Practical Prayer

Carol notes that when a "miracle" happens, it might have been in the works for many years, and seems miraculous because we didn't see it coming. Rev. Bill agrees, suggesting that the "miracle" might not just be love at first sight, but the meeting and enduring friendship with the person who invited you to the party where the miracle happened. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast...

Carol believes that ego is key to our success, and also drives our failures and frustrations. Rev. Bill suggests that there's a difference between controlling our ego and not letting our ego control us. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the podcast, and the classes and resources to bring Practical Prayer,...

Carol asks, "Is everything a miracle? Or is nothing a miracle?" Rev. Bill says the answer is "yes," and the discussion proceeds with the idea that the miracle of life and all of Creation depends on how you look at it. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the podcast, and the classes and resources to bring Pra...

Rev. Bill is solo in this episode. He talks about the the simplicty of Practical Prayer, and how that simplicity contrasts with the complexity of actually practicing with it in our day to day life. Transformation is at hand, but might require some diligence on our part! Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about th...

Time seems to be moving SO quickly to Carol and those around her. Changes that used to take ten years now happen in two years, or even faster. How do we maintain our center? Rev. Bill offers perspective on the ways that the changes are not just disruptive, but open up new avenues for good. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more...

The ideas of Hell and Heaven saturate traditional religion, and Carol wants Rev. Bill's perspective. He breaks the conversation down into three facets - what Heaven and Hell are, where you're going, who gets to say where you're going, and why. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the podcast, and the classes...

Carol is intrigued by Rev. Bill's claim a few episodes back that "we don't manifest anything." There are clearly a LOT of people busy doing Manifesting work of all sorts. so she wants to know what the heck he's talking about. The conversation turns to "Theolocation", a new term coined by Bill to help explain it. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends t...

Some people around Carol have been using the words wealth, prosperity and abundance as three ways to say the same thing. The are different, and Rev. Bill explains that Abundance is an aspect of God while the other two are descriptions of the ways that we can experience life. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information abo...

Carol has a lifelong love of music, and is aware of the possibility for messages to be hidden within. There are other ways we can be influenced without our specific awareness. Rev. Bill dives into the topic, with stories along the way of meditation, hypnosis, and gardening. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information abou...

Carol has come across the notion of "outlining", which is different in the bible than the way it's addressed by Emmet Fox, and other visionaries of New Thought. Rev. Bill describes outlining as our tendency to identify what we want AND the process by which we expect to get it. It's like wanting a work of art but giving the Infinite a color-by-numbers canvas that severely limits our possibilities....

In watching the little kids at Halloween, Carol gave thought to the masks we wear, the roles we play, and how we present ourselves differently to different groups at various times. Rev. Bill brings in the ideas of appropriateness, and authenticity, noting that we can engage differently at different times without hiding our true selves. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - plea...

After more than 170 weekly podcast episodes and a friendship that started during the pandemic, Carol and Rev. Bill FINALLY met in person. The meeting brought out old ways of thinking and fresh new ways to misunderstand what was happening. The two dig into the experience, and the metaphysics behind it. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! T...

Carol notes that there are two concepts, one of of Manifesting... repeating affirmations to create a change in our lives, and one of Divine Timing, in which a power and intelligence way beyond ours is bringing things together. She urges Rev. Bill to point out whether they're connected, and how they work for us. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to...

Carol points out that "evolution just happens - you don't get to vote," and that people around her are resistant to change, even though it's going to happen anyhow. Rev. Bill points out that even when nothing changes, there is still newness and change happening. Just try taking one great breath that will last forever! Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your fri...

Carol says that religion is dos and don'ts and dogma, brought together with judgement. She believes that spirituality lies beneath it, and can get lost. Rev. Bill agrees, and compares the difference to the ways that we learn to dance. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the podcast, and the classes and resou...

Carol has become increasingly aware of the difference between being purposeful, and perfectionism, and the ways that people can deny the presence of the Divine in daily activities. Rev. Bill shares his background as a recovering perfectionist, along with insight about what else shows up when we let go of having the answer. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite you...

It's a double-topic as Carol brings up the disconnect between our feelings and the "serious" nature of our intention-setting and Creative nature. Rev. Bill confirms that our intentions are fired by our feelings, and the importance of belief and enthusiasm in the change that we're inviting. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more...

What goes around comes around... karma... You reap what you sow. Carol has found that Traditional Religion includes this idea, but doesn't spend much time talking about it. Rev. Bill explains the New Thought perspective, and how it is a natural expression of the same creative process that is always at work. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to lis...

This is a Rebroadcast of Episode 34 from January 2022 Carol wants to know about God’s plan, and how predestination and free will fit together. Rev. Bill talks about finding the unique combination of skills, talents and abilities we’re been gifted with, and how we can put them together for good. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's...

In her early days in traditional religion, Carol was given a specific, standard technique for meditation. Over the years, the guidance on How to Meditate has changed. Rev. Bill describes the goal and purpose of meditation, and the idea that any technique that gets to the goal is valid and worthwhile. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! Th...

Both Carol and Rev. Bill got the idea to revisit this topic from the early episodes of the podcast. It's partly to re-establish this important idea, but even more importantly to share the evolution and growth in understanding that each has been through in the years since beginning the partnership. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There...

Carol was surprised by a conversation with a colleague who is intent on growing their organization the same way that would have been done before COVID. She's wondering about whether our thinking has to evolve when circumstances change. Rev. Bill points out that every change - and every moment - is an invitation for a new idea. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite...

Since her first days of studying Practical Prayer, Carol questioned who it is that she was praying to. This is one of the elements that sets Practical Prayer apart from the traditional prayer with which she was familiar. Rev. Bill brings up creation stories, trees, and other metaphors to help her understand that it's not so much "who" but "where." Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer po...

Carol's experience with old friends from her days in traditional religion has made her notice that some are inclined toward judgement and even rejection when she talks about her new perspective. Rev. Bill suggests that this could be an assumption - a person's unspoken desire to know that someone agrees with their world-view and beliefs before being willing to engage in a relationship. Thank you fo...

Carol is interested in what happens when our use of the Creative process works wonderfully to create new experiences like magic, and then suddenly stops working. Rev. Bill brings it to a broader context, noting that the transformation happens not because we want it to happen, but because we truly believe that it can. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your frie...