What's Prayer got to do with it?

By Beki Howlett

Often, our sage speakers in Unity encourage us to develop a daily meditation practice. And I am here as a loving addendum to say that our daily spiritual practice is incomplete without a conscious element of prayer. You may be thinking, what is the difference? Me too!

As most of you know, I am walking the ministerial path and seeking ordination in Unity. I’m slowly, but surely taking Spiritual Education and Enrichment Classes prerequisites, including Unity Prayer.

Interestingly, Unity doesn’t prescribe a suggested order or progression of classes; you just take the various pre-requisites in whatever order you wish, and as a consequence, you encounter folks in all different depths of spiritual study. Some classmates I've had in multiple classes, for others, it’s their very first SEE class ever. 

And despite this range of experiences, I’ve noticed an overall trend amongst my classmates—and myself! Many times when there is an openness to practicing meditation, there may simultaneously be a mental hang up or reservation with prayer. And vice versa! When someone is far more comfortable with prayer, they often express hesitation or discomfort with meditation. 

And this includes myself. So for example, while I am a trained contemplative practices teacher and have led guided meditations for more than 15,000 lawyers, to be completely honest, I took this class because I felt kinda weird about “praying” (air quotes included). 

And this observation about our varied perception of meditation and prayer ultimately got me thinking about why we perceive meditation and prayer as separate and apart from one another—and even adverse! Why are we comfortable with meditation, but not prayer? Conversely, why are we comfortable with prayer, but not meditation?

Prayer and meditation represent two sides of the same coin—talking to God and (active) listening.

As I continue to deepen my studies in metaphysics, prayer and meditation strike me as labels for different aspects of the same thing. I see prayer and meditation as two sides of the same coin—one as talking to God, the other as (active) listening.

For funsies, using the help of AI, I’ve created a visual representation of this idea, which I’ve punnily named the “cosmic coin of consciousness.”

Now some may argue—and rightfully so!—that these supposed “opposites” are merely an illusion. We are all of the One and any perceived separation isn’t real. Like the coin of consciousness, it’s the same coin, just different sides…

Although these concepts are very much inter-related, myself and others perceive and interact with prayer and meditation differently. Indeed, various spiritual traditions around the world make a distinction between “prayer and meditation.” But if we aren’t open to one or the other, where does that leave the actual effectiveness of our own practice?

I’ve been a certified contemplative practices teacher since 2020. And I will admit to you that even being a teacher, keeping a regular meditation practice is difficult! I am human!

It has only been since actively engaging with the idea of prayer, and that resulting shift in my perception, that the underlying purpose of the practice is finally clicking—connecting to something greater than myself…

Which is why I humbly stand here today to encourage all of us to begin by actively examining our thoughts about prayer…And to lovingly ask ourselves: am I holding conscious or unconscious false, negative beliefs about prayer?...Am I truly open and receptive to allowing affirmative prayer to work in my life?

A daily spiritual practice is not just something to do because I know it’s good for me; because I feel better in body and mind and spirit when I practice. And as I confessed, even that wasn’t motivating enough for me. That ultimate “why” was still missing; and prayer has been the missing piece of the process.

I’d like to share with you this utterly profound perspective on prayer from a fellow Unity SEE student, which I found so poignant:

Prayer is not escape; it is return — to Source, to Self, to the sacred pattern within all life. When we pray with sincerity, we reorient our consciousness toward wholeness, trust, and the possibility of transformation. Prayer is not just asking for change; it is a remembering — of who we are, what sustains us, and the deeper truth behind our suffering. In this way, prayer becomes a healing force not just of body, but of perspective, spirit, and relationship.

WOW. Let that seek in. Prayer is a remembering. Being open-minded and receptive to the divine idea of prayer can help us strengthen our innate connection with and communion with God, God being Christ or Cosmic Consciousness. This is a state of mind and way of being that is available to all of us, but typically requires consistent prayer and meditation to access. This is about claiming our divine birthright. 

From TruthUnity.net on the Will of God, “When God said to Moses, "I am," it was as though God said: "I am this moment to you anything that you have courage to claim Me for, but you must prove Me…I am the supply of every lack in your life, but you must take Me for it, and then stand still and see the salvation that I will work for you."

Ultimately, Jesus practiced affirmative prayer, speaking powerful denials and affirmations—affirming or claiming his true identity as a “child of God the Father”—as a spiritual being—& then he sat in the silence (meditation). Again, we see Jesus demonstrating the power of combining prayer and meditation—speaking and listening to God. A perfectly balanced exchange with the Divine.

Now, for many of us raised in the Christian perspective, perhaps we’ve strayed away from or even shut off any openness to Jesus’ specific message or teachings because we have past trauma. Maybe we even have a visceral, negative reaction when we hear words like “Jesus” or “Christ” or “prayer.” But I lovingly implore you, “Don’t throw the baby Jesus out with the bathwater.” 

Jesus demonstrated the rule, not the exception. Jesus showed (and tried to tell us sooo many times!) that we all have the innate capacity to heal ourselves. What does this mean? To heal oneself, is to be in a state of consciousness in harmony, in balance, in resonance with the Universe and the Truth of our innate Divinity. 

And remember, we are creating from the inside, out. God is not simply “out there.” So I’m not talking about God as “Sky Daddy”—this isn’t an old, white dude with a long beard chilling on a cloud arbitrarily smiting.

God is everything that is…AND WE ARE THAT. So when we pray and meditate, we are connecting to our innate Divinity within, to that inner aspect that is eternally perfect and whole, and that we call the Christ consciousness.

And maybe you have no trauma from your religious upbringing, maybe Christian lingo isn’t your vibe. That’s fine! Use whatever terms resonate for you. For example, here is Parahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi and Founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship. Here in his book, “Scientific Healing Affirmations” he uses “Cosmic Consciousness” to describe this same divine idea.

Overall, we find examples of affirmative prayer all over the world. For me, I’ve found a lot of resonance with the Diné (Navajo) concept of hózhó, which embodies the ideal and natural state of "walking in beauty" or being in balance, harmony and alignment with the Universe and all that is. 

During our meditation time, we will contemplate part of a traditional Navajo prayer as a powerful example of affirmative prayer, to show you this concept is not limited to Jesus’ teachings. But again we must be open and receptive to the spirit of this prayer process.

For me, having a meditation practice alone felt like something was missing…indeed, consciously realizing that this process involves prayer has made me recognize it as a sacred responsibility not only to myself, but to all of humanity and our Mother Earth.

As we leave here today, I lovingly invite you to examine your thoughts about prayer and its role in your own life. Overall, prayer has helped me actively break through that illusion of separation and more readily experience that inseverable unity with God, with the I AM. So again, I encourage you to be open-minded about the significance of prayer alongside meditation. So get curious!

We have the opportunity to kill negative, false beliefs that no longer serve us and cultivate a state of consciousness that serves our highest and best self. The choice is always our.

Walking in Beauty

And as we enter our time of meditation and prayer, I’ll share part of the Closing Prayer from the Navajo Blessing Way Ceremony, a powerful affirmative prayer celebrating our natural, ideal state of living in harmony with the Universe and all that it. And after the prayer, we’ll take a few moments in the Silence and I’ll call us back when it’s time. 

Beauty radiates within me

There is beauty before me

There is beauty behind me

There is beauty below me

There is beauty above me

There is beauty all around me

There is beauty again

There is beauty again

There is beauty again

There is beauty again

Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me

I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.

I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.

In beauty I walk

With beauty before me I walk

With beauty behind me I walk

With beauty below me I walk

With beauty above me I walk

With beauty around me I walk

My words will be beautiful…

And as we close we center ourselves in gratitude and thankfulness to our Diné relatives for this wisdom teaching. And we say thank you, thank you dear Creator for this opportunity to learn from one another, to walk each other home, in beauty.