Teach Us to Pray, by Charles Fillmore, [1941], at sacred-texts.com
Teach Us to Pray, by Charles Fillmore, [1941], at sacred-texts.com
"I HAVE SET Jehovah always before me:
Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:
My flesh also shall dwell in safety."
The Psalms constituted the hymnbook of the early church, and no finer example of religious fervor and devotion and literary excellence can be found in the lyrics of any people.
Although the author of the Psalms is usually referred to as David, that great poet and musician is by critics credited with considerably less than half of the one hundred and fifty hymns that appear in the Bible.
Psalm means "lyric," and the heading of each indicates to the musician what attitude of devotion should precede its rendition. "Selah" is the most
common heading. Bible authorities are not all agreed as to its precise meaning, but a very general opinion is that it means "pause," "silence," "to be still." But why pause before the music has even begun? Just here is where an understanding of spiritual law helps one. Before any act that involves direct appeal to God there should be a silent recognition of God's presence, of Jehovah-shammah, "The Lord is present," which is one of the sacred names of Jehovah.
In all our prayers, talks, and songs with God as the subject, we should first have a period of silence, a selah, in which the divine presence is invoked as the creative power. Then we can proclaim with Jesus, "I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works." The heading of Psalm 16 is "Michtam of David." One authority says michtam means "gold," another "excellence," and still another "mystery." It means all of these and more. Beginning at verse 8, we have a prophecy of the supreme overcoming demonstrated by Jesus:
Jehovah is the name of the supermind in man and is called the Christ in the New Testament. Give first place in all your thoughts and acts to this all-powerful presence and you will realize the "right hand" of guidance and steadfast conviction.
A "glad" heart speeds up the circulation and
sweeps effete matter from the blood stream; then the flesh rests in confidence and health appears.
The prosperity word is one that we have often used in our Unity prayer ministry during the past fifty years. Some of you may cast it aside as threadbare, but don't be hasty. You may have used it many times, with varying degrees of success, but no one has exhausted its possibilities.
The producing power of a word depends on the ability of its user to uncover its inner meaning and apply it to his particular needs. When you use the word "Thee," do you think what its antecedent is? You will quickly say "God," but "God" covers a multitude of creative forces. In this case you are working to bring prosperity into your affairs; hence you should fill your mind with images and ideas of the all-providing, all-supplying One. Ancient Hebrew seers and adepts like Moses and Elijah understood this, and they had seven sacred names for Jehovah, each of which represented Him in His specific creative ability.
Jehovah-jireh means "Jehovah will provide," and anyone who concentrates his mind on this mighty One and persistently affirms His presence and power visible and invisible will be provided for regardless of any opposing circumstances. Should the Lord seem to be absent, use the hidden name of this mighty presence. Jehovah-shammah ("the Lord is present"), and you will soon feel the dynamic life and substance of creative Mind charging the ether with its living productiveness.