Neville Goddard on Prayer: A Neville Goddard Study Guide

Executive Summary

This study path explains Neville Goddard's teachings on the art of prayer. Prayer is not a petition to an external power, but a disciplined, internal technique for changing the future. The Bible's stories are presented as dramatizations of this psychological process. By using imagination to assume the feeling of a wish already fulfilled, one enters a new state of consciousness, and this sustained assumption inevitably becomes a physical reality.

Key Concepts

• Prayer is the secret technique for changing the future.
• The core of prayer is assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled.
• Imagination is the creative power that makes prayer effective; imagining creates reality.
• To pray successfully is to enter a new state of consciousness and commit to it.
• The Bible's stories are symbolic dramas illustrating the power and technique of prayer.
• Prayer and sleep are the two primary gateways for impressing the subconscious mind.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard redefines prayer not as supplication, but as a precise art for realizing desire. He teaches that the stories within the Bible are not historical records but psychological dramas that reveal the technique of prayer. The purpose of prayer is to enter a dimensionally larger world—the world of imagination—to alter the conditions of the physical world.

The central mechanism of prayer is the assumption of the feeling of the wish fulfilled. One must use imagination to feel and believe that the desired outcome is already a present fact. This is not a physical act but a radical psychological transformation. By rising to a higher level of consciousness and affirming that you are already the person you want to be, you change your state. This inner change, or new attitude, is what brings about the external result.

This act requires faith and commitment. Faith is defined as believing what is unbelievable to the senses. One must commit to the feeling of the answered prayer, in faith that this internal act of self-commission will become a reality. Your experiences are a direct result of your concept of yourself. By changing your concept of self through prayer, you alter your future actions and experiences to align with that new state.

To aid in this process, Neville identifies prayer and sleep as the two gateways to the subconscious. Until one achieves perfect self-control over thoughts and feelings, these states can be used to impress the subconscious mind with the feeling of the desired state, bypassing the critical, undisciplined conscious mind.

Important Quotes

The stories of the Bible concern themselves exclusively with the power of imagination. They are really dramatizations of the technique of prayer, for prayer is the secret of changing the future.

— How To Manifest Your Desires

Man, by assuming the feeling of his wish fulfilled, alters his future in harmony with his assumption, for, assumptions though false, if sustained, will harden into fact.

— How To Manifest Your Desires

Commit yourself to the feeling of the wish fulfilled, in faith that this act of self-commission will become a reality. And it must become a reality because imagining creates reality.

— The Law And The Promise

He who rises from his prayer a better man, his prayer has been granted.

— Radio Lectures

Related Concepts

• Imagination: Prayer is presented as the direct and creative use of imagination. The source material states plainly that "imagining creates reality" and that the Bible's stories are exclusively about the power of imagination.
• Feeling Is The Secret: The effectiveness of prayer hinges on successfully assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled. The title of one source, Feeling Is The Secret, underscores this principle, which is repeated throughout the material as the core of the technique.
• State Akin to Sleep (SATS): While the acronym "SATS" is not used, the underlying principle is present. Feeling Is The Secret explicitly names sleep and prayer as the two gateways into the subconscious, which is the foundational concept of the SATS technique.
• I AM: Prayer is an act of changing one's concept of self. This relates to the teaching on "I AM," which is defined as the center of consciousness and God's self-definition. To assume a new state in prayer is to declare, internally, "I AM that which I desire to be."

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Prayer is about asking an external God to create something new for you.
• Correction: The source material teaches that creation is finished. Prayer is a psychological act of rising in your own consciousness to a level that corresponds with what you desire, thereby bringing it into your experience.
• Misunderstanding: You must figure out the steps to make your prayer come true.
• Correction: The sources state that you need not be concerned with how your assumption will be fulfilled. Your imagination will use whatever means necessary to bring the state about in your outer world once you have successfully assumed the feeling of the wish fulfilled.

Practical Applications

• The primary application is to assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled. Persist in this assumption until it feels natural and becomes a fact.
• Use your imagination to construct a scene implying the prayer is answered. For example, to receive a promotion, close your eyes and vividly hear your friends congratulate you, feeling their handshakes and their joy for you.
• Utilize the state of sleep. Before drifting off, enter the feeling of your desire being realized. This impresses the subconscious mind, which is receptive during this state.
• Commit to your imaginal act with faith. Believe in the reality of your unseen assumption, even when outer circumstances contradict it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the secret of prayer, according to Neville?

The secret of prayer is using your imagination to change the future. This is done by assuming the feeling that your wish is already an accomplished fact.

Do I need to ask an external God for help?

No. Prayer is described as a psychological drama that you bring to pass through your own attitudes. It is an act of rising to a higher level of consciousness within yourself.

How do I know if my prayer was successful?

Your prayer has been granted when you have successfully changed your inner state. As the source material states, "He who rises from his prayer a better man, his prayer has been granted."