“To [Jesus] prayer was a sincere expression of spiritual attitude, a declaration of soul loyalty, a recital of personal devotion, an expression of thanksgiving, an avoidance of emotional tension, a prevention of conflict, an exaltation of intellection, an ennoblement of desire, a vindication of moral decision, an enrichment of thought, an invigoration of supreme devotion, the validation of consecration, a technique for the adjustment of difficulties, and the mighty mobilization of the combined soul powers to withstand all human tendencies toward selfishness, evil, and sin.” [UB 196:1]

Thought Adjuster: “This lengthy depiction of what prayer entailed for Jesus made you realize how greatly underutilized or perverted this beautiful soul expression is on your world. Jesus exemplified the versatile emotional support provided by worship. To use a metaphor, you could compare the multi-purposes of prayer to the various utility tools included in a Swiss Army knife, there to provide you with practical assistance based on the needs of the hour. From the above portrayal, Jesus’ prayers branched out in at least 17 distinct ‘applications.’ How many do your prayers have?

“For many of you, they consist of a single blade, dulled by its constant bargaining for personal favors. This self-serving aspect of prayer was foreign to Jesus’ prayers that were imbued with a selfless flavor, as He mostly interceded for the overall welfare while abiding by the Father’s Will.

“Isn’t it exciting to be introduced to the versatility of prayers? Jesus was no different from you in the way that He had to deal with the full gamut of challenging human predicaments. “The secret of his unparalleled religious life was this consciousness of the presence of God; and he attained it by intelligent prayer and sincere worship—unbroken communion with God—and not by leadings, voices, visions, or extraordinary religious practices.” [UB 196:1]

“Learn from the Master! Mastery requires constant practice. It is how Jesus optimized the outreach of His prayers and gained much fortitude from maintaining an around the clock prayerful demeanor. He prayed from His wide-open heart—never from a sense of duty.

“After it has become second nature to you, may prayer become first nature as it was for Jesus. Turn it into a productive dialogue with the Divine. Indeed, by doing so, you will stir the Father out of the boredom of having to endure generic and insipid prayers. You will get His attention, and He will provide you with His informed feedback, prioritizing your ‘special’ needs for spiritual enlightenment, moment by moment. One thing is for sure: It will spice up your prayer life.”