Mystic Prayer....what is it, and why do we need it? (#1)
The simple answer to the latter question of the title is that this is what we are created for, and to do. All human conflict arises from us not doing this very thing, as we go against our very nature and break ourselves and others, often irretrievably.
As to what this thing is, mystic means hidden...hidden inside, hidden from ability to describe since mere words utterly inadequate...if you think it means magic, or manipulation by any other name, you are already in danger of starting down a dark path leading to utter brokeness and loneliness for eternity.
More specifically for the seeker, it is the positive experience of meeting and knowing God in one's depths, which is beyond description.
It is the hidden union of self with God with bonds of love, and the annihilation of self IN God, who IS Love. All which IS was created so that we could love God, and was created out of love for this purpose, so that we also could share in this unbounded and eternal love. By sharing in this love, we also share in its eternity.
How can this be? It comes with a proper definition of love, which is utterly selfless total giving for the betterment of the beloved, and bowing otherwise to the wishes of the beloved, in order to please them. God offers us this unconditional love, and only asks that we return it. The first and greatest commandment of love of God is not hyperbole, not when first given in earliest ancient scripture, nor was it to be ignored in the Gospel, nor is it to be ignored today.
We are to love God with all that we are, totally and without reservation. The failure to do this one thing constitutes original sin and our separation from God. It was the failure of the majority of ancient Jews, and the failure of the majority of authorities in the time of Jesus. It also is the failure of the majority of people today, no matter professed religion, and includes most self-labeled "Christians". This latter class also includes most "Christian" leaders, so, if you are looking for a reason for the collapse of organized religion, look no further. It has become the blind leading the blind, them not able to lead others to experience God, as they lack this experience themselves.
I write "Christian", as how can one claim that label of true follower/disciple of the Christ while ignoring his first and greatest commandment? If you think you are bound for heaven without loving God, you might give a little more thought to that matter.
As to how this relates to eternity... God, and God's love, is eternal. God IS Love and offers to share all that God IS with us, his lowly creation. Once we are united in returned love, God shares it all with us. However, we are incapable of receiving such a gift minus that returned love. How can one receive a gift which one adamantly refuses to believe even exists? And how can one believe in that Love and not seek to return it as close to totallity as possible?
Now, imagine a world where all people are lost in returned love for their beloved Lover, knowing it is for eternity, and so, tapped into that fount of all love, then able to truly love others without selfish needs intruding, and to love them as we love ourselves. We would all be saints, and would have achieved heaven on earth.
This will never happen due to individual and free human choice to be self-centered, and without first loving God totally, there is no way to truly love others totally/selflessly, anything less being an act which frequently flops most miserably,... but it does not relieve each and every one of us from the duty of beloved children of the loving original and ultimate parent, to strive towards our own all-consuming love of God and true happiness both in this world and the next, and to help as many others as possible find this love and eternal happiness.... And so we come to the purpose of this little blog.
This world is only made to be a school where we all are meant to learn this one most important thing. We all graduate, like it or not. Far better to graduate with the lesson learned and united in love, for eternity, to God and his creation, than to graduate selfish and alone for eternity, cut off from God and all his beloved. Keep in mind it is we who may cut off ourselves from all this...our choice, if we choose to so do. We choose to love, or we choose not to love, and seal our own destination. All things, all possibilities, past, present and future lay open to God in one eternal Now, but we choose our own paths.
The following posts will deal with how we are to attain this goal and avoid pitfalls, starting with pitfalls and some definitions, perhaps a brief rant, and will provide a few venerable sources by truly holy writers and then lead to some divergent sources. Feel free to skip to the sources post (brilliantly labeled "Sources") as this blog is not about me, but you. The answer, though, is quite simple....a daily and conscious time spent simply loving God, free of all other concepts, until we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, or as close as we can come in this mortal life.
Again, this blog is for the help of the reader. It is not about me. The name under which this is written is not my actual name, there is no bio info nor advertising widgets employed, no monetizing past whatever google does with content. I also greatly regret the "blog" aspect with its inevitable hook of allowing comments so that folk can do their own publishing on a blog not their own, and although questions are understandable, actually reading and practicing the later cited source materials will answer those far better than this writer.
This is purely written for those who want to know if God is real, and if so, how can they experience God, know God is real, and them have some peace in this world and joy in the next. And YES, you CAN do this. When you cooperate with God, God will come to you at a time of God's choosing and leave you in no doubts. This is all this writer shall say here on that matter as such a visitation is beyond mere words and concepts.
(above photo compliments of Jason Strull at Unsplash.com)
