Do You Resonate When You Pray for Others?
Explaining the ICN Way of Praying
A Prayer that Resonates
One of our core mystical practices in our WeSpace Groups is something we have called "Integral Prayer." That is admittedly a name that does not say much about what it actually is. We have had to keep putting a lot of energy into helping others understand what we mean by that terminology. In a long, wonderful conversation Luke and I had about this, Luke came up with a much more lively and descriptive name to help with that understanding — Resonating Prayer.
We can pray predictably, saying the routine words or affirmations of a religious ritual. Or we can pray in a resonating way. One of the dictionary meanings of "resonate" is "to affect or appeal in a personal or emotional way." Or "to strike a chord with." So we might say this is prayer that comes from deeply personal and vibrating, felt resonance within that seeks to strike a chord in another.
Praying Without Words
Resonating prayer comes in two forms. One is without words that transmits loving, healing energy to others. This appears to be a primary way of praying for others that Jesus demonstrated. He sometimes used words to explain what he was doing when he "resonating" with others in transmitting healing energy and spiritual awakening to them (Matt 8:13, 9:22, Mark 3:10, 14:36, Luke 4:40, 6:19. John 20:22).
We do this prayer without words in our global WeSpace groups in the form of distant transmission across the world. We resonate with a field of healing, loving energy and direct it to one another, no matter how far away we are.
Praying with words — but differently
The other form is prayer with words but in a different way from the traditional asking God to do things. In this kind of prayer, we are the ones who "do things" by giving voice to our inner impressions in Resonating Prayer for others, often in our WeSpace meetings. This practice is a powerful way to profoundly and lovingly strike a chord with others in encouraging, strengthening, and comforting them.
Resonating Prayer is similar to what the New Testament calls "prophecy." We don't use that word because of the authoritarian or advice-giving distortions it carries from its practice in some charismatic settings. It is also often misunderstood to be about predicting the future. Here is the Apostle Paul's wise and practical guidelines for this "speaking forth" kind of prayer:
"Pursue love and especially that you may give voice to your inner impressions for others. This builds up the Christian community in a powerful way. I want you all to do this, one by one. Those who pray for others in this way speak to others for their comfort, encouragement, and strengthening. When this happens, let the others present discern what is said" (I Cor 14:1, 4, 5, 3, 31, 29 - my translation).
Notice that Paul sees giving voice to your inner impressions here and in other places in the New Testament as a powerful way to build up the Christian community. This is because it results in, as he said, "comfort, encouragement, and strengthening" for one another. He wants everyone to practice this, not just a few.
Clobber Prayer
However, if this is not used in a loving way, it can also be a destructive way of shaming or manipulating others.
We hope that our inner impressions come from our deepest self and are full of light. However, sometimes an impression can come from our own shadow or inner wounding. Those who tend to offer negative impressions — advice-giving disguised as prayer, or trying to fix people come from their own needs, not what the other person needs. I call this "clobber" prayer. If the other person feels clobbered, then it must be brought up. Or if others suspect it is clobber prayer, it must be discerned.
We may have heard or been the victim of advice-giving in the form of prayer: "O Lord, help Tom to be more disciplined and start loving his wife." That's one reason there is this important guideline for Resonanting Prayer. Others present who hear what is said should listen carefully and discern if this meets the guidelines of strengthening, encouraging, and comforting. If it does not, it needs to be brought up and discussed ("Let the others present discern what is said" 1 Cor 14:29). We do this to protect the person to whom the words are directed and to provide feedback for the one offering the impressions.
We can be loving in our feedback to the one who did the clobbering. We are all doing the best we can and sometimes do not recognize what we say may be shaming or giving unwanted advice in the form of "God told to tell you." Loving feedback to the one offering advice and directions can be an opportunity for the other person to grow and face their own shadow.
It's easy to spot clobber prayer. You ask, "Did this comfort, strengthen, and encourage you or the person to whom it was directed? If the answer is other than "yes," this may be a beating up, shaming kind of prayer. Anyone who senses this possibility must bring it up to talk about. Only in openly sharing our feelings and responses can we provide the safety needed for Resonating Prayer.
Golden Shadow Prayer
One way to understand this "impression sharing" kind of prayer is to see it as "Golden Shadow" prayer. The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung first coined the term Shadow to refer to the hidden, dark side of the human psyche. He saw the Shadow as an archetypal figure that lives in the unconscious and stores the unwanted, unprocessed qualities of the Self, including the life experiences we ignore in order to survive.
But we also have our submerged creative potential, which Jung called the "Golden Shadow." We can see our golden shadow in our intense admiration of other people. The bright qualities that you admire in others often represent the disowned aspects of your unique potential.
The Golden Shadow is your hidden greatness — and Resonating Prayer calls it forth!
Click here to read more about beholding our golden shadow in love.
Transmitting HI'S
There seems to be a three-step progression in getting comfortable with Resonating Prayer. This usually takes some effort and practice to enter this often unfamiliar territory. Be gentle with yourself.
Effort may be needed for several reasons. A common one is that as someone said recently, "This kind of prayer makes me anxious!" I was glad he spoke up and reassured him he was not alone. It is common to feel some pressure to perform when you feel you are not yet ready to offer something.
After years of doing this, I still have moments of being anxious when I meet with a new group. I want to be a good model of Integral or Resonating Prayer by sharing words and images that come up from deep within me. I will have thoughts like, "Oh my, this may be the night when I freeze up and nothing helpful comes up inside me. Here you are the great leader, and you don't have anything to say. You're just mumbling something you made up."
Of course, I have now done this hundreds of times and I have always managed to see something except the time I fell asleep during the meditation. Being 85 is a handy excuse for just about anything.
But my shadow still lingers around to nag me! So I know what it feels like to be anxious about what some call "performance anxiety." It's okay to be anxious, and it's okay to say something like, "This is all new to me. Or "I might just observe tonight." Or don't say anything at all, but feel free to remain in comfortable silence. Everyone present knows what it is like to not have anything to say.
When you practice Resonanting Prayer, especially at first, be gentle with yourself. That's what I tell myself. Take it at the pace that fits you. There are no expectations here except that you be yourself.
For most of us, it also takes some effort to do something we are not familiar with at first, especially those of us like me who are inherently shy and self-conscious. We are pushing at our comfort level because we want to expand and grow. So, again, be gentle with yourself.
The three HI'S in learning to practice Resonating Prayer.
Heart Love
Impressions
'Subtle states
Heart love is the most familiar form in transmitting Resonating Prayer. As you move into your heart space, you begin to feel the love resonating there, both your love, the love of God, and your love of others. It then usually becomes natural to quietly send that loving energy to those you are praying for. This is done in silence because it only requires intention, not words.
At some point, you may want to add words to your heartfelt love. These can be simple things you say to someone whom you feel love for. "I love you." "You are beautiful." You are a precious soul." You are a shining light in the world." "You inspire me." Whatever words come to mind from your heart are always good ones to give voice to.
Impressions that come to you are the second step. They may be fleeting thoughts, images, ideas, or sensations that arise from our deeper consciousness. The more you notice them, the easier it becomes to grab them before they fade away. Giving voice to these impressions can be a deep way of comforting, strengthening, and encouraging. If they emerge from within you, they are usually not the usual advice-giving or superficial kinds of expressions we sometimes engage in. Rather, they come from deep within our hearts, minds, and gut. These can be quite powerful in golden shadow enlightenment.
Subtle state consciousness is the third form of the deep mystical expression of Resonating Prayer. While all of these can come from a subtle, dream-like state of consciousness, this one comes from a deeper knowing that is called a trance three times in the New Testament (Acts 10:10; 11:5;22:45). At other times, it is called a vision, revelation, or message received in an altered state (Acts 13:2; 16:6-10; 18:9; 27:23; Gal 2:1).
Richard Rohr writes, "I am increasingly convinced that the word' prayer,' which has become a functional and pious thing for believers to do, was meant to be a descriptor and an invitation to inner experience. When spiritual teachers invite us to "pray," they are in effect saying, 'Go inside and know for yourself!'" Resonating Prayer emerges from a deeper, resonant knowing of and from ourselves.
When this enchanted, subtle state way of knowing comes online, we find we are giving voice to what emerges from deep within us for others. We all have a different kind of spiritual language here, such as visions, somatic body sensations, inner auditory words/sounds, intuition, and healing energy.
Each of these steps and ways of Resonating Prayer are powerful and transforming for both the one being prayed for and those doing the praying! This approach to prayer deepens our divine connection within, awakening our spirit consciousness, and blesses others in profound ways as we shower one another in loving awareness, seeing each other deeply enough to calls forth our golden shadows and become more Christ-like together.
The power of Resonating Prayer in my life
One of my partners in ministry at my church for many years was co-pastor Marcia Fleishman. She continues today as a vital part of ICN. Her new book, If God Is Love, Why Do I Feel So Bad, is the first ICN-based book and an incredible read.
For over forty years, she has been a fountain of golden shadow images for me. She continues to do so with whoever she is with in and out of ICN. She travels each month to a St Louis hospital for infusions as a double lung transplant patient for over a fantastic twenty years (far surpassing the 6.6-year average survival rate). While there, she has words and pictures for her nurses and others in the infusion room. What a gal!
For many years she has seen encouraging images for me. She is also a part of my WeSpace group, the first one formed five years ago here in Kansas City, meeting in my apartment. Every fortnight our group listens for words and images for one another. At first, I thought, "Oh no, they are just being nice to me." But time after time, they see things I don't see clearly about myself, and their words bring the "gold" to light. I am slowly becoming what they see!
Luke Healy, cofounder of ICN, and I have met every week for a couple of hours for the last five years to share and do meditative prayer together. Luke sees things for me that are very transforming.
In a recent meeting with Luke, I shared how at age 85, my husband, Ivan, now drives me to meetings and doctor appointments. I no longer feel safe driving on highways or at night. In walking into new places, I find myself somewhat disoriented until I can find my way around. These are all normal experiences of vulnerability for the elderly, but new for me since it feels like I didn't become elderly until a year ago!
I shared with Luke my new sense of uncertainty away from home. In our small but just right apartment, I feel warmly safe and at home both outwardly and inwardly. I thrive during my daily WBMA practice and the privilege of meeting with my own WeSpace group and practicing from home on the Internet with all the new groups as well at other times with the larger ICN family.
During our meditative prayer time, Luke, resonating with me, shared a picture he saw of a cave on top of a mountain accessed by a rather treacherous path up the mountain. He saw me in the cave as an ancient cave-dwelling mystic, yet with all the comforts of life today. I told him that picture meant a lot to me, resonating at a deep level. And freed me to be where I am in life with my outer limits and my stay-at-home global traveling with my Internet family with no limitations on my inner life. With Luke's vision, I now had an honored historical precedent to be a mystic staying in my Internet-connected cave!
All of this is available for anyone who wants it. I invite you to join our family of sharing in the mystical community, no matter where you are or what your limitations may be.
Reflection . . .
1. Which form of HI'S (Heart love, Impressions, 'Subtle states) of Resonating Prayer are you currently most comfortable with? Least?
2. Have you experienced Resonating (Integral) Prayer? What do you feel when you are the recipient?
3. What questions do you have about Resonating Prayer?
