Prayer:The Transformative Principle of Life

“Enter into thine inner chamber… and shut thy door.”

–Matthew 6:6 (King James Version)

How Prayer Has Affected My Life

This message is the result of being asked to deliver a “timely speech” for the Monumental Baptist Church’s Women’s Monthly Prayer Breakfast in Memphis, TN.

Their scripture theme was

2 Corinthians 5:17:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”

I was asked to share “How Prayer has Affected My Life.”

First, prayer in my life has been a direct communion to God the Father, thru Christ Jesus. This communication has been in the “innermost” part of my soul. As many of you know, I sought to transform myself at age 49 - I spiritually “woke up.” This was after my divorce and after my children had left my home. The word transform means to change from one form to another. For me, this meant realizing my childhood dreams to model and write books. This process started a new beginning with help from the Divine Christ. I became a new creature as I aligned myself up to God. However, I had to “let go” of people, places, and things and my negative mindset to reach my goals. Most of this negativity I had carried in my soul for 39 years. I developed the autoimmune deficiency of fibromyalgia from suppressing my inner childhood dreams and suffered from this deficiency for 10 years or more.

At this time, I would like to ask you: what are the most inner dreams within your soul? What are you willing, my dears, to let go of in order to achieve your highest potential in this life?

My Spiritual Practice

My new found journey consisted of prayer/meditation, exercising, reading and listening to uplifting programs, eating wholesome foods, and journaling (which action became my second book). And then daily and nightly, I did what Matthew 6:6 says to do: “Enter into thine inner chamber…and shut thy door, pray to the Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.” The word recompense means to pay or pay back. My prayer in secret was to be able to “step into” my divine destiny and dream, as I envisioned it as a child. Can you go in secret to the Father from your “inner chamber” and get your payback for all your hard work?

Hard Work Pays Off

I started to become new or transformed by dropping my weight and negative emotions as I worked out and had my personal communion with the Father in secret.

I held positive thoughts about modeling at the age of 50 and writing books. There were many times I would sit and dream or image me writing or modeling for a magazine even though I wasn't there yet.

There is more to living and stepping into your dreams than dreaming, however. One must make a “Plan to Action.” For me, the plan was to enter modeling school at 50.

As long as you are in Christ, there is no age limit on your success or dreams. Only you set limitations on you or discount your dreams because of age. Nonetheless, most say they cannot live and create their dreams because they don’t have the money, education, clothes, the right car, or any connections. Those are all excuses. Making excuses means that you are not trusting God to provide and open the doors for you. Your job is simply to just say “YES!” Don’t use all the excuses that start “but,” “I can’t,” or “I will tomorrow.” Live in the now and say, “YES!” to God and everything else will be totally provided to you as you trust your God.

Trust God

The means to Living and Creating your Dreams are so simple. It’s about your inner communion with God, from the “innermost” part of your soul. Then believe in your destiny and seek to transform yourself in every way necessary to do what you and God would like you to achieve. You must understand that one has to “let go” of people, places, and things.

Then, of course, let go of your negative mindset about you and your life, world, and affairs. Forgive all who you think stopped your dreams and release that concept into the heavens. Then, move forward. You can do this - I did it and so can you. Last, put a “Plan to Action” for your dreams and ask the Father for guidance. Develop a “Spiritual Practice” that is perfect for you and do it every day.

Dear one, then you step one foot in front of another and follow the big footprints (God’s) in front of yours and apply Faith.

Thanks so much for reading my works. My books speak more on this topic.

Copyright 2010



Carol S. Batey