I am currently engaged in facilitating a class on Spiritual Mind Treatment with a lovely group of women affiliated with the Unity of Houston Spirit Group Program. I am grateful for the privilege of doing what I love with the blessings of my very good friend, Stacy Collins and my beloved Rev. Michael Gott, senior minister. 

Our first class was about the form and feeling of this magnificent tool of prayer, Spiritual Mind Treatment. I remember being introduced to it over 3 decades ago. I heard much about the form, the steps, language to be used or not, the principle behind this form of affirmative prayer, very different than what I had experienced growing up in a traditional Christian church. I only went to prayer when I was in trouble and begged and beseeched my way in it.

Over the years, I began to learn the power of feeling the prayer, of allowing the language to be presented to me through Spirit via my mystical intuitive nature. It deeply changed my experience. Through practice, I realized the difference between following form and leaning into the feeling. Ernest Holmes spoke of this saying the form could be taught, the feeling can’t be taught. Actually I got an idea several years ago that assisted me in offering a process of discovery of deep feeling, then applying it to the practice of prayer. It came to me 15 minutes before I met with a class on treatment that I was about to offer to a group of Practitioners. God is so incredible generous when we want or need information, guidance, inspiration, creativity. My intuition is my grandest companion. 

I invite you to consider the possibility of beginning, always beginning with the feeling. It has transformed my prayer life, especially since my relationship with God has been enhanced by the opportunities of spending a great deal of time alone, not distracted by the outside world as much. 

One of my most favorite quotes from Ernest Holmes is “The realization of the Presence of God is the most powerful healing agency known to the mind of man.” When I first read it I was mesmerized and thinking, “you mean I don’t have to do anything for it, all I need do is realize it”. I remain in awe of this powerful truth.

I love the feeling of the presence of God, the realization of the presence of God and even when I don’t feel it, when I am distracted by the world or caught up in a sense of separation, I have the blessing of remembering that God is ever present, just as powerful and lovely as when the feeling overtakes me. I need not wait for it, or urge it to come and show itself, it embraces me always.

I credit this Truth, that God is here and all is well, with keeping me from getting lost or drowning in the pain and disappointments that show up sometimes. I invite you to remember that even when the feeling doesn’t seem to be there, God IS..

This is so alive in me this morning, it comforts me, it reminds me, it soothes and delights me. I invite you to be still and make yourself available to this blessing as God, the living Spirit, is forever showering It’s blessings to us all. 

Thank you for reading this offering. Maggie Cole