The Miracle of Prayer Final Essay
By
Reverend George Parsons
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By
Reverend George Parsons
As with all of the discourses offered at the Universal Life Church Seminary, in order to receive the degree for learning the topic offered, one must submit a final essay of several hundred words relating what a person likes or dislikes from the course, what they learned, what they agreed with or disagreed with, how this course has affected them. I would also like it known that I write my essays from my heart. I do write about people of the past and how I may have disagreed with their philosophies. I do not try to prove to everyone else how smart I am or where my knowledge level is. I do not try to throw in words that most don’t know what they are. I write about how this course actually affects me and, by affecting me, how I can affect and help others. Here is my final essay for you to read, discern and offer comments upon.
The first thing I want to talk about is the key word I stated in the first paragraph. This word being Learning. I will be the first to admit it that while I was taking this course, I was distracted numerous times during reading each week’s discourse. I read the material offered, but, I didn’t read it. It was all just words jumbled together each week. I let distractions like a tv show interrupt my time, or the cat distract me cause she wanted some affection. I would start reading and taking notes when a nature call would severely hit me. Needless to say, I really did not get a lot out of this course until I printed it out and set aside time, without distractions, to finally read the material offered and let it permeate my mind. I selected a place in the woods behind my home, set up a chair, and would dedicate time to myself (selfish I know) to read and discern this course.
The material offered by Reverend Loretta Siani was rather enlightening. She related the importance of prayer in our daily lives. This was something that I started doing prior to sitting down and studying this course. When I walked out to my “quiet place” in the woods, I would start off with a prayer asking God to allow me to be distraction-free until He felt I had filled my mind with enough information for that setting. He would not let me fill up the glass, so to speak, and have it overflow. In fact, He would fill my mind with the material offered but stop short of a full glass to leave me questioning and desiring more. And it worked. I learned more out of this course then I would have without Him.
Although Rev. Siani related her thoughts and experiences throughout the course, I especially liked her concluding course, Lesson 20. Reading the prayers she uses to get through the day helped me find the prayers I needed to get through my day. There are too many times where I let the selfish me take over instead of letting my Free and Great me rule my life. Through prayer, I am taking control back over my life. Through prayer, my thirst for knowledge grows. Through prayer my life has gotten slightly better. The more I study, the more I pray, the better my life gets.
Now, I am not going to say that my life has done a complete 180 degree turn around. Hardly. But it seems to be getting better. Through my research and studies, I have learned that my views on religion have become Gnostic than the traditional views. I have opened myself up to the message that God sent Jesus to deliver. That message being Love. That message being showing love to your enemies as well as friends and family. Like Rev. Siani says, there is no telling how much hate, war, disease love can cure and conquer.
There are still a few demons that I am attempting to conquer in my life but with God by my side, and talking to Him through prayers, I know I will be the victor!
I thank Reverend Loretta Siani for offering this course. And I conclude with the words of Jesus from Rev. Loretta Siani’s Lesson 20:
I thank You, Father, for these holy ones who are my brothers as they are Your Sons. My faith in them is Yours. I am as sure that they will come to me as You are sure of what they are, and will forever be. They will accept the gift I offer them, because You gave it me on their behalf. And as I would but do Your holy Will, so will they choose. And I give thanks for them. Salvation’s song will echo through the world with every choice they make. For we are one in purpose, and the end of hell is near.
In joyous welcome is my hand outstretched to every brother who would join with me in reaching past temptation, and who looks with fixed determination toward the light that shines beyond in perfect constancy. Give me my own, for they belong to You. And can You fail in what is but Your Will? I give You thanks for what my brothers are. And as each one elects to join with me, the song of thanks from earth to Heaven grows from tiny scattered threads of melody to one inclusive chorus from a world redeemed from hell, and giving thanks to You.
The first thing I want to talk about is the key word I stated in the first paragraph. This word being Learning. I will be the first to admit it that while I was taking this course, I was distracted numerous times during reading each week’s discourse. I read the material offered, but, I didn’t read it. It was all just words jumbled together each week. I let distractions like a tv show interrupt my time, or the cat distract me cause she wanted some affection. I would start reading and taking notes when a nature call would severely hit me. Needless to say, I really did not get a lot out of this course until I printed it out and set aside time, without distractions, to finally read the material offered and let it permeate my mind. I selected a place in the woods behind my home, set up a chair, and would dedicate time to myself (selfish I know) to read and discern this course.
The material offered by Reverend Loretta Siani was rather enlightening. She related the importance of prayer in our daily lives. This was something that I started doing prior to sitting down and studying this course. When I walked out to my “quiet place” in the woods, I would start off with a prayer asking God to allow me to be distraction-free until He felt I had filled my mind with enough information for that setting. He would not let me fill up the glass, so to speak, and have it overflow. In fact, He would fill my mind with the material offered but stop short of a full glass to leave me questioning and desiring more. And it worked. I learned more out of this course then I would have without Him.
Although Rev. Siani related her thoughts and experiences throughout the course, I especially liked her concluding course, Lesson 20. Reading the prayers she uses to get through the day helped me find the prayers I needed to get through my day. There are too many times where I let the selfish me take over instead of letting my Free and Great me rule my life. Through prayer, I am taking control back over my life. Through prayer, my thirst for knowledge grows. Through prayer my life has gotten slightly better. The more I study, the more I pray, the better my life gets.
Now, I am not going to say that my life has done a complete 180 degree turn around. Hardly. But it seems to be getting better. Through my research and studies, I have learned that my views on religion have become Gnostic than the traditional views. I have opened myself up to the message that God sent Jesus to deliver. That message being Love. That message being showing love to your enemies as well as friends and family. Like Rev. Siani says, there is no telling how much hate, war, disease love can cure and conquer.
There are still a few demons that I am attempting to conquer in my life but with God by my side, and talking to Him through prayers, I know I will be the victor!
I thank Reverend Loretta Siani for offering this course. And I conclude with the words of Jesus from Rev. Loretta Siani’s Lesson 20:
I thank You, Father, for these holy ones who are my brothers as they are Your Sons. My faith in them is Yours. I am as sure that they will come to me as You are sure of what they are, and will forever be. They will accept the gift I offer them, because You gave it me on their behalf. And as I would but do Your holy Will, so will they choose. And I give thanks for them. Salvation’s song will echo through the world with every choice they make. For we are one in purpose, and the end of hell is near.
In joyous welcome is my hand outstretched to every brother who would join with me in reaching past temptation, and who looks with fixed determination toward the light that shines beyond in perfect constancy. Give me my own, for they belong to You. And can You fail in what is but Your Will? I give You thanks for what my brothers are. And as each one elects to join with me, the song of thanks from earth to Heaven grows from tiny scattered threads of melody to one inclusive chorus from a world redeemed from hell, and giving thanks to You.
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