Prayer, metaphysics and love

What is prayer actually?

I have come to realise that prayer is actually all about us making things happen with our thoughts, according to the power of intention. Prayer isn't what organised religion teaches about some god in the sky answering our prayers. I'm learning to see that we have the power to create our own reality with our thinking. Staying away from negativity in religion, politics, etc also goes in some ways to allow our mind to be filled with beautiful and empowering thoughts. I am learning to guard my thoughts when I read newspapers on Sundays, for example.

How is metaphysics applicable to everyone?

Having come out from the christian religion, I am now into metaphysics, which I find rational and scientifically explainable (in terms of quantum physics). I suppose the christian religion tends to demonise or stigmatise those who are into new age philosophy or metaphysics because the religious institutions want to monopolise their idea of divinity, thinking that only their version of god is the "true" god.

Secondly, the institutions want to have control over people with their fear-based doctrines about an angry and jealous god (which is only a mirror reflection of the shadow self), and so they would not like to see people being empowered to create their own reality instead of being co-dependent on them for guidance and support.

I have also checked out Carlton Pearson's latest status update on his Facebook wall, and I agree with his observations that religions tend to be divisive and controlling - "as long as we allow religion to divide and conquer us as a human race, any positive effect it can or is presumed to have on humanity is sabotaged."

I have come to see that the divine or the source is in every one of us, and no religion can ever claim a stake or ownership on our shared divinity, and say "Hey, that is my god, and he is called Yahweh/Allah/Jesus/etc, and you'd better bow down and worship and submit to him, and call upon his name and be saved/pardoned/accepted." The divine in us is too expansive and infinite to be ever confined within a particular belief system or religion or name.

How has love been religionised?

People who talk a lot about love doesn't necessarily show love to oneself and/or others. I think it's partly due to indoctrination in the religious circles, in which people think that the more they talk about "holiness", love, pleasing "god", living a "moral" life, the more they are seen by others as being "holy", loving, "god-fearing" and "moral" (or so they thought).

Unfortunately, by doing so, love becomes religionised, and love becomes a law and a burden for people to try to live up to their self-imposed standards. Love becomes a "have to" and "must do" instead of "want to". It also causes those who preach a lot about love to judge and feel condemned whenever they think they fall short of their standards, and they also end up judging and condemning others.

I am learning to "be" love, and recognise that no one can ever meet the kind of unrealistic standard that religion demands, because everyone is human and messes up in some way or other. It's better for people to focus on living loved and loving others and accepting ourselves and one another the way we are, than to talk a lot about love (which religion and society unfortunately like to do).