists at the age of twenty-five, he was already a man of the world. He had graduated from Columbia University in Manhattan and travelled extensively throughout Europe.

Even after becoming a monk, he retained his love for jazz clubs and drinking beer.

Merton, who clearly knew the joys of life beyond the monastery, had an interesting take on vocation and spirituality. It’s a subject he addressed head on in his book No Man is An Island, where he saw the difficulty in trying to live the spiritual life while working in a city setting:

Everything in modern city life is calculated to keep man from entering into himself and thinking about spiritual things. Even with the best of intentions a spiritual man finds himself exhausted and deadened and debased by the constant noise of machines and loudspeakers, the dead air and the glaring lights of offices and shops.

Yet that did not mean that Merton thought we should follow his lead and head off to a religious community in the hills of Kentucky or elsewhere. Having lived both inside and outside the monastery’s walls, Merton realized the monk’s life could present an even more difficult path for those truly interested in the contemplative life.

The mere fact that everything in a contemplative monastery is supposed to be geared for a life of prayer is precisely what makes it difficult…there is more working than praying in the daily round of duties. In a life where all is prayer, those who do not have a special contemplative vocation often end up by praying less than they would actually do in the active life.

Merton offers encouragement to those who seek to live “the active life” while engaging in contemplative living, realizing that the path he had chosen for himself was not for everybody. He explains:

There are some people who are perfectly capable of tasting true spiritual peace in an active life but who would go crazy if they had to keep themselves still in absolute solitude and silence for any length of time…what a hopeless thing the spiritual life would be if it could only be lived under ideal conditions.

Work occupies the body and the mind and is necessary for the health of the spirit. Work can help us to pray…and brings peace to the soul that has a semblance or order and spiritual understanding.

But later in life, Merton seemed to have a change of heart warning us about the perils of the active life. Writing in Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, he railed against the specter of overwork and hyperactivity. He took a forceful stance on the subject suggesting that working too much takes us away from inner peace and in fact causes us great harm. He preached that:

The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence…to allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence…it destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work [and life] fruitful.

So what is one to make of Merton’s seemingly contradictory advice?

all things in life, I suppose it’s about balance, about finding the happy medium between the working life and the contemplative life. It’s a fluid situation, with the demands of work ebbing and flowing—but then isn’t finding and defining our purpose in life fluid as well, a constantly moving target?

For me, this ongoing shaping of purpose is intertwined with managing the work and spirituality balance, the former always threatening to squeeze the latter existence. But with diligent effort, I do my best to see that the balance is maintained.

This morning, for instance, I dug deep into my bag of spirituality tricks. After rising at 5:30 am, I sipped a cup of freshly brewed coffee, then hit the floor and stretched. I meditated. Then, I put in a brisk three-mile run. And once on the bus for my long commute into the city, I silently recited a prayer of gratitude and did some spiritual reading.

I will walk the mile to my building with my eyes and senses wide open, to fully take in my surroundings.

Then, once I enter the office, I’ll remind myself to be kind and generous in spirit to all I encounter during the day, no matter the circumstances.

And should things get especially intense, I’ll remember to b-r-e-a-t-h-e deeply and possibly take a short walk. I’ll try to put my best foot forward, hopefully having a positive effect on all those I encounter.

But as the years tick by, and I enter my fourth decade in advertising, I feel the pull of the contemplative life even more.

This is what life will demand of me. And ultimately, it’s what I will demand of myself.

This post is an excerpt from a longer article written for Contemplative Journal and published November 4, 2013. You can see the full story here.

Источник: //www.patheos.com/blogs/wakeupcall/2013/11/spirituality-and-the-rat-race/

Satanic Prayers for Devotion And Worship

Prayers for Satan

Here are some prayers for Satan for you to use in your time of need. This essay is for those who want to develop a spiritual relationship with Satan through the devotional act of prayer.

For Spiritual Satanists, prayer can help to connect you with the force of Satan.

Prayer allows you to have a personal relationship with Satan that you can work on every day, both in the ritual room, and outside of ritual work.

Satanic devotional prayer can be a useful tool in your spiritual journey in Satanism. Anyone with a sincere desire to get closer to Satan can pray to him. All it takes is a heartfelt motivation to reach out to his force and make it a part of you. Hopefully these prayers for Satan can help you in your situation.

There are no set rules in Spiritual Satanism that state that prayer to Satan is required. But if you do chose to pray you have an opportunity to bond with Satan in a personal way. When a prayer is said to Satan, it is not just said with words; it is felt with the heart as well. Prayer is a form of communication with the spiritually divine.

Prayer can be considered without devotion. Satanic prayer can be used as a spiritual tool without having the need to worship Satan. In this way you can remain independent while still having the spiritual connection that you need to feel close to Satan. 

How to Pray to Satan

Praying to Satan is not complicated. All you have to do is say the words not just in your mind but in your heart. Reaching out to Satan in this way allows you to have a spiritual connection. When you pray to Satan you are speaking to him and his force, not just at him. Your words are not lost; Satan knows what is in your heart.

Prayer is best done in a quiet place, away from anyone who might interrupt you. Your prayer does not have to be done in your ritual chamber. Take a few moments beforehand to focus and think and feel why you are about to pray.

When is the right time to pray to Satan?

Prayer can be used to strengthen your bond with Satan. It can be used to give you personal strength or when you are seeking reassurance or comfort. It can also be used to give you clarity in a situation or to receive guidance. Prayer can be done outside of the ritual chamber at any time you feel it is necessary.

If daily devotional prayer interests you, this Satanic prayer may be used during a moment when you have time alone to be with Satan. In this prayer you align yourself with the forces of Satan, Lucifer, Belial and Lilith.

Prayer for The Praise of Satan’s Kingdom

Praise, Hail Satan!Glory be to Satan the Father of the Earthand to Lucifer our guiding lightand to Belial who walks between worldsand to Lilith the queen of the nightAs it was in the void of the beginningIs now, and ever shall be, Satan’s kingdom without End

so it is done.

Satanist’s Creed

The Satanist’s Creed is another prayer that you can use for devotion or praise for Satan. This prayer seeks to establish your devotion to Satan. This prayer can also be said after you complete your Pact with Satan, to affirm your relationship with Satan.

I believe in the force of SatanThe father of the voidRuler of the earth king of the world,And in Lucifer, the guiding light and the morning star above.And Lilith, who seeded the world with her creationI believe I am my own churchI hold the spirit of Satan within my heart;I was born without the stain of sinmy spirit is one with SatanAs it is now and ever will be,

So it is done.

Prayer to Satan for Power

Use this prayer in your time of need, when you feel that you need to be empowered by the spirit of Satan.

Satan, grant me the power to be strong in spiritGrant me the ability to see what is right for meGrant me the wisdom to understand your ways

Grant me the knowledge to empower myself

Power in the name of Satan to break the bonds that hold me backPower in the name of Satan to overcome my weaknesses

Power in the name of Satan to be strong within

Grant me the ability to know what is right for meGrant me the vision to have wisdom in your waysI accept your guidance and wisdom

In the name of Satan

Prayer to Satan for Money

Satan is the god of the material world, so why not ask for assistance? While you could also use magic for the same purpose, perhaps this prayer will help as well.

Satan thank you for the riches you have brought to meBring me victory in my desire to grow in richesO, Satan, ruler of the material worldbring your abundance and mercygrant me that which I desire

Fill me with your power and spirit

Satan’s Prayer

A popular prayer that has been interpreted among Satanists for many years.

Our FatherWho art in HellCursed be thy nameThy kingdom upon earth has comeThy will be done in hell as it is on earthGrant us your power and mightAnd lead us into temptationDeliver us unto evilThine is the kingdom of earthThe power and the gloryForever and ever

So it is done.

Satanic Prayer Aligns you with the Force of Satan

Prayer can be a useful tool in your relationship with Satan. All you have to do is make a conscious effort to reach out and Satan will listen. Prayers for Satan really work. But consider that prayer is so much more than just asking for things; it is a spiritual communication between you and Satan, and your opportunity to grow closer to Satan every day.

For more information on how to Pray with Satan visit the SpiritualSatanist Blog -> How do I Pray to Satan?
Also, read a note at the Spiritual Satanist Blog about a Prayer to Satan for Guidance and Protection

Spiritual Satanist Prayer Book: Infernal Reflections

For those of you who want to make Satanic prayer a part of your daily life, read about my new book, the Spiritual Satanist Prayer Book: Infernal Reflections. The Spiritual Satanist Prayer Book shows you how you can use prayer as a tool to become closer to Satan, Lucifer, Lilith and Belial.

Stop wondering how to connect with Satan when it’s just as easy as saying and feeling the mindful prayers that you will find in this book. This is a pocket sized book that you can take with you anywhere! Visit the Spiritual Satanist Prayer Book: Infernal Reflections page here at the Spiritual Satanist site to find out more.

Powerful Prayer: How to Make Smoking a Spiritual Practice

About one in four deaths from cancer occur from lung cancer, which often manifests as a result of smoking cigarettes. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2015 about 15% of US citizens considered themselves cigarette smokers. The same report showed that nearly half a million people died each year in the United States as a result of cigarette smoking.

These are startling statistics, especially considering that cigarettes are considered highly addictive, both physically and psychologically.

They’re used as punctuation marks throughout the day: wake up — have a smoke, finish a meal — have a smoke, break time — have a smoke.

They’re also used as a stress management tool, a quick way to decompress from work, interpersonal issues, or even the strain of boredom.

Long before we had Marlboro and Camel, tobacco was seen as a sacred herb. The indigenous people of the Americas used tobacco as a way to commune with Spirit, to set intentions, and to pray. Commercial tobacco processing has completely divorced the act of smoking from these sacred intents, and turned it into a habit that kills and injures thousands of people every year.

Tobacco as a sacred herb

“It’s not an item that we smoke at our leisure. It’s a blessing from the Creator. He gave us this tobacco to use in our ceremonies, to ask Him for guidance.” ~ Wilfrid Cleveland, President of Ho-Chunk Nation

Most, (if not all), indigenous tribes approach life using the sacred wheel, which is oriented toward the four directions.

Briefly, the East is the direction of the spirit, the South is the direction of the emotions, the West is the direction of the body, and the North is the direction of the mind.

(You can find other interpretations of the directions different traditions.) Tobacco is considered the sacred herb of the East.

For many of the indigenous tribes of the Americas, tobacco is considered the first medicine gifted to man by Great Spirit. In traditional practices, tobacco is used as a way to transmit prayers and intentions to God, as its roots deeply penetrate the ground, while its smoke rises to the heavens.

Approaching tobacco in a mindful way

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zin

The first step to transforming an unhealthy relationship with tobacco is to become more mindful of your tobacco use. It’s so easy to buy a pack and light up without even thinking about it. Many times, I’d find myself chain-smoking, totally unaware of what I was doing until my pack started feeling suspiciously light.

The best way I’ve found to increase my mindfulness when it comes to smoking is to roll my own tobaccos. Every time I go to have a smoke, I have to take the time to feel every step in the process. I smooth out my rolling paper, set my filter to one side, pinch off a bit of tobacco, then carefully craft these ingredients into a tobacco.

Smoking this way has a few sweet side benefits, as well. It’s easier to find additive free rolling tobacco than additive free cigarettes. You can include additional ingredients mint, lavender, or various herbs that actually combat lung inflammation, mullein. Plus, it’s generally cheaper than tailored cigarettes.

Approaching tobacco in a sacred way

“Ask the plants of the earth and they will teach you… Who among all these does not know that the Hand of the Lord has done this?” ~ Job 12:8-9

I lived for a time in a community in Peru which focuses on studying sacred plants, and creating community leaders a vision of life originating from the Sacred Wheel. In this community, tobacco is approached with reverence, and the process of smoking a tobacco (to differentiate it from a manufactured cigarette) is much more involved than just lighting up.

Since tobacco is used to send prayers to Great Spirit, the first step is to pray.

I sit quietly with my tobacco, and first concentrate on making a connection with the spirit of the tobacco.

This is a subtle step, that develops over time, which can be started by simply placing your attention on the energy of the tobacco. Then, I offer a short prayer, often one of gratitude and affirmation.

I will then offer my tobacco to the seven directions — East, South, West, North, Above, Below, and Center — as well as to the unending spiral of life. At which point I light my tobacco.

While I’m smoking, I use only my first or second finger and my thumb to hold it, as a way to acknowledge Great Spirit (the thumb), the Divinity in us all (my finger), and the unbroken bond between the two (the circle my thumb and finger make). When I’m finished smoking, I offer a brief prayer of thanks before extinguishing the ember.

In this way, every tobacco becomes an opportunity for prayer.

Redefining your relationship

“The more I contemplate God, the more God looks on me. The more I pray to him, the more he thinks of me too.” Bernard of Clairvaux

For years I smoked cigarettes without developing a healthy relationship with Grandfather Tobacco.

Once I was introduced to Him, the transition away from my previous habits took some time, and is still developing. I won’t say I have a completely healthy relationship now, but it has improved drastically.

I say this to emphasize the point that any transitioning of a relationship will take time, and effort.

If you’re motivated to cultivate a deeper and more nourishing relationship with tobacco, begin with a prayer. It doesn’t have to be as involved as I described above, but can be as simple as “I acknowledge and thank you.” Then, build from there.

The use of tobacco can be a beautiful addition to any spiritual practice, or it can be a powerful poison that leads to sickness and disease. As with all things in life, so much of its power lies in how we approach it.

Reference

Smoking in the US fact sheet

Image source
Tobacco art

Comments

Источник: //fractalenlightenment.com/41647/culture/powerful-prayer-make-smoking-spiritual-practice