From time immemorial, prayer as a religious rite or a spiritual technique has been used by man as a means of stabilizing and protecting his fortunes, his health and well being, and his several diverse interests. Without going into complicated definitions and technicalities, we can simply state that prayer is a special type of communication between man and a higher power of being...a communication which fulfils the need or desire to pray that arises from the innermost center of man's being.

Let us remind ourselves of a few observations which may help us to appreciate the role of prayers. The first observation is that Man is influenced both internally and externally in every act he does, and therefore, Man is not absolutely free, but nevertheless man has the power to choose and this power is superior to all influences. The second observation is that the great powers work unknown, but they nevertheless accomplish more than all others. They do not interfere with the actions of men, but when the time of karmic retribution comes they help to guide its action. The third observation is that in order to change the visible one must start from the invisible realm and change the invisible foundation of the visible and this can be done only through the Mind, Heart and Will. There can be no changes in environment and society without changes first occuring in the minds and hearts of the people. Man, with the right will, can even in the most antagonistic environment rise above all external influence, and this is one of the greatest and most important teachings of mysticism. The fourth observation is that knowledge alone appears not enough to direct man's free will or to bring about a total behavioural change. In fact, conclusions arrived at through reasoning appear to have very little or no influence in altering the course of our lives. Hence, there are countless examples of people who have the clearest convictions and yet act diametrically against them time and time again and have as the only explanation for their behaviour the idea that to err is human. The fifth and final observation is that prayer, correctly said and used, changes things, situations and people.

The above observations lead us immediately to the question: What kind of prayer are we talking about? The correct answer to this question is a vital key if one wants to achieve success with the daily habit of praying. Since many of us pray incorrectly, let us quickly address this point. In the Rosicrucian pledge, we have been assured, "Thou art about to learn how to command all nature..." The mystical student must, through practice, discover what several mystics have discovered, and which is, that the daily habit of praying is the greatest tool for commanding nature and hence changing unwanted situations. The words and thought vibrations of a mystic have far-reaching consequences. We have been taught in the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, that words and thoughts are things. When the right Prayer is said, at the right time, the prayer travels immediately to its destination with the release of the Amen invocation

We should not, through prayers, attempt to dictate to God how the evils in the world are to be corrected. We should not, through prayers, pass judgement or condemn others. We should also not use prayers as a weapon to fight our supposed enemies. We should, in prayer, simply state our difficulties and ask God for guidance, illumination and assistance.

Let us now furnish some examples of prayer that I have personally found to be very useful from page 24 of Mystics at Prayer. We have the following beautiful prayer by the mystic Alcuin. This prayer may be used when one is confused or afraid.

O Eternal Light, shine into our Hearts;

O Eternal Goodness, deliver us from Evil;

O Eternal Power, be Thou our Support;

O Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance

O Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us.

Also from page 24 of Mystics at Prayer we have the following beautiful Morning Prayer

O God, who hast folded back the mantle of the night to clothe us in

The glory of the day, chase from our hearts all gloomy thoughts, and

make us glad with the brightness of hope that we may effectively

Aspire to unknown virtues.

From p. 49 of same book, we also have the following great prayer by the mystic, C.S. Tirpenting:

Almighty Life! Thou force that bides with all;

Awake my soul to see and use thy might;

And give me strength to heed thy daily call;

To walk with thee in path of Truth and Right;

Absolve me from all vein and useless thought;

That clouds the vision of my daily task;

And help me labor in the field I ought;

Till I can do for self the things I ask;

Thou art my harbor and fortress

In thy strong arms support me on my way;

If Thou and I shall guard the things I do;

I know I shall be safe by night and day

A beautiful Evening Prayer comes from Hymn 431 of Ancient and Modern Revised. It goes thus:

Now the Day is over Night is drawing nigh;

Shadows of the Evening steal across the sky;

Now the darkness gathers, stars begin to peep;

Birds and beasts and flowers, soon will be asleep;

God, give the weary calm and sweet repose;

With thy tenderest blessing, May mine eyelids close

Grant to little children visions bright of thee;

Guard all travelers, travelling by land, sea and air;

comfort every sufferer, watching late in pain;

Those who plan some evil; from their sin restrain;

Through the long night watches, may Thine Angels spread;

Their white wings above me; watching round my bed;

When the morning wakens, then may I arise;

Pure and fresh and sinless, in Thy Holy Eyes;

Glory to the Father, Glory to the Cosmic Hosts

And to Thee, Holy Spirit, whilst all ages run

Hymn 299 of Ancient and Modern Revised is our final example of beautiful prayer very suitable for a family home. The thought vibrations of this hymn will dispel all kinds of problems in the home:

Spirit Divine attend our prayers

And make this Home thy Home

Descend with all thy gracious power

O come, great Spirit, Come!

Come as the Light to us reveal

Our emptiness and woe;

And lead us in those paths of life

Where all the righteous go.

Come as the Fire and purge our Hearts

Like sacrificial flame

Let our whole soul an offering be

To our Redeemer's name

Come as the Dew and sweetly bless

The Consecrated Hour;

May barrenness rejoice to own

Thy Fertilizing Power

Come as the dove and spread thy wings

The wings of Peaceful love

And let thy Church on earth become

Blest as the Church above

Come as the Wind, with rushing sound

And Pentecostal grace,

That all of Women born may see the glory

Of thy Face

Spirit Divine, attend our prayers

Make a Lost world thy Home

Descend with all thy gracious powers

O Come, Great Spirit, Come

Good prayers abound in the various religious and mystical books. You may also wish to compose your own prayers suitable for Morning, Afternoon and Evening or for whatsoever situation you may be passing through.

Begin today to cultivate the habit of praying regularly and when praying make an effort to reflect over the words in the prayers. Also make an effort to let the prayers influence your daily living and you will soon begin to experience diverse miracles. Your life, your environment and your situation gradually becoming transformed. Mystical principles do not have to be complicated in order to be effective. Form the habit today of beginning and ending each day with God.

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This article originally appeared in The Sage RC 3358 bulletin for Benin City Lodge,AMORC,Nigeria and is reprinted with permission

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Prof. John Idiodi, is a Professor of Physics at the University of Benin, Nigeria. He has contributed extensively to scholarly journals and reputable periodicals worldwide. Some of his publications may be obtained at www.nampjournals.org/ He is also a Grand Councillor of   AMORC and a member of the International Research Council of the Order.

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