Practical Prayer

When Carol initially got into the New Thought philosophy she put a lot of energy into learning the language, and the way to say what we mean, and what we want. She and Rev. Bill discuss how important it is to be clear about how our words are RECEIVED. What we intended is not nearly as important as the impact of how it lands. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite y...

Carol and Rev. Bill continue the conversation about bringing something new and fresh into our lives, this time with a focus on letting go of what we've had up until now. In the same way that we must exhale to make room for another breath, we must clear a space - in our consciousness or our closet. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There...

Carol observes that we can't just pray and expect something to change - new it happens when we do something different. Rev. Bill suggests that our intention, our consciousness, is where the change begins, and that we get to let go of our attachment to what we've had so far, and partner with the Infinite, doing what's ours to do in order to bring the newness about. Thank you for listening to the Pr...

Carol usually does things in an orderly serial progressions - from A to B to C - but finds that the episodes of the podcast have not tended to build on one another in that way. Rev. Bill points out that every week we're talking about the same thing - Oneness - from a different perspective, and that means that we're free to engage in a fresh way in each conversation. This time, they talk about how...

Carol wants to know why Jesus didn’t do Practical Prayer… or did he? And how do we pray like Jesus? Rev. Bill gives us the instructions from Jesus on how to pray, and create our own miracles. (This is a rebroadcast of Episode 13). 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...

There's a tradition of focusing on what we want to be "new" at this time of year. Carol found that, in her years on the traditional pulpit, people wanted their life to suddenly and miraculously be transformed when the calendar rolls over. Rev. Bill points to the way that harvest season has made way for winter, and that newness is inherent as we pass into another season. Thank you for listening to...

Carol wants to talk about Oneness, and Rev. Bill is emphatic about how central it is to the New Thought teaching. Carol wants to take it to a personal level, when we find ourselves having to acknowledge that people involved in bad behavior and activities. Do we really have to acknowledge that we are one with the "crazy" people? Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invit...

Carol has noticed that people sometimes get "stuck" between the second and third steps in their Practical Prayer, describing it as "spiritual indigestion." Rev. Bill observes that this happens when what we're praying for is at odds with what we believe we deserve. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the podc...

Rev. Bill is joined by Dr. Robert Brzezinski, the mastermind behind the New Thought Media Network and an ordained minister in the Centers for Spiritual Living. They discuss the language of Practical Prayer and Spiritual Mind Treatment, which are actually the same prayer technique. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more informati...

Carol wants to talk about "Release". It's the final step in a Practical Prayer, and so ingrained in Rev. Bill's thinking that he can overlook its power and importance. They also talk about the importance of letting go of our attachment to allow our Good to flow. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the podcas...

Rev. Bill is solo today, and takes the opportunity to get back to Practical Prayer fundamentals - the notion that the underlying Power is a spiritual principle. It responds to everyone, everywhere, in exactly the same manner. This Power doesn't choose who or what it responds to, and thus is available to all of us. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends...

Carol points out that, sometimes, we're just having "one of those days". She and Rev. Bill discuss the metaphysical perspective on it, and how that experience of having "one of those days" - and other ways our experience of life is unfolding - has a Mental Equivalent in our belief system. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more i...

Carol has been encountering a lot of people who find themselves looking for purpose in their lives. Some are dealing with a loss, and wonder what could be next. Others are seeking guidance on what is theirs to do. Rev. Bill observes that we are here not to do "God's bidding", but to understand the Gift that we are, and find our way to share it. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podca...

Carol observes that changes are always happening, and sometimes it feels like there's a LOT of change going on. Now there's a change of seasons, changes in where we are in life, and some unhappiness in people about the changes that are happening. Rev. Bill notes that there are changes that we have wanted for a long time, and other changes that we didn't want or expect. Thank you for listening to t...

Rev. Bill and Carol both doubt that multitasking is a real thing, and each bring their own shifting perspective as they have grown (or aged). The discussion veers to the opposite, which is stillness, and how that can help us turn any task into a spiritual practice. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the pod...

Carol has understood the convergence between science and spirituality for a long time, even when it was frowned upon at the churches she led. Rev. Bill is all about the oneness, and describes the way the Big Bang might have been described in biblical language. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the podcast,...

Carol wants to know how Practical Prayer is different than other forms of prayer. Rev. Bill acknowledges his ignorance, and limited familiarity with other forms of prayer. Together, they stitch together an understanding of what’s different and what’s not. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's more information about the podcast, and...

Carol observes that there is a widely held belief that God has a plan for our lives. The go-to scripture is Jeremiah 29:11. Both Carol and Rev. Bill object to the idea of predestination, for their own reasons. 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 P...

It's a conversation about healing... not how to do it, but our attitude about it. Carol has noticed that people in many cases have full faith and belief until they have a particular experience, and then they get shook up, and the faith disappears. Rev. Bill joins in by re-framing healing, not as fixing a problem, but the revealing of the spiritual Truth that it's already perfect. Thank you for lis...

Carol asks about what's going on when we're hoping for a blessing - a financial breakthrough, resolution of a health challenge, or some other answered prayer - and we're waiting, and it's not working. Rev. Bill points out that our prayers are answered at the level of what we believe we deserve. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your friends to listen! There's...

Carol has been reviewing an exercise with chakras at the annual Winter Solstice celebration hosted by New Thought Philadelphia, and recalls being impressed by the clarity, brevity, and simplicity of the explanation. Rev. Bill accommodates with a whirlwind discussion of chakras, what they mean, how we use them, and why it's relevant. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please...

Rev. Bill took part in the Parliament on World Religions. Carol wants to talk about what they all have in common, especially when it comes to the prayer practices that connect them all, yet make them distinct. 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 P...

Carol has been reading, learning new stuff and coming up with new questions. Lately it's been a lot about karma, past lives, and how much we have to take into account when creating our next experience of life. Rev. Bill goes to the Big Picture, with insight on how to understand what's come before in a way that informs us without controlling us. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podca...

A rebroadcast of Episode 5, from the summer of 2021. How the heck did these two people get onto this podcast? Rev. Bill and Carol talk about their back stories, and the winding spiritual paths that brought them into this unique partnership. 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...

Carol has recently become aware that she's been acting in a way that's EXACTLY what she didn't want to be. What's up with that!?! Rev. Bill discusses the value in being able to observe how we've been engaging in the world, and use that insight to pivot - to turn away from what's not working and choose something else. Thank you for listening to the Practical Prayer podcast - please invite your frie...