CHAPTER 14.
MAN WALKS WITH GOD.
The knowledge of means of communication between man and God is of great help to man in all the affairs of his life.
**Reading God's Message.** In possession of the holy spirit is a record of the will of God with respect to all things and all occurrences, great or small, in the universe from the first day. The big problem of man is to read the message of God as it is held by the holy spirit. In wireless telegraphy, a spark coil sets up waves in the ether and other coils similarly "tuned," receive the waves anywhere in the universe. In wireless telegraphy the all-important thing is that the transmitting and receiving instruments be tuned alike, for only then may the message be read. The same principle holds with the holy spirit. The giver and the receiver must be "tuned" alike, that is, must be in harmony, if the messages are to pass readily and understandingly from one to the other. The clearness of the message depends wholly upon the degree to which this tuning approaches perfect harmony.
**Spirit Blindness.** There are many who, walking among vast spiritual forces, yet feel themselves wholly alone. They do not have the assurance that there is something or someone near them which may not be known by the ordinary judgment of the senses, yet which may be known by man. These persons are so untuned as to be unable to understand the messages of the holy spirit. Many will not be brought into an understanding harmony with the holy spirit; others merely find it so hard to be brought into tune with the infinite that they would rather be without the messages than to do the necessary labor of acquiring harmonious relations with the holy spirt. Those who can not feel and in part commune with the holy spirit, are blind to the larger part of the universe, which lies outside of the circumscribed world, swept by our immediate senses. In terms of the unseen forces will the earth at last be cleared of all its mystery. In yesterday and tomorrow shall today be glorified. The eternal concern of man will be, as it has been, to secure an understanding knowledge of all the forces of space. They, therefore, who cannot on this earth possess a direct assurance of the existence and assistance of the great unseen world, are indeed spiritually blind, and much to be pitied.
**Prayer.** As already stated, all communication between man and a higher intelligent Being must be initiated by a request from the man. Thus, the place of prayer in the life of man is at once established. Prayer is a request for further light, protection, or whatever else is desired. Prayer is the first and greatest means of reading God's messages, for by intense prayer man gradually places himself in tune with the infinite so far as his request is concerned. Those who do not ask, naturally do not establish an understanding relationship with the unseen world, and no message appears. The Being of higher intelligence, to whom the request is directed, may or may not grant the prayer, but some answer will be given. Prayer has been said to be "the soul's sincere desire." Only when it is such will the highest answer be obtained, and it is doubtful if such a prayer is ever refused. No prayer is unheard. The place and time of prayer are of less importance. Morning, noon and night, prayer is always fitting. However, it is well to be orderly, and to beget habits of prayer, and certain hours of the day should therefore be set aside for prayer, both in private and in the family. Frequent and regular prayer helps to remind man of his dependence on a Being of higher intelligence in accomplishing the great work of his heart. A man should pray always; his heart should be full of prayer; he should walk in prayer. Answers will then be heard as God pleases. Seldom is a man greater than his private prayers.
**Active Prayer.** To become properly tuned with the guiding intelligent Being, one must not pray in a stereotyped way. A man must give himself to the matter devotedly desired, in the form of prayer, and then support it with all his works. Prayer is active and not passive. If a thing is wanted a man must try to secure it. Then, as a man devotes all of himself to the matter of the prayer, his attitude becomes such as to make him susceptible to the answer when it shall be sent. Prayer may be said to be the soul's whole desire.
**The Gift of Understanding.** Every now and then a man is found who seems to possess a knowledge above that of his fellow men. Knowledge is gained by tremendous self-effort, and the men who know most are usually those who have exerted themselves most to learn. However, it is well known that those who have given themselves with all their might to a certain study, often have great flashes of insight, whereby they leap as it were from knowledge to knowledge, until their progress becomes tremendously rapid, compared with that of ordinary men.
This means of acquiring knowledge may be compared crudely with the switch of an electric lighting system. When the switch is out, though the great dynamo in the canyon mouth hammer and generate its electricity, there is no flow of current through the city system and all is darkness. Yet a man, with a slight effort, can raise the switch and connect the wires, thereby flooding the city with light. The result appears to be infinitely greater than the cause. Thus, those who by great effort build up systems of truth often reach a place where by relatively little effort a flood of new light may be thrown upon the subject to which the mind has given itself. That is one of the compensations to those who strive with all their might for the mastery of any subject. This power becomes the gift of understanding, which may come to all who study deeply.
The gift of understanding is the result of the operation of the holy spirit. The holy spirit which is in communication with the whole universe, is in a measure subject to those who give themselves devotedly and with all their heart to any righteous matter. It is one of the most precious of gifts, and one that should be sought after by all men, because by its aid, the chance for development is greatly increased.
**Man Walks with God.** Literally, then, through the assistance of the mighty and all-pervading holy spirit, man is, indeed, always in the presence of God and his agencies. From this point of view man is immersed in the light and power of Godliness. He, who by earnest prayer, close attention, and noble desires seeks the intelligence above and about him is not alone. He walks hand in hand with intelligent beings and draws from them the power that he does not of himself possess. In times of need such a man may reach into the black unknown and bring out hope, born of high knowledge.