Neville Goddard on Prayer

Executive Summary

Prayer is presented not as a form of supplication, but as a precise technique for changing the future. It is the "master key" to all earthly problems, an art that must be mastered through persistent application. The method involves entering a state akin to sleep to impress the subconscious mind with the feeling of the wish already fulfilled. According to this teaching, man himself is the directing mind who grants the prayer by successfully assuming the reality of the desired state.

Key Concepts

• Prayer is the "master key" to solving all earthly problems and the secret to changing the future.
• The essential condition for an answered prayer is to believe that you have already received what you desire.
• It is a specific technique that involves inducing a state akin to sleep to enter the subconscious and make an impression.
• Effective prayer is an act of rising to a higher level of consciousness where the desired state feels natural.
• The art of prayer requires persistence and "brazen impudence"—a refusal to take "No" for an answer.
• Man is the spring of action and the one who grants his own prayer; it is not a petition to an external being.

Detailed Explanation

Neville defines prayer as the art of believing and the master key that fits all of life's problems. Far from being a plea to an outside deity, prayer is a technique for entering a dimensionally larger world to change conditions in our current one. The Bible stories are seen as dramatizations of this technique, revealing that man himself is the spring of action, the directing mind, and the one who grants the prayer.

The mechanism of prayer is an internal one, centered on changing one's own consciousness. The process involves two gateways into the subconscious: sleep and a state akin to sleep. In this controlled, reverent state, the conscious and subconscious minds are creatively joined. The goal is to feel yourself right into the situation of your answered prayer, to enter the desired state and consent to it so fully that your soul takes upon itself the results of that state. When you are lifted up in consciousness, your outer world reshapes itself in harmony with that new level.

The core condition, repeated throughout the teachings, is to "believe that ye receive." This is not merely hoping, but a deep conviction and acceptance of the desire as an accomplished fact. You must assume you already are that which you seek. The great failure of many students is that they construct a desired state in their imagination but defer the feeling of occupancy. Instead, one must feel the presence of the answered prayer until that mood becomes normal and thoughts begin to flow from it.

Mastering this art requires persistence, described as "brazen impudence." Citing a parable, Neville explains that one must not take "No" for an answer, but continue in the assumption of the wish fulfilled until it takes on the feeling of reality and hardens into fact. A successful prayer results in living in a state of thanksgiving, knowing you have already been heard.

Important Quotes

PRAYER is the master key. A key may fit one door of a house, but when it fits all doors it may well claim to be a master key.

— Prayer The Art Of Believing

A prayer granted implies that something is done in consequence of the prayer, which otherwise would not have been done. Therefore, man is the spring of action, the directing mind, and the one who grants the prayer.

— How To Manifest Your Desires

The great failure of most truth students is that they are perpetually constructing but deferring their occupancy.

— The Creative Use Of Imagination

Prayer, like sleep, is also an entrance into the subconscious.

— Feeling Is The Secret

Related Concepts

• Law of Assumption: Prayer is the practical application of this law. You assume you have your desire and persist in that assumption until it becomes your reality.
• Imagination: The Bible stories are dramatizations of the power of imagination, and prayer is the technique for using imagination to change the future.
• States: To pray successfully is to enter the state of the wish fulfilled. By feeling yourself into the situation of the answered prayer, you take upon yourself the results of that state.
• Consciousness: Prayer works by lifting you to a higher level of consciousness. Since consciousness is the only reality, this inner shift reshapes your outer world.
• I AM: Your awareness of being is God. Prayer is the act of using this awareness to claim, "I am that which I desire to be."

Common Misunderstandings

• Prayer is not begging an external God. The source material clearly states that man is the "directing mind" and the "one who grants the prayer."
• It is not just wishful thinking. Prayer is a specific technique requiring a disciplined entry into a state akin to sleep to impress the subconscious with the feeling of reality.
• Seeking your desire proves it is absent. To pray correctly, you must stop seeking and instead assume you already are or have what you want. As the source says, "Only the loving find love."
• A single attempt is not always enough. The teaching emphasizes persistence and "brazen impudence," a continuous assumption that refuses to accept failure as final.

Practical Applications

To apply the technique of prayer, you must first know what you desire. Then, follow these steps:

• Induce a state akin to sleep by closing your eyes and immobilizing your physical body.
• In this relaxed state, which is a gateway to the subconscious, enter into the action in your imagination as though you were actually experiencing your wish fulfilled.
• Feel yourself right into the situation of the answered prayer. Assume the feeling of its reality until that feeling becomes natural to you.
• Believe that you have received it. This belief is the essential condition for success.
• Persist in this assumption. Do not take "No" for an answer, but continue to assume you have it until your assumption hardens into fact.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important condition for a prayer to be answered?

The single most important condition is to believe that you have already received that which you desire. This belief is the acceptance of your wish as an accomplished fact.

Is prayer about asking an outside power for help?

No. According to the source material, man is the directing mind and the one who grants the prayer. It is an internal act of changing your own consciousness.

What should I do if my prayer isn't answered immediately?

The teaching advises persistence and "brazen impudence." You must continue in the assumption of your wish fulfilled, refusing to accept any evidence to the contrary until your assumption becomes a fact.

How do I perform the act of prayer?

Induce a state akin to sleep, enter the feeling of your wish already being a fact, and make this feeling so natural that your thoughts begin to flow from it. This impresses the subconscious mind, which then outpictures the state.