Purifying Ourselves

We move closer to God by raising our vibration. This is the purification the Bible talks about.

To purify ourselves we can use a number of tools, including prayer, meditation and sound.

Prayer is the tool we most often use. With it we speak to God and communicate what we want.

Prayer, depending upon our words and intent, can calm and raise us up so we feel God's holy presence within us and begin to resonate with God's qualities of love and compassion. With the right intentions, prayer can transform us - and our lives - dramatically.

However, not everyone understands that prayers can become litanies of our fears or sorrows.

Certainly we have seen people who pray often and go to church, yet are burdened with troubles.

Repeating our fears and sorrows cannot lift us up. Prayer should, therefore, always be constructed so that once we reveal our sorrows or lacks to God, we then affirm God is raising us up out of them.

Meditation is a quieting of the mind in order to hear God. It is a time in which we practice silence.

We normally practice this clearing out of thoughts by focusing on an ancient sound that has been a name for God, such as Om.

As our minds learn to be quiet, we can better hear "the still small voice within" that always urges us toward love, empowerment and healthy choices.

However, depending upon the type of meditation, unless we are instructed correctly and have the correct intentions, we can meditate for years without our lives or inner landscapes changing much.

You may have seen this. One person who meditates is loving and his life works. Another may still have troubles.

There is another way to transform the nervous system and raise our vibration, and that is by using sound. Using sound alone also bypasses any confusion over the meanings or intent of words.

This is what the practice of chanting mantras is meant to accomplish. It is meant to raise one's bodily vibration - and the state of one's mind - so it more closely aligns with Spirit.

Tomorrow I'll give you a sound you can play with. If you like the way it makes you feel, you can use it frequently to help lift yourself closer to God.