Entering Your Home

“The morning star of this new day looks on a different world where God is welcomed and His Son with Him.  We who complete Him offer thanks to Him, as He gives thanks to us.  The Son is still, and in the quiet God has given him enters his home and is at peace at last.  (M92)”

Affirmation:  “May I enter my Home at last.”

Reflections:

This is the final few sentences of the Manual.  And it is a great comfort to read and to reread.  The “morning star” is an allusion to Revelation in the New Testament.

May we reach this place of Home and be at peace sooner rather than later.  May we study the Course diligently, so that this great blessing will be ours.  May we love our brothers and sisters, forgiving them their mistakes.  May we thank God for His great blessings to us.

Jesus is with us all along the way.  Remembering this will help us to remember our blessings, even as our path meanders toward Home.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

Thank You for guiding me through the Manual.  May I accept the fact that my journey without distance to my Home will not be a straight line, but that there will be a bit of wandering about on my part.  I realize that this is natural, but I ask You to help my path Home to be as straight and clear as possible.

Thank You for A Course in Miracles.  As I read through the Manual,  I am especially grateful for the blessings that I find therein.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 90:

For this review we will use these ideas:

Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved.

Let me recognize my problems have been solved.

The Journey

“Forget not once this journey is begun the end is certain.  Doubt along the way will come and go and go to come again.  Yet is the ending sure.  No one can fail to do what God appointed him to do.  When you forget, remember that you walk with Him and with His Word upon your heart.  (M91)”

Affirmation:  “The ending is sure.”

Reflections:

We are sure to get Home.  Once the journey is begun, the ending is certain.  And all of us have begun the journey, the “journey without distance” (quoted elsewhere in the Course).

Getting Home is not a straight line.  We will vary, and sometimes we will fall off the pathway.  But if we give up attack, judgment, and planning against contingencies to come, we will find our way back onto the pathway.  These three aspects of our experience–attack, judging, and planning–are all the means by which we fail (a Course concept).  Let us give up such nonsense now.

We do walk with Jesus, as we walk with God and the Holy Spirit.  Elsewhere Jesus invites us to imagine that we hold his hand as we walk along, and he assures us that this is no idle fantasy.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

I would like to imagine today that Jesus is walking along the way with me–through everything that I see and know today.  Help me really to feel this.  I know that this is a blessing that requires a leap of faith, but I am ready to take that leap.

Thank You for the comfort of the Course.  Thank You for the reassurance that, once begun, the way Home is certain.  I will find You again.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 89:

These are our review ideas for today:

I am entitled to miracles.

Let miracles replace all grievances.

The Christ

“Is he the Christ?  O yes, along with you.  His little life on earth was not enough to teach the mighty lesson that he learned for all of you.  He will remain with you to lead you from the hell you made to God.  And when you join your will with his, your sight will be his vision, for the eyes of Christ are shared.  Walking with him is just as natural as walking with a brother whom you knew since you were born, for such indeed he is.  (M88)”

Affirmation:  “May I walk with Christ, my brother, today.”

Reflections:

A quite comforting passage, this indicates that Jesus has nothing that we too are not meant to have.  He has just reached Home sooner, and therefore is in a better position to help us do the same.

We too are part of the Christhood.  We have not assumed our place yet (at least most of us have not), but the time is at hand when we will.  Studying the Course is our way Home.  Other pathways are valid also, but we have chosen the Course, and it has been meant for us.

This passage indicates that we have walked with Jesus since we were born; we just have not been aware of this blessing.  Let us now be aware of this blessing.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I learn today what it is to walk closely with Christ.  He has indicated that he will be with us always.  I claim that promise today.

Thank You for helping in so many ways.  Sometimes the way seems long, and other times I am comforted that the way to You is short.  May I rest in Your presence today.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 88:

Today we will review these ideas:

The light has come.

I am under no laws but God’s.

The Name of Jesus

“The name of Jesus is the name of one who was a man but saw the face of Christ in all his brothers and remembered God.  So he became identified with Christ, a man no longer, but at one with God.  (M87)”

Affirmation:  “May I see the face of Christ in all my brothers and sisters.”

Reflections:

This passage explains the true role of Jesus as the Christ.  Elsewhere, repeatedly, Jesus in the Course refers to himself as our brother, our elder brother, who has walked the whole pathway, and who stands at the end to help us when we fail to walk the whole pathway.  He will assist us.  We do not have to feel alone.

All of us are eventually to reach Christ consciousness (an interpretation, not spelled out in the Course).  Then we will surely understand what Jesus has been trying to tell us.

When we see the face of Christ in all our brothers and sisters, we will know that we have made much progress.  Seeing the face of Christ in our brothers and sisters is a prerequisite to finding our way Home.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I recognize the face of Christ in all of those people who surround me, my brothers and sisters.  May I come to understand exactly what this means.  I realize that I do not have to understand to recognize when this miracle is happening.

Thank You for leading me farther along the pathway to You and to Christ consciousness.  May I prove worthy in my dealings with all whom I encounter.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 87:

Our review today will cover these ideas:

I will there be light.

There is no will but God’s.

You Have Never Left Heaven

“There is no need for help to enter Heaven for you have never left.  But there is need for help beyond yourself as you are circumscribed by false beliefs of your Identity, Which God alone established in reality.  Helpers are given you in many forms, although upon the altar they are one.  (M87)”

Affirmation:  “May I recognize my Helpers.”

Reflections:

This is a lovely passage, but one that may be hard to believe.  Have we really never left Heaven?  It certainly seems that we have.

The passage refers to the larger Self of which we are a part; this Self has indeed never left Heaven.  The “false beliefs of your Identity” refer to the falling into the egoic state of mind, from which we would escape.  We can escape by turning to the Helpers given us–the Holy Spirit (of primary importance), Jesus, other brothers and sisters, the Course itself, and the like.  We are not alone in this world, and we would do well to reach out for help back Home.

It is a very loving thought to realize that we have never left Heaven.  If we keep this one point in mind, it will lead us to the “limitless release” and “pure joy” that the Course speaks about elsewhere.

Dear Father/Mother,

May I realize the beauty of the fact that my Self has never left Heaven.  Thank You for this reassurance.  May I know where to turn and what to do to realize Heaven.

I appreciate the reassurance that You offer me continually.  Help me to live through this day and to make of it a good day.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 86:

These ideas are for review today:

Only God’s plan for salvation will work.

Holding grievances is an attack on God’s plan for salvation.

Forgiveness = A Happy Fiction

“Forgiveness might be called a kind of happy fiction; a way in which the unknowing can bridge the gap between their perception and the truth.  They cannot go directly from perception to knowledge because they do not think it is their will to do so.  (M83)”

Affirmation:  “Forgiveness = a kind of happy fiction”

Reflections:

Forgiveness is “happy fiction” because there is actually nothing that we need to forgive.  But in this world, this is not entirely true.  We need the practice of forgiveness until we reach the point that we realize that everyone is actually innocent, and what our brothers and sisters have done to us is not real.  Forgiveness thus becomes our way out.

Forgiveness is a central point of the Course.  Until we master forgiveness, we will remain lost in a world of ego-oriented thinking and living.

Our perception needs to move closer to the truth, which is knowledge given by God.  We do not make this transition ourselves because we do not fully understand, and we cannot fully understand, because knowledge is the providence of God.  He will reach down and lift us up when we are ready.  And that is all we really need to know.  That is the great promise held out to us.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I practice forgiveness today for my brothers and sisters, and for myself.  It is comforting to read that it is just a happy fiction–that we are all actually innocent, and that we have not, in reality, changed ourselves since our creation.  We have been lost in illusion.

Thank you for prompting Jesus to give us these ideas.  They are internally consistent ideas, and from them we will eventually come to the knowledge that only You can impart.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 85:

Today’s review will cover these ideas:

My grievances hide the light of the world in me.

My salvation comes from me.

Consciousness

“Consciousness has levels and awareness can shift quite dramatically, but it cannot transcend the perceptual realm.  At its highest it becomes aware of the real world, and can be trained to do increasingly.  Yet the very fact that it has levels and can be trained demonstrates that it cannot reach knowledge.  (M80)”

Affirmation:  “May I become ever more aware of the real world.”

Reflections:

These are the theoretical underpinnings of the Course.  This passage indicates that achieving the real world, a world of love devoid of the ego, is a gradual process.  Moreover, perception can be cleansed, and we seek to train our minds to increase our perception in order to get us out of the ego-oriented world that we see.  But knowledge is of God, in revelation, and this cannot be taught.  It is a gift of God, when we have removed the barriers to the presence of knowledge.

Our consciousness is important to us, and we have learned falsely, through psychology, that a strong ego is necessary to live in this world.  We do not need ego in the sense that the Course refers to the “ego.”  But this word is slippery, and it is does not mean the same to all people, even psychologists.  In the Course, the word “ego” is a false perception of ourselves, a false image that leads us into pain and suffering.  It is not a thing that we would want, and we are bade to leave it behind.

In this world, the ego is constantly being undone.  We are pricked at the point of our greatest pride, an egoistic trait.  We are constantly brought low when the ego has been in ascendancy.  This is no accident.  It is the way of salvation for us, according to the Course.

We may not realize it, but the real world is what we want while on this earth.  The real world will sparkle with joy, and our eyes will light up at the thought of another day.  Let us not be discouraged if we don’t achieve this boon on a constant basis.  Elsewhere Jesus says that here we will not be without limitations, but that our task is to escape from them.  This we will do increasingly as we study the Course and make its tenets our own.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I be increasingly conscious of the real world of joy and love.  I realize that this is still a perception, and so it is not the knowledge that only You can give.  I hope to walk further along the pathway, so that I am ready for the knowledge that only You can impart.

Thank you for being there for me.  As I pray so often, help me to follow in Your way and by Your guidance.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 84:

These are the ideas for today’s review:

Love created me like Itself.

Love holds no grievances.

The Ego’s Questions

“The ego may ask, ‘How did the impossible occur?’, ‘To what did the impossible happen?’, and may ask this in many forms.  Yet there is no answer; only an experience.  Seek only this, and do not let theology delay you. (M77)”

Affirmation:  “May I seek spiritual experience rather than theology.”

Reflections:

This passage refers to the beginnings of time as we know it.  How did we separate from God?  What tiny, mad idea did we entertain?  The ego wants to know, and maybe we do also.

The Course is always practical, and elsewhere tells us that it is concerned with only the practical.  It says that a universal theology is impossible, but that a universal experience is not only possible, but necessary.  The Course does not waste much, if any, time debating theological issues, and recommends that we not do so either.  It suggests that theology is heavily influenced by the ego, which is our false concept of ourselves.

We need to seek the experience that the Course holds out to us–an ego-less form of living that marches us straightway toward Awakening.  We get there, as we have said repeatedly, by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus would not have us delayed on this “journey without distance,” and so bids us to seek the experience and not to let theology delay us.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

Theology is the preoccupation of so much religion.  Please let my religion, my spirituality, be different.  May I seek an experience of spirituality, one that You lead me to discover.

Thank you for Your guidance always.  May I better follow Your guidance this day.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 83:

Today let us review these ideas:

My only function is the one God gave me.

My happiness and my function are one.

Ask of Your Teacher and Receive Immediately

“Ask all things of His Teacher, and all things are given you.  Not in the future but immediately; now.  (M71)”

Affirmation:  “If I ask, I will receive immediately.”

Reflections:

This passage is incredibly helpful.  We receive answers immediately to our questions and to our prayers.  “Now” may not be recognized by us, though.  We may not hear the Answer that we are expecting, leading us to believe that we are not heard at all.  But we are.

When answers do not seem to come immediately, go within.  Get calm and relaxed, or, as the Course says, “perfectly calm and quiet.”  Ask why there seems to be a delay.  And you will be told.  The answer will present itself.  If you are very upset, you may not be able to hear the response immediately.  Pray diligently, and then quietly go about your life.  When you are quiet within, the Answer will appear.  This is an assurance that this passage gives.

The fact that the answer is given “now” does not necessarily mean that we are in the frame of mind that can hear that answer.  Be patient with yourself.  We are not without limitations in this world (a Course concept).  Know in your deepest heart that the Answer you are seeking has been given, and in time, usually soon, the Answer will appear spontaneously in your mind and heart.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

I know that when I ask, I will receive answers.  The Course says “immediately.”  But I know that Your time is not always mine.  When my faith is strong, though, the beginning of an answer to my problems does come immediately.  That much I know for certain.  Thank You.

Once again I ask for the strength and willingness to follow guidance always.  I have often said that I am much happier when I do follow these whisperings, and I ask for that willingness, that flexibility, today.

Amen.

Workbook Lesson for Day 82:

We will review these ideas today:

“The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.”

“Let me not forget my function.”

Your Father Loves You

“God would be cruel if He let your words replace His Own.  A loving father does not let his child harm himself, or choose his own destruction.  He may ask for injury, but his father will protect him still.  And how much more than this does your Father love His Son?  (M71)”

Affirmation:  “My Father loves me.”

Reflections:

This passage seems to suggest the real reason that we sometimes think that we do not receive answers to our prayers.  The Course makes clear that we are always answered in our best interests, and our prayers may have asked for something that, in the long run, would be to our detriment.

The Holy Spirit, just like Jesus, is our Friend.  He will protect us in this sometimes chaotic world.  We have only to offer Him the slightest nod in His direction, and He tells us where to step next.

God is our Father/Mother.  He, like an earthly father (normally), wants only the best for us, His children.  He will protect us by sending the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to help us make our way in this world.  Then we will know the blessings that are truly intended for us.  We must pray for solutions to our difficulties.  We will not be disappointed, though God’s timetable in answering may not be our own.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

You know how often I have prayed for certain things in my life.  I do not know Your timetable, but I do pray that You will remove the barriers in me, if there are some, that hinder Your answer to my prayer.

Thank You for being there always for me.  If I ask amiss, help me to realize this  possibility, and to pray that You guide my prayers aright.

Amen.

The Requests of Your Heart

“Never forget that the Holy Spirit does not depend on your words.  He understands the requests of your heart, and answers them.  Does this mean that, while attack remains attractive to you, He will respond with evil?  Hardly!  For God has given Him the power to translate your prayers of the heart into His language.  He understands that an attack is a call for help.  And He responds with help accordingly.  (M71)”

Affirmation:  “May I always remember that any attack is always a call for help.”

Reflections:

A very reassuring passage (as are so many in the Course), these words assure us that the better “thoughts” of our heart will be what the Holy Spirit listens and responds to.  We may ask for what may hurt us, but God will protect us from such false dreams.  The Holy Spirit knows what the Self really wants, and this Self is the larger life that we have beyond this world.

This passage repeats the oft-given truth that an attack is a call for help.  This explains what we may already realize from other passages:  that our brothers and sisters are only asking for help when they attack.  The same holds true for ourselves as well.  Attack is never what it seems.  Attack asks that we rush to the side of the offending party, and give whatever sort of help seems called for.  Once we take this truth to heart, we will never view our brothers and sisters the same.  We have no reason to become angry when we are the brunt of an attack.  Our brothers and sisters always just want our help, however disguised the request comes to us.

The Holy Spirit always helps us.  He does not intrude, but once we have made Him welcome, He will be there for us.  The most important aspect is our flexibility is following His guidance.  He does not frequently give advice unsolicited or even too far in advance; that is why we must be ready and even eager to “turn on a dime.”  When we follow guidance consistently, we open the way to a glorious world, the real world, that is far beyond anything that this prosaic world seems to offer us.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I realize that God will give me good.  He understands the requests of my heart, and he translates my sometimes imperfect words into the best for me.

May I also come to terms with all attack, whether from others upon me or from myself upon others.  May I recognize that attack is always a call for help.  Then may I turn inward to find that help that is so much needed at times of attack.

Amen.

When Do You Ask for Help?

“If you have made it a habit to ask for help when and where you can, you can be confident that wisdom will be given you when you need it.  Prepare for this each morning, remember God when you can throughout the day, ask the Holy Spirit’s help when it is feasible to do so, and thank Him for His guidance at night.  And your confidence will be well founded indeed.  (M71)”

Affirmation:  “ask for help when and where you can”

Reflections:

This passage outlines the way in which Jesus would have us respond to the Holy Spirit.  Ask in the morning, turn to God during the day, and thank Him at night for His guidance.  We will then know the truth of these important words.

If we become more egotistical, which will happen from time to time, we can gauge our state of mind by how willing we are to be flexible about following the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  We will need to be flexible, because sometimes the guidance comes at the immediate point that we have begun to do something different.

Following guidance is the way to happiness in this world.  And it is also our way Home.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

Thank you that I have recently been able to ask for and to receive guidance more frequently than I sometimes do.  I have been on the pathway.  Thank You for giving me the strength to trust.

May my willingness to follow guidance remain strong.  You know how much happier my life becomes when I am pliable in Your hands.

Amen.

The Practical

“To ask the Holy Spirit to decide for you is simply to accept your true inheritance.  Does this mean that you cannot say anything without consulting Him?  No, indeed!  That would hardly be practical, and it is the practical with which this course is most concerned.  (M

Affirmation:  “Be practical.”

Reflections:

Here is another entreaty to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.  Moreover, we are given specific guidelines:  Be practical, which means that we do not ask on a continual basis because that is not practical.

Our true inheritance is to submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  An inheritance is a gift, a mighty gift.  We are encouraged to realize the blessing that God has bestowed on us by giving us such a Helper.

The more often we turn to the Holy Spirit, with a willing mind and heart, the more He can do for us.  This does not negate the practical, but turning to Him as a matter of course becomes habitual the farther along the pathway of the Course we go.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

Help me to promise to turn to the Holy Spirit increasingly, but only in a practical manner.  I realize that this means that I don’t have to stop and ask at every juncture, but simply when the occasion seems right.  Thank you for assuring me that the practical is what A Course in Miracles wants to set forth.

Be with me as I go about my day.  Don’t leave me to wander helplessly, or to think that I wander helplessly.  May I know that help is always near, and may I  be open to accepting the help that is given me, freely and without any compunction.

Amen.

Decisions Wholly Devoid of Attack

“But the Teacher Who knows the truth has not forgotten it.  His decisions bring benefit to all, being wholly devoid of attack.  (M71)”

Affirmation:  “Be wholly devoid of attack.”

Reflections:

Here is a reason that the Holy Spirit, the “Teacher,” does so well in guiding us.  His answers are totally devoid of attack.  Our judgments, even when we are at our best, may have an edge of attack, often very subtle.  Our judgments can even be passive-aggressive, in which we do not directly confront another, but we attack then subtly by kind words that are not really kind.

Note that the Teacher’s truth brings benefit to all.  And that includes us as well.  So we are not wrong to see a selfish motive to following this guidance.  It helps us as well as our brothers and sisters.

We cannot stress too often the need to give up attack in all its forms.  Until we do, we are caught in the ego, for only the ego will attack.  May we pray to be free of the machinations of the ego, and to turn to our Teacher in as many times as would be practical.  Jesus does say elsewhere that we are not bade to ask the Holy Spirit’s advice constantly, as this is not practical.  We are bade to ask for guidance in the mornings and again at night, and to turn to the Holy Spirit at other times that are propitious.  Then our thoughts and actions will be well-placed.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

Help me to give up attack.  If I cannot reach this ultimate good, may I reach for love as long as I possibly can.  Only love is the way of the saved.

Be with me throughout the day today.  I know that I feel better when I have loved rather than attacked.  This is evidence that Your way is right for me.

Amen.

A Teacher Who Cannot Make a Mistake

“Be glad you have a Teacher Who cannot make a mistake.  His answers are always right.  Would you say that of yours?  (M70)”

Affirmation:  “Are my answers always right?”

Reflections:

The Teacher here is the Holy Spirit.  And this is yet another prodding that we will follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The probing question, “Would you say that of yours?,” referring to the correctness of our answers, if insightful.  Certainly we know that we make mistakes, and that our answers about what to do in various situations are not always correct.  Indeed, they are perhaps more frequently wrong than right.  This is what behooves us to follow a higher guidance.

We have earlier indicated a number of ways that the Holy Spirit speaks to us.  Probably the most common is what we usually call intuition.  This means that we go against the teaching of this world, in that we are taught to rely on our judgment.  The Course counsels just the reverse, noting in significant passages that our judgment is frequently wrong because we cannot see the whole picture.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

Once again I find that I am negligent in always following the guidance that I receive.  I fall down when I don’t follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  May my understanding be honed so that I ascertain rightly, and may I then walk quietly and calmly into Your light.

Thank you for providing this sure guidance.  I have not always followed, but I have known of Your guidance for many years.  When I have followed Your guidance, I have been happy.

Amen.

Who Needs Prayers or Just a Smile?

“Who would profit more from prayers alone?  Who needs but a smile, being as yet unready for more?  (M70)”

Affirmation:  “Who needs but a smile?”

Reflections:

Our interactions with our brothers and sisters always must be attuned to what they are ready to accept.  Perhaps a vocal witness is the wrong tactic.  Then we will be let to pray for them, or, as this passage says, to give only a smile.  We do not want to turn off others by unwelcome proselytizing.

Catherine Marshall, a spiritual writer of earlier times, counseled putting a “golden zipper” upon our lips when around unbelievers who are not actively seeking our help.  This is Mrs. Marshall’s advice particularly where significant others are concerned.  Those closest to us do not want to be inundated by unsought advice about their salvation.

If we are lucky, when they see that we have changed, they will begin to ask questions.  Then is the time to take off the “golden zipper” from our lips, and to witness to them.  May this day come soon for all of us, especially with those closest to us.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I be a good witness for You.  May I not let my own troubles interfere with helping those who surround me.  May I choose rightly what they are ready to accept by way of salvation.

Help me today.  I need Your help.  I am hesitant to choose what my brothers and sisters can best accept from me now.

Amen.

Wakening the Minds of Those Asleep

“These things await us all, but we are not prepared as yet to welcome them with joy.  As long as any mind remains possessed of evil dreams, the thought of hell is real.  God’s teachers have the goal of wakening the minds of those asleep, and seeing there the vision of Christ’s face to take the place of what they dream.  (M69)”

Affirmation:  “May I awaken the minds of those asleep.”

Reflections:

This passage says some very important things to us.  The passage equates evil dreams with the thought of hell.  And the passage spells out what we are to do about that:  waken the minds of those asleep.  When we do so, the vision of Christ’s face takes the place of  the evil dreams.

This says that we have work to do, to bring Awakening to all minds.  We can move toward Awakening for ourselves by studying the Course diligently.  We will then not be unhealed healers, but those ready to take our part in the plan of salvation, the part that God has prepared just for us.  Until we respond affirmatively to the call for salvation, our part is missing.  Nor can it be taken by anybody else.  We are unique in that sense.

The vision of Christ’s face is mentioned several times in the Course.  We will see Christ in our brothers and sisters when we are prepared.  In large measure, that is what we are meant to see.  In dreams, which are what we are caught in before we waken, we will not see Christ’s face, because our brothers and sisters sometimes elicit anger and attack in us.  When we have let anger and attack fall away, we will be on our way to the salvation that we are bring to others, as well as accepting salvation for ourselves.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I leave aside thoughts of anger and attack, and take my place in Your plan for salvation.  May I awaken the minds of those asleep.  Until I have accepted the Awakening of my own mind, I will not be a completely healed healer.

Thank you for Your help.  I need You more than ever today.

Amen.

The Resurrection = End of Dreams of Misery

“Very simply, the resurrection is the overcoming or surmounting of death.  It is a reawakening or a rebirth; a change of mind about the meaning of the world.  It is the acceptance of the Holy Spirit’s interpretation of the world’s purpose; the acceptance of the Atonement for oneself.  It is the end of dreams of misery, and the glad awareness of the Holy Spirit’s final dream.  (M68)”

Affirmation:  “May I experience a rebirth and the dawning of the Holy Spirit’s final dream.”

Reflections:

This passage is frequently misinterpreted by Course students.  Many think that somehow the fact of immortality in this body will happen.  But this is not what is being said.  Death has no meaning, because it is merely a change of form; death is a rebirth into a new life beyond this world.  We can symbolically achieve this state while in the body in this world.  We will then know the end of dreams of misery, and accept the final dream from the Holy Spirit:  “the happy dreams the Holy Spirit brings” (a quotation from the Course).

Jesus does not deny his own resurrection in A Course in Miracles, though.  This Christian doctrine is upheld.  The point is not that we are to follow Jesus’s way in all its particulars, though.  That was his contribution.  We do not have to face crucifixion.  And our resurrection is a means to rebirth into the real world (a Course tenet).  The real world is the one sanctioned by the Holy Spirit to be a world in which our perceptions have been cleansed, and therefore we do not project misery into our lives by our own doing.

A rebirth is the great Awakening, one of the final steps before we reach Home.  We all long for this miracle, and occasionally revelation reveals this end to us.  To reach Awakening permanently, though, we need to know the means, and it is this that the Course spells out for us.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

I need rebirth today.  I feel weak, and I am fallible.  Please give me Your insight.  May the “happy dreams the Holy Spirit brings” come upon me, and then may they give way to Awakening.

Be with me today as I try to live Your Word.  Thank You for Your promise always to be near.

Amen.

Salvation

“If you would be a savior, you must understand what needs to be escaped.  Salvation is not theoretical.  Behold the problem, ask for the answer, and then accept it when it comes.  Nor will its coming be long delayed.  All the help you can accept will be provided, and not one need you have will not be met.  (M65)”

Affirmation:  “Once I have asked for help, it will not long be delayed.”

Reflections:

Jesus gives us here a very optimistic group of statements.  “All the help you can accept” will be provided.  This fragment of a sentence notes that we ourselves may limit the help that we accept.  We do not have to limit this help, and it would be wise of us to encourage help from beyond ourselves when in a quandary.

We do need patience, but Jesus proclaims that the answer will not be long delayed.  Surely the delay can seem long to us, because our notions of time are not those of eternity.  But this delay is not actually long, and it is probable that Jesus is speaking in our terms when he says this.  He knows our impatience, and what seems “long” to us.  He does not mislead.  Our needs will be met, and soon.

This passage also suggests that some of our limitations are given us so that we can be saviors; we can understand what others are going through.  Certainly an individual who has experienced a given problem, and overcome it, is more likely to be able to help others.  Shortly after this assertion, Jesus says once again that his Course is not theoretical.  Elsewhere he has said that the Course is always practical.  We can see this most clearly when we have overcome a limitation, and thereby be ready to help our brothers and sisters with the same limitation.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

I ask for Your help today.  Jesus has promised that all the help that I need, once requested, will not be long delayed.  I claim this promise.

May You be with me today, especially when I feel my limitations.  May I be a savior to those who need me.  Thank You for guiding my thoughts, words, and actions.

Amen.

Limitations

“Do not despair, then, because of limitations.  It is your function to escape from them, but not to be without them.  (M64)”

Affirmation:  “Help me to escape from my limitations, even though they recur.”

Reflections:

We often despair when we are in pain and suffering, but these too are a form of limitation, and Jesus here says that we will not be without limitations in this world.  We can get help to resolve the conditions that brought fear about, though, and it is this that we ought to pray for.  Elsewhere Jesus says that he cannot properly remove the fear for us, because it is our minds which have brought it about, and the alteration of cause-and-effect would not be a good thing for us.

So we are meant to escape from our limitations, as they arise.  We can learn how to do this, but it does take patience and willingness to follow guidance.  If a limitation is not removed after much prayer and trying different methods of cure, perhaps this is a “thorn in the side” that St. Paul speaks about in his letters in the New Testament.  He believed that this thorn was meant for his good.

So Jesus would not have us despair.  Help is always near, and we will receive healing, or we will receive the wherewithal to sustain our good will while caught by limitations.  Faith is not often stressed in the Course, but this is the attribute that will enable us to withstand limitations.  Know that Jesus and his Helpers are nearby, and be reassured.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

I am very aware of my limitations today.  Help me not to be my own worst enemy.  Help me to reach out to You and Your helpers, and be absolved of the current limitation under which I find myself.

I know that You want only good for me.  Jesus says that we are meant to escape from our limitations, though we are not without them.  Help me to escape from my limitations today.

Amen.

Teachers of Teachers

“There are those who have reached God directly, retaining no trace of worldly limits and remembering their own Identity perfectly.  These might be called the Teachers of teachers because, although they are no longer visible, their image can yet be called upon.  (M64)”

Affirmation:  “May I call upon Teachers of teachers often as I go about my day.”

Reflections:

This passage proclaims that when we have reached God directly, we will not long stay on this earth.  We will no longer be seen on earth, but our “image” can be called upon.  We are then “Teachers of teachers.”

Elsewhere Jesus says that very few of us willingly lay down the body simply to be of help to others in a greater way.  So most of us will not attain this degree of salvation while in this world.

We do have help from beyond the earth.  We can call upon this help, and we will receive assistance.  No greater bounty can be ours, than to know that we are never alone, that God and His Teachers care for us always.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

Help me to understand the concept of “Teachers of teachers.”  May I reach for their help often once I comprehend whom I am asking.

Thank you for providing all this help to me in this uncertain world.  May I be quick to take advantage of this help as I go about my day today.

Amen.

Can God Be Reached Directly?

“Can God be reached directly?  God indeed can be reached directly, for there is no distance between Him and His Son.  His awareness is in everyone’s memory, and His Word is written on everyone’s heart.  (M64)”

Affirmation:  “The awareness of God is in my memory, and His Word is in my heart.”

Reflections:

This passage recalls to mind the biblical quotation, “The kingdom of God is within.”  Certainly many passages in the Course suggest that God is within, that there is no division between God and ourselves.  We see here that there is no distance between God and His Son (or Daughter).  This is the Self that is the larger part of ourselves, the part that has never left God.

How reassuring to know that the awareness of God is in everyone’s memory!  And that we can indeed, as the Bible says, “Ask, and ye shall receive,” because His Word is written on everyone’s heart.  The sentence from the passage that says this is particularly beautifully written, and it encourages peace and inner quiet by its reassurance.

We can receive God’s Word directly in the midst of our busiest activities, but more often we hear His word when we are quiet and therefore more receptive to the still, small Voice within.  May we turn to Him when perplexed, and may we know that our prayers are heard, and, better still, our prayers are answered.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I turn to You often during the day.  I know that I can reach You directly.  Help me to reach into my memory and into my heart to find You.

Only if I turn to You will have a truly good day.  I know this.  Help me to live it.

Amen.

Strengthening the Ego

“‘Psychic’ abilities have been used to call upon the devil, which merely means to strengthen the ego.  (M63)”

Affirmation:  “May I never be tempted to use the psychic for egoistic reasons.”

Reflections:

The “devil” is not seen by the Course as a powerful figure; the devil is simply seen as a way of characterizing the ego.  Moreover, the contest between hell and Heaven is seen to be an egoistic drama, something that our minds have made up because of the rise of the ego in us.  This happened as a result of a tiny, mad idea that entered the mind of the Sons and Daughters of God, and this tiny mad idea became our downfall.  In actuality, we have not left Heaven; our Self is there.

And we travel back in time to that time past remembering, until we are Home again.  All of these ideas as Course tenets.  We cannot begin to understand, but we can accept these tenets, because they come from Jesus–our elder brother who has walked the whole pathway, and who stands ready to give us a helping hand when we cannot undo all the mistakes that we have made.

These psychic abilities may be as simple as a tiny intuition of what to do or say next.  We can test out these feelings, and if they lead us to a better world, we would be foolish not to follow them.  We are not being led by the ego at such times, or by the “devil.” indicates).

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I not use my psychic inclinations as a way to strengthen the ego.  May I have no pride in having psychic abilities.

Please be with me as I explore my psychic nature.  And may I use it only for the good of my brothers and sisters, and the good for myself.

Amen.

Psychic Powers

“Certainly there are many ‘psychic’ powers that are clearly in line with this course.  Communication is not limited to the small range of channels the world recognizes.  If it were, there would be little point in trying to teach salvation.  It would be impossible to do so.  (M62)”

Affirmation:  “If it is best for me, may I develop the psychic powers in line with the Course.”

Reflections:

The Course is never specific about these “psychic” powers, but it may be interpreted that the usual kinds of psychic powers are meant, all a form of ESP.  Certainly we sometimes seem to know what those closest to us are thinking.  This is a universal experience.

Guidance from the Holy Spirit is often received in a psychic manner.  We get an intuitive sense of what to say or do next, and we follow, and we discover that what we said or did by this prompting was, oh, ever so right.  Living by following guidance is the most joyous way to live.

We must be flexible, be able to turn on a dime, if we wish to take advantage of psychic powers that are in line with the Course.  The Holy Spirit does, indeed, sometimes guide us months and years in advance, but this is not the most common way.  The most common way is to intuit the next thing that we should do or say.  Otherwise, we would, in our egoic state, be susceptible to planning against contingencies to come, which the Course specifically says is not a desired characteristic.  We need to do the next right thing, and then the next, and the next.  Then life flows smoothly, and we know the blessings that A Course in Miracles holds out to us.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I be led to the psychic powers that can benefit my world.  May I not seek for what would be harmful.  May the Holy Spirit guide me.  May I always be willing to accept His guidance.

Be with me today as I explore my psychic nature.  Thank you for being a part of my life always.

Amen.

Reincarnation II

“Does this mean that the teacher of God should not believe in reincarnation himself, or discuss it with others who do?  The answer is, certainly not!  If he does believe in reincarnation, it would be a mistake for him to renounce the belief unless his internal Teacher so advised.  And this is most unlikely.  (M61)”

Affirmation:  “May I make a decision about reincarnation, and share it with my intimates.”

Reflections:

These words have been interpreted many different ways by those who have written about A Course in Miracles.  Those who do believe in reincarnation think that Jesus is “siding” with them, and those who do not, think the opposite.  Jesus does not mean to tip his hand in this statement on either side of the question.  That would negate the words that he has channeled just previously.  (See the last reflection.)

But we are not forbidden to discuss our beliefs with those of like minds.  Jesus does not hinder us from free discourse.

Reincarnation is said elsewhere not to be the important question that it is sometimes thought.  We still have to work out our salvation currently.  Spending too much time in theological speculation will only slow down our speed.  Jesus needs us to reach out to our brothers and sisters, regardless of their theological beliefs.  He needs for us to form holy relationships with them.  This is the real secret of the Course (an interpretation, not a Course tenet).

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

I have feelings about reincarnation, but it is best that I share those theological ideas only with intimates.  I do not want to hinder my usefulness to my brothers and sisters.

May I realize that reincarnation is not the real issue.  I have to work out my salvation now, and this means to be focused in the here and now always.  Thank you for clarifying this for me.

Amen.

Reincarnation

“For our purposes, it would not be helpful to take any definite stand on reincarnation.  A teacher of God should be as helpful to those who believe in it as to those who do not.  If a definite stand were required of him, it would merely limit his usefulness, as well as his own decision making.  (M60)”

Affirmation:  “May I be helpful to my brothers and sisters.”

Reflections:

Many people would use reincarnation as a litmus test for the validity of the Course, if we were to take a public stand on where we stand on this issue.  Jesus is not interested in controversy, but only in what will work for us in our lives in a practical way.  So he recommends that we avoid the question of reincarnation publicly, for to engage in debate would only lessen our usefulness.

Elsewhere Jesus says that the Course can be used by both those who believe in reincarnation and those who don’t.  Jesus is not interested in theological interpretation, but only in the day-to-day lives of his followers.  Elsewhere he says that there can be no universal theology, but a universal experience is necessary.

This universal experience he spells out in the Course.  This is not to say that the Course is the only Way.  It is one way that many people have now chosen for salvation in this world.  And the introductory pages of the text say that this is a required course, with only the time that we take it to be voluntary.  Our way is to have brothers and sisters in significant relationships–holy relationships–with ourselves.  This eliminates the tedium of long hours spent in meditation.  All special relationships, the Course says, are meant to become holy.  This is the practical means that the Course is bringing us Home.

Dear Father/Mother,

Remind not to engage in controversy, because this will only limit my helpfulness.  May I discuss reincarnation only in intimate circles of like-minded individuals.  Publicly to take a stand on reincarnation might limit my usefulness.

I know that You will guide my speech.  May I not be tempted to run ahead of Your guidance.

Amen.

The Name of Jesus Christ

“Remembering the Name of Jesus Christ is to give thanks for all the gifts that God has given you.  And gratitude to God becomes the way in which he is remembered, for love cannot be far behind a grateful heart and thankful mind.  (M58)”

Affirmation:  “Love cannot be far behind a grateful heart.”

Reflections:

Calling on the Name of Jesus in prayer is not a magical act.  It reminds us that he is our elder brother, who is there to help us whenever we ask.  He promises this in the Course.  At one point he recommends that we imagine him taking our hand and leading us, and he assures us that this will be no idle fantasy.

Being grateful and thankful are keys to the Kingdom.  We are so often not grateful for the good that we receive.  No sooner than we have received it than we are off asking for something else–never stopping very long to say “thank you.”    But this passage indicates that love will follow a grateful and thankful heart and mind.  And love is the opposite of fear, love and fear being the only two emotions (the rest being variants of these two).

So, with a grateful heart, thank God in prayer for the blessings that He has given us.  And use Jesus’s Name, if we can feel secure in doing so.  As an elder brother, he appreciates (as do we) that we are giving credit to him when it is due.  (This is an interpretation, not a Course tenet.)

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

I am grateful for my many blessings, and I feel this both in my heart and my mind.  Your blessings pour out on those who are grateful for what they already have.  May I be careful to acknowledge Your presence in my life today.

Thank you for Jesus’s help.  He has promised to be with us also, and we pray in his name.

Amen.

Temptation

“God’s gifts can rarely be received directly.  Even the most advanced of God’s teachers will give way to temptation in this world.  (M58)”

Affirmation:  “May I not give way to temptation today.”

Reflections:

Even the most advanced of God’s teachers is still fallible.  We won’t get it right all the time.  We will succumb to temptations in this world, and that includes especially the tendency to feel anger and then to attack.  In addition, we will judge ourselves and others.  And we will make contingency plans against uncertainties to come.  These three actions are all ways in which temptations take us away from God.  And we will fall on our face in our dealings with our brothers and sisters.

Leaving temptation behind is an ongoing pathway.  We will never, perhaps, be free of temptations in this world, but the times that they intrude upon our lives will lessen as we live closer to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

God gives us gifts, though we may not recognize them when they come.  One might not recognize a miracle at high noon, if our thoughts are solely on our own desires and wishes.  We may study the Course, and as we do, we will do better in this world.  Our power will come to us as we let guidance lead the Way.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I not give way to temptation, though You say that I will be likely to do so from time to time.  May I not give way to temptation today.

Thank You for your support always.  May I avoid anger and attack today.  May I be good to my brothers and sisters.  When I hear guidance, let me be steadfast to hold it close to me.

Amen.

The Atonement

“The progress of the teacher of God may be slow or rapid, depending on whether he recognizes the Atonement’s inclusiveness, or for a time excludes some problem areas from it.  In some cases, there is a sudden and complete awareness of the perfect applicability of the lesson of the Atonement to all situations, but this is comparatively rare.  (M55)”

Affirmation:  “May my progress be rapid, with God’s help.”

Reflections:

We need to turn to the Holy Spirit with all of our decisions, but rarely are we courageous enough to do so.  It takes time to trust Him.  When we come to learn that following His advice brings good, and following our own often leaves us unhappy, we will turn to Him more and more.  And our lives will get better, accordingly.

Sometimes a miracles happens, and as soon as one accepts the Holy Spirit into his or her life, then that person recognizes that the truth is good for all things.  We usually don’t experience this sudden awareness, though, because we have been reared to place our dependence upon our own judgment.  We think that we are missing something unless we rely upon ourselves.  But this is a false doctrine.  The world teaches it to us, but the Course teaches just the reverse.

Our own judgment can never know all the factors about a given situation.  But the Holy Spirit does know all factors.  Would we not be foolish to fail to take advantage of such a Helper?  This Helper is always available to us, and He has only our best reactions at heart.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May my progress as a teacher of God be rapid.  Help me to realize that trusting the Holy Spirit for guidance in all my decisions is the way to go.

I know that You want the very best for me.  And You need me to reach out to my brothers and sisters.  Help me to do Your will, which is also my own.

Amen.

Judge Not the Words that Come to You

“Gradually, he learns how to let his words be chosen for him by ceasing to decide for himself what he will say. . . .Judge not the words that come to you, but offer them in confidence.  (M54)”

Affirmation:  “May I offer the words that come to me in confidence.”

Reflections:

This passage explains that the Holy Spirit, if we listen with a keen ear, will indicate to us what to say.  This is not necessarily in a “voice,” but internally we have an indication of what to say.  We can misinterpret, especially if we are confused or mentally unstable, but if we are of sound mind, very soon we will be able to distinguish what is the Holy Spirit and what is not.

There are many ways that the Holy Spirit reaches us:  words spoken by a brother or sister that seem especially pertinent to our situation and cue us to words or behavior; a “feeling” that we should (or should not) say or do a certain thing; dreams; in rare cases, visions or hallucinations.  Sometimes words may come into our minds that seem a bit beyond us; we did not actually choose to “think” those things.  That is likely to be the Holy Spirit’s communication.

If we are diligent in following, the guidance will continue.  If we resist, the guidance will seem to cease until we are more willing.  The Holy Spirit does not force Himself upon anyone.  We receive best when we are in a relaxed manner and mood.  Tension may break the connection, because it makes us unsure of ourselves.  If we persist, the time will come shortly that we can be certain of the Holy Spirit’s communication.  But because God deals with all of us differently, depending upon what we are ready to accept, there can be no firm guidelines that fit everyone.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I always hear the words correctly that you wish me to say.  May I not doubt, and may I not make mistakes in speaking what You will.  May I not be confused in my thinking.

Your guidance is sure.  When I doubt, perhaps I am still relying on the ego.  May I not rely on the ego today.

Amen.

The Prayer of the Heart

“It is impossible that the prayer of the heart remain unanswered in the perception of the one who asks.  If he asks for the impossible, if he wants what does not exist or seeks for illusions in his heart, all this becomes his own.  The power of his decision offers it to him as he requests.  Herein lie hell and Heaven.  (M53)”

Affirmation:  “May my prayer of the heart always ask for Heaven.”

Reflections:

Few of us know our hearts well.  We sometimes ask for things that we really don’t want, and yet in our hearts, we do, and then these prayers are answered.  Elsewhere Jesus assures us that God will protect us from danger in prayers that are really bad for us.  So even in the prayer of the heart we are protected..

We may not realize that we are protected, though.  We may, since projection makes perception (a Course tenet), find that erroneously we are in a situation that we didn’t think we asked for.  Yet, we did, on some level.  This is a particularly difficult concept when we are dealing with painful issues in our lives or in the world.

Elsewhere the Course says that we can believe what nobody else believes to be true, because in our perception, we have made it true for ourselves.  Particularly do we find this in emotional matters, but it is true in the physical as well.  This is not a “blame the victim” mentality, because we are not being punished, however much it may appear that we are.  God does not  punish, however much we may think punishment is warranted.  Our own decisions give us hell or Heaven.  That puts us in the driver’s seat, a very good place to be if we are attuned to God’s power and His way.

Prayer:

Dear Father/Mother,

May I know that You protect me always, even when I ask for things that would not be good for me.  Jesus assures me of this.  Yet my own perception can seem to give me bad things.  May my perception of my world be cleansed.

Thank You for helping through the confusions of this world.  I know that You love me always, and in that I will be protected.

Amen.