Self-help legend Louise Hay passed away the other day, on the morning of August 30, 2017.
She was 90, and made the transition peacefully in her sleep, at her home.
She influenced millions with her books, including me.
One of the highlights of my life was having dinner with her about ten years ago.
She openly shared her life, mission, and home with me.
She said, “The more people you help, the better your life will be.”
Her first book, Heal Your Body, was privately published by her in 1976 – when she was 50 years old.
That “little blue book” went on to become a self-help classic.
She bought me dinner and we talked about everything from The Secret movie to Jerry and Esther Hicks and Abraham to Operation YES, my movement to end homelessness.
She showed interest in my life and work.
She asked questions.
She listened.
Back in her San Diego home, she gave me so many signed copies of her books that I began to feel uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Do you have a problem receiving?”
I got over it.
I opened my arms to receive more.
She was loving and lovable.
She was warm and wise.
She will live forever in her books and through her company, Hay House.
I am forever grateful to her, and will always miss her.
Thank you, Louise.
I love you.
Ao Akua,
PS – A few years ago Louise Hay’s company published the book I coauthored with Daniel Barrett, The Remembering Process, which remains a milestone in my career.
Watch Louise Hay in action here:
Later this year I’ll be releasing a new book titled, The Secret Prayer.
It will reveal a three-step formula for attracting miracles through right prayer.
Prayer is a way to activate the Law of Attraction by requesting an intention and inviting inspiration.
In researching, I’m reading really old books, such as Prayer: The Forgotten Secret, from 1906, and really new books, such as Healing Words by Larry Dossey and Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson.
From what I can see, prayer has been around since the beginning of time.
But as we all know, they don’t always seem to work.
So what’s the secret to having a prayer deliver?
Let’s look at incorrect prayer first:
First, I don’t think most people actually believe their prayers. They pray without any real belief that anyone is listening or anything will happen. They simply “toss” one to the sky, like a stranded person on an island throwing a note in a bottle into the ocean. They hope someone picks it up. Then they hope someone acts on their plea.
Second, desperation is the other problem. Most prayers are just begging. People pray for help, solutions, miracles, healing, money and more. But when they pray, it’s often because they don’t see a way out and are pleading for intervention.
Third, most people don’t take action. This is a common thing in the world of metaphysics. People think their praying is action, when it’s really an action, but not the entire blueprint to results.
Again, prayer is a way to activate the Law of Attraction by requesting an intention and inviting inspiration.
So what’s the right way to pray?
“When you put yourself into the state of the wish fulfilled and think from it, you are praying, and in a way your reasoning mind does not know, your wish will become a fact in your world. You can be the man or woman you want to be, when you know how to pray.” – Neville, The Right Way to Pray, 1967 lecture, http://realneville.com/txt/the_secret_of_prayer.htm
First, begin with a spirit of gratitude.
To me, this is the core issue. If we all felt more gratitude for what we have, even the things we complain about, we’d shift our focus, our mind, our thoughts, our energies, our spirit, our direction, our action, and more. Gratitude for the now is the number one way to begin any prayer. When you sincerely do it and feel it, you can stop with this step, too. It’s that powerful.
Second, requesting rather than begging is wiser.
After all, we don’t know the big picture or the whole story. Begging for a certain outcome is an ego trip; it’s pretending we know it all. We don’t. We barely know a tiny percentage of what is happening in our personal world at any one time. A wiser approach is to make a request but acknowledge that something better may be more appropriate. End requests with the phrase, “This or something better.” This step requires faith.
Third, acting on the insights, inspiration, intuition.
We co-create results. The Higher Power (God, Divine, Universe, etc) works through you, not for you. When you see an opportunity, seize it. When you receive an inspiration, act on it. You are the missing ingredient in most results from prayer. The famous joke about the man who prayed to win the lottery but was reminded to buy a ticket, is good to remember.
“Prayer is the effort to bring the human soul into tune with the Infinite.” – W. J. Dawson, Prayer: The Forgotten Secret
My book will explore all this and more when it comes out later in the year. For now, I wanted to give you a crash course in prayer.
If you really want your prayers answered, then follow a proven formula:
1. Be grateful.
2. Detached request.
3. Inspired Action.
Try it today and note the difference.
Expect Miracles.
Ao Akua,
joe
PS – If you have other pointers or stories about prayers that work, please let me know with a comment below. Thank you.
PPS – If you want to explore prayers and music, be sure to check out my latest album http://www.InvokingDivinity.com