Now, in the evening Jesus, Peter, James and John, with Lazarus, went out beyond the village gates to pray. And Lazarus said, Teach me to pray. And Jesus said, The prayer I taught the twelve to pray while we were up in Galilee is one acceptable to God; and when you pray just say,
Our Father-God who art in heaven; holy is thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven; give us this day our needed bread; help us forget the debts that other people owe to us, that all our debts may be discharged; and shield us from the tempter’s snares that are too great for us to bear; and when they come, give us the strength to overcome. (Aquarian Gospel 137:1-7)
Regarding forgetting debts: In a sense, God is our higher Self, so what we do in our lower self can be reflected in the higher Self just as much as the other way around. Though hardly controlled by us, there is a level on which God reacts to us as we react to him. In fact he told Saint Catherine of Siena: “Think of me and I will think of you.” Obviously with God this occurs on much higher levels than human tit-for-tat. Anyhow, since we are in the image of God we should approximate God as much as possible, creating an affinity-unanimity through which God can communicate with us and help us.
There is an extremely realistic view expressed by the words: “And when they come, give us the strength to overcome.” For they will come and we need to be strong enough to turn them to our benefit. A great deal of human experience may be unpleasant, but much of it is necessary for our growth–if we react to it in the right way.
And Jesus said, The answer to your prayer may not appear in fullness in a little time. Be not discouraged; pray again and then again, for God will hear.
And then he spoke a parable; he said, A housewife was alone at night and, lo, some guests arrived, and they were hungry, having had no food for all the day. The housewife had no bread, and so at midnight she went forth and called a friend and said, Loan me three loaves of bread, for guests have come, and I have naught for them to eat. The friend replied, Why do you trouble me at midnight hour? My door is shut; my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise to give you bread; tomorrow you can be supplied. The housewife asked again, and then again, and then because she pled, and would not be refused, the friend arose and gave her bread. Behold, I say to you, Ask firmly and you shall receive; seek trustingly and you shall find; knock earnestly, the door will open up. (Aquarian Gospel 137:8-14)
Perseverance is the key to success in just about everything. To overcome karmic force we need to generate karmic force of the opposite character in a greater degree than the force that is blocking us. The moment that occurs the situation is reversed. It is the law of God and has nothing to do with what God wills or does not will. He does not live our life, we do. We must control it; and Jesus is telling us one of the ways to do so. This does not mean that we break God down by pestering him, but that we keep building positive karmic force in the ether by prayer. When the balance tips, the result comes.
There is another aspect to this that the East understands very well, but not the West for some reason: the power of making vows. Vows made with full sincerity and the intention to fulfill them can of themselves generate enough karmic force to change a situation. However, if the vows are not fulfilled the situation reverts to the original one, not because God is miffed but because sufficient long-lasting karmic force has not been generated. The positive karmic force is actually weakened by the failure to follow through on the vow. In the Christian East they say: “Do not make promises you do not intend to keep either to children or God. They both never forget.” God does not get angry, but a vow unfulfilled in relation to God creates negative karma not easily overcome in the future.
Vows often have to be increased until they are large or intense enough to generate the needed karmic force. So if you make a vow and nothing happens, consider increasing it. And also consider if you might be vowing for something it is better for you to not attain. But do not readily accept that possibility. Keep on vowing until you have reached the limit you can really fulfill. Then think about it.
All things are yours, and when you ask, not as a begging man would ask, but as a child, you shall be satisfied. A son may ask his father for a loaf of bread; the father will not give to him a stone; or he may ask him for a fish; he will not give a crab; or he may ask him for an egg; the father will not give a pebble from the brook. Behold, if men of flesh know how to give abundantly to children of the flesh, will not your heavenly Father give abundantly to you when you shall pray? (Aquarian Gospel 137:15-18)
God our beloved Father and Mother is our very own. None is closer or dearer. In India they say: “Nearer than the near; dearer than the dear.” So ask God in that way, not like he is a mighty king or rich and powerful human being that has to convinced or whose attention has to be gotten. Ask him/her as your very own loving parent. Sometimes, if you are sincere and really mean it in love, you can even say: “Father/Mother, I am your child. I demand this.” I used to sometimes say: “Mother, I am your child so I am not asking you, I am telling you what I want, and you must give it to me.” It always worked. But I did not make it a lifetime habit. It must be done in love and a willingness to not be heard. (This is important.)
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7. 8).
Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis