“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7

At the beginning of the year we identified eight challenges which, if smartly managed, could enhance the chances of holistic prosperity and happiness in 2018.

 

As a reminder, the management strategies proposed to deal with each challenge, in turn, were THE 5M SHEPHERDING MODEL (Business Success), THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING (Emotional Well-being), INNOVATION SYSTEMS (New Ideas), WORK YOUR ‘LAND’ (Earning capacity), POWER OF SHARING (Financial Comfort), FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE (Intellectual Stimulation) and HOLISTIC HEALTH (Total Physical Fitness).

 

Lastly, but by no means least, we shall discuss today COMMUNICATION WITH GOD to address the Spiritual Upliftment challenge.

 

This communication practice with God is sustainable because of an associated  source of Perfect Love. The communication loop is humbly initiated by prayer from human beings to God. The prayer is processed in an environment, the boundaries of which encompass the Will of God. Meditation provides a listening environment which facilitates the closure of  the communication loop. Then our job is to continue on the road to happiness by diligently executing the message by riding in the vehicle of Love right here on Earth.

 

Humans, the species homo sapiens, have the same anatomy. Love is an emotion which is commonly understood across ethnic barriers. There may be different religions and different denominations within religions but the basic structure is one superior being worshipped by human beings.  In this column the superior being is referred to as God. God is Love.

 

Prayer to God, for requests, thanks and/or praise, is practised, albeit sometimes by rote, in religious communities. This manner is dependent on the exposure to the faith, doctrine, belief or creed.  It gives us comfort. Prayer may also be regarded by some as a conditioning of the individual mind as preparation for and protection against the unknown. Some believe that the greater the intensity of prayer, the number of persons focused on a particular request at the same time, the “better” will be the results.

 

In the Lord’s prayer, the third request is that “Thy will be done”. Our prayers do not necessarily give us the answers that we want. However, we need to understand that our prayers are considered in the context of the wider master plan and indeed God will give us the answers that we need based on greater wisdom.  Just imbibe the tranquil, serene and idyllic comfort of your spiritual blanket and listen, in return, to the whispers from God.

 

Treat these whispers that you get using an overlay of confession and forgiveness. Confession clears your mind. As the Lord’s prayer states “… and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Forgiveness puts us at peace. The combined output of confession and forgiveness will be Love.

 

 

Love is the ultimate goal and God is Love. Let us recognize that we must communicate regularly with God, listen carefully to his bidding and, in turn, play our role to execute it with excellence in search of happiness.