How I Used Truth - Lesson 9 - Annotation 5
How do we bring into existence (visibility or manifestation) the good we desire?
5. On page 92 of the text we are told that man can bring into existence the visible conditions and things that he wants by following the same process God used in bringing forth creation: by use of the spoken word (How I Used Truth 92).
God is the one Creator, but His creation is in the realm of ideas. As sons of God we are endowed with His nature and power. God has already created all the life, substance, intelligence, and power out of which the ideal creation comes into visibility or actuality. Thus we see that the creative power of God is expressed as man's formative power of thought.
"Man does not 'create' anything if by this term is meant the producing of something from nothing; but he does make the formless up into form; or rather it Is through his conscious co-operation that the one Mind forms its universe. Hence the importance of man's willing co-operation with God in every thought, because unless he is very wise in his thinking, he may be sending forth malformations that will cause both himself and the universe trouble" (Atom-Smashing Power of Mind 93-94).
To reiterate: The creative power of God is expressed as our formative power of thought. We use this power to form our body and world according to our present level of unfoldment; that is, according to the concepts and beliefs which make up our present state of consciousness. Thus, we may produce good results by our own choice, through gaining a true concept of the divine ideas we desire to manifest. On the other hand, we may use our formative power of thought in limited ways through ignorance of our perfect nature, bringing limited, undesirable conditions into our experience.
"We can employ the creative power of the Word by 'speaking the word,' that is, by making statements that are true of the Christ in us. This is accomplished most effectively through affirmative prayer, or prayer that consists of declaring silently or aloud the things that are true of our Christ selves. Thus, the term 'speaking the word' means activating the Word of God by declaring Truth" (Practical Christianity For You 75).
We must remember, too, that speaking the word is not merely a mental process. In order to bring our good into existence we must go beyond the mental into the spiritual realm through prayer. It is in this realm that we find the substance and the ideas that make manifestation (existence) possible. Electrical power needs a wire as a conductor. Divine ideas need our mental processes as conductors for their expression and manifestation. To use denials and affirmations only from an intellectual standpoint is to deal thus only with the mental process (the conductor). But when we follow the Biblical command, "Take with you words, and return unto Jehovah" (Hos. 14:2), we are letting God's Spirit infuse the words with life-giving power. Our "spoken word is then more than a sound from the lips or a thought from the human consciousness. It has become the expression of the creative power of God bringing forth the desired good into manifestation (existence) as wisdom of mind, understanding of heart, health of body, prosperity, harmony, and success of affairs.
Existence implies that something has become manifest or visible. The word manifest comes from the Latin word manifestus, meaning "seized by the hand, palpable." A manifestation, therefore, is something evident to any or all of the five senses.
As the text states on page 94 the "spoken word" (our decree or affirmation), whether it be audible, silent, or written, "hammers the thing desired into shape" (How I Used Truth 94). This shape, of course, is not three-dimensional but a mental form or shape. Having established a clear picture, the continued "spoken word" forms the visible substance in accordance with the picture held in mind. A divine idea must have a form or "body" in order to be perceived by our physical senses. Unless we follow the creative steps, and in essence say "Let there be," our prayers will remain only unfulfilled wishes.
As spiritual beings we have the right and the responsibility to direct the power of our Christ self, the Word of God, to bring forth what we desire. To do this we must know that this power moves in us as our formative power of thought or our "spoken word." It is this ability to "speak the word" that distinguishes man as the highest manifestation of God.
It is true that all levels of creation have means of communication. Sometimes we are amazed at the intelligent means of communication among birds, animals, reptiles, or insects. Yet to us, as His sons, God has given the capability of abstract thinking. We have the ability to take an idea, or spiritual pattern, and mentally examine it apart from any object to which it may be related. We may then "speak the word" and that which was abstract becomes concrete in the world of form. As the highest manifestation of God, we are privileged to carry out God's will or plan by working with Him, for "My Father worketh even until now, and I work" (John 5:17).
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Preceding Entry: What is meant by "being" and what is meant by "existence" from a metaphysical standpoint?
Following Entry: What do we mean when we say that divine substance is "forever waiting . . . for man to form it" (text, page 93)?
