Effectual Prayer

Text extracted from opening pages of book: EFFECTUAL PRAYEJK By FRANCES W. FOULKS First Edition UNITY SCHOOL OF CHRISTIANITY KANSAS CITY 6, MO. 1945 It may come through physical suffering, through heartache, or through some failure to accomplish a great desire. It may come while one is undergoing great stress or strain or temptation, or when one is submerged in some personal grief or bereavement. Strange as it may seem, a great desire to enter into close communion with the Father rarely comes first through joy, during prosperity and success, youth and health; for at these times there is a certain sense of security when one seems sufficient unto oneself. Man usually turns to God because of some need that he realizes neither he nor any other human being can satisfy, and when truly man's extremity becomes God's opportunity. All men travel the path from self to God by way of prayer. Little by little one learns to relax the physical so that God life may enter; to let go the mental so that God thoughts may take possession; to shut out sight and sound, emotion and desire, and become still before God. No one can take these steps for another any more than he can eat for another or sleep for another. Each one must take them for himself, at his own time, in his own way. Through many experiences he learns the way. Through forms and creeds, through prayers of many words, through desires and emotions the soul finally It may take months, years, ages, to become a righteous man whose prayer availeth much, but time is nothing to the soul who has truly set out to find the kingdom. Once the soul becomes aware of the divine plan and his part in completing it, the way is filled with victories, the pathlighted by the angel presence going before to make plain the way. All trials and tribulations are swallowed up in the victories, forgotten in the joy of the knowledge that comes through achievement. If the time of achievement seems long, pray. If the way seems dark, pray. If the results seem de layed, pray. Morning, noon and night, pray; pray without ceasing; pray in the night watches; pray and faint not; pray for those who despitefully use you, pray with the spirit and with the understanding also; pray rejoicing; be instant in prayer. Let praise and thanksgiving ever rise like sweet incense from the altar of prayer in your heart. Let the joy of inner communion open the way for you to the glory of God, no matter what the outer appearances may be, When this is done thete is no force in the heavens or the earth that can keep your good from you; for you have become one with it and it one with you, inseparable, imperishable, eternal Beloved, while studying these signposts along the way to effectual prayer, may you feel the Spirit o Jehovah resting upon you. May you be given a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness/' May you in thanksgiving to the Giver of gifts, break the bread of life to many, preach the glad tidings, heal the sick, bind up the broken hearts, open the eyes of the blind, make the lame to leap, carry prosperity where before there was only poverty. Freely ye received, freely give: freely you have given, freely receive. Frances W* Poulks CONTENTS Part One Foreword 3 I Effectual Prayer - 11 II Preparation 21 HI Relaxation 35 IV Concentration 51 V Meditation 63 VI The Silence 75 VII The Message 87 VIII Living the Life 97Part Two Meditations for the High Watch - - - 111 Spiritual Remedies for Particular Lacks - - 147 In Thy Presence Lord, what a change within us one short hour Spent in Thy presence will prevail to make What heavy burdens from our bosoms take, What parched grounds refresh as with a shower We kneel, and all around us seems to lower; We rise, and all, the distant and the near, Stands forth in sunny outline brave and clear; We kneel, how weak; we rise, how full of power Why, therefore, should we do ourselves this wrong, Or others, that we are not always strong, That