Daily Word this month writes, ‘My soul thirsts for God.’(7th July 2023) When we are gasping for water, we drink. When we are desperate for help and support, we may finally turn to God in prayer, often demanding God meets our needs: Fix this, arrange that, intervene and sort this out. Oh, and thank you!

Yet, this is not where the real power of prayer lies. For me, the power lies in surrendering into Pure Presence, for here, the greater good, that which is greater than we can ever imagine, more easily flows. God will always show up as our collective good, which we notice when we surrender into Presence.  For we are all beloved of God; we are all made in the image and likeness of God. “God saw everything that he had made and indeed it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31) Not one of us is forgotten or left out: God as our good is here and now.

This is why my soul thirsts for God. To know God in me and through me and as me. To feel this profound energy as my energy. To live my life from this point of centre – being in Pure Presence. Centred in this way, I now can know that God is here, in, through and as you. My affirmative prayers and words come from this inner knowing and profound experience of God.
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I invite you to take time in the stillness, through meditation, prayer, being in nature, to discover God as good in you and those around you. It is a practice worth doing. For underneath all the discontent, all the fear and worry, is God. Allow Pure Being to hold you, express through and as you, so that when change and turmoil happens, you experience the profound energy of God holding you, expressing through and as you. Now we can find a way through that blesses us all.

We often say in Unity - "thank you for answered prayer" and this simple statement activates and starts the prayer process. I truly believe this in my heart, but, which is a little word that stops the flow, I confess that I can't always help myself from asking for specific outcomes, even though I know in my heart that I should hand over the "outcomes", to God, Spirit, trusting that the right and perfect "outcome", will manifest. and in fact the process is already in motion as it were.
 
On this note, I would like to share with you my recent prayer experience involving my son's future.
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I suppose a mothers instinct is to try and fix things for their child (no matter how old they are!). This time I literally made the conscious choice to, Let go and let God, and over a few weeks the right and perfect outcome, did in fact manifest.  I kept myself focused on the knowing that Divine grace and all encompassing Love, wisdom, guidance etc was taking place, and it was all I needed to do. Whenever the human instinct of interfering crept in, I  got still, reconnected with my inner truth that God is, and all is well, and the anxiety quickly subsided.
 
Now I have the tangible proof of answered prayer. I deeply recognise that our part is to keep ourselves aligned and in tune with our Divinity, and keep the human side of ourselves to serve as the vehicle for expressing, and being the channel for the Divine flow.
 
I am very grateful for Unity and especially Silent Unity, who are and always will be my "Go To" place for support in any challenge that life sometimes presents to me.  Thank you.
 
Carran Stephens,
Leader, Unity Birmingham 

Whatever our experience. Whatever we feel in this moment we can be grateful for it. We surrender the need to be wrong or right and embrace the situation with love and forgiveness. Whatever we are experiencing, imagine the light of love surrounding you. Nurturing you. Giving you what you need in this moment.
 
The solstice literally means “Sun still” a time of reflection as the sun appears to stop in the heavens before transforming its path back towards shorter days. I invite you to take a step out into the sun this week. To feel the blessings of summer all around. To breathe and connect with God manifest. The earth, the trees, the flowers. These gifts are all there, basking in the sunlight, waiting for you to join them.
 
“I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness.” – John 12:46 
 
Stefanie Bridges
Unity Administrator and student

Recently, I have had some challenges within a group that I belong to where there was conflict over whether we should allow others and, if so, how many to join the group. Each of my three colleagues and I had our own views and we put passion and energy into our arguments. Whilst, we were not ‘having a go’ at each other it, inevitably, produced conflict. So, after trying it ‘my way’ for a while I stepped back and let go. It was hard because my mind kept racing over the arguments and rehearsing what I should do next. But, through my daily prayer practice I slowly managed to let go. When the group subsequently met up we had decided to find a way of cooperation and compassion and agreement was quickly found.
 
I guess all those reading have never been in that situation of putting our energies into things that do not serve them (!). Seriously though, it is so easy to misdirect enthusiasm, to get lost in the drama and to lose sight of the basic Truth that the Christ within is always available to guide us on our journey. I regularly re-learn this lesson and look forward to the day when I will instinctively let go and let God and feed my enthusiasm into things that do serve me. I pray that each of you are able to do the same.
 
Paul Mapletoft,
Licensed Unity Minister

​"Jesus said, 'I AM the bread of life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more - ever.'"  - John 6:35  

A book I read recently suggested that the journey of a loaf of bread from farm to table could be a metaphor for steps on the spiritual path. Let's explore this premise and imagine how we might use these stages in bringing about desired change in our lives.

a) Planting - we can plant positive seed ideas in our consciousness.

b) Nurturing - using the tools of prayer and meditation, we encourage the ideas to deepen and root into our consciousness, allowing them to grow healthy and strong.

c) Harvesting - when what we have planted appears and is strong, we can harvest it in confidence that we are bringing about our desired result.

d) Kneading - this action reminds us that we have to work - sometimes repeatedly - until we get the desired consistency of what we want to express.

e) Rising - we become aware our consciousness has changed, leading to tangible results in our inner experiences, manifesting in our outer world.

f) Sharing - by living from our changed consciousness we are sharing the results of our work with the world.

Trust the Love…Thoughts from a Silent Unity UK Prayer Line Volunteer
 
“Responding to the prayer line is being in a different space in my body/mind.  I am aware of a different level of reality:  a knowing that God’s love is all there is.

If, for an instant, I drop into thinking about a caller’s concern, I quickly remember to stop and let faith in God’s reality bring me back to my essence.  Effortlessly from this place within, I reflect the truth as I pray with the caller.  We both know it.  We share the peace and comfort of certainty that God’s love is ensuring the highest good for the caller.
 
What could be a mightier gift to a fellow human being?  And there is no greater proof to me that giving is receiving.”
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1st -7th June is national volunteer week. In celebration and with deep love and gratitude we re-share this article from one of our previous long term volunteers. 
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First published in Daily Word (UK edition), May/June 2018 

​This week is volunteers week.  1-7 June
 
Today we would like to say thank you and celebrate all our wonderful volunteers who help support Unity UK.
 
In particular, we want to highlight and thank all those who volunteer on our telephone prayer line, Silent Unity.
 
If you have ever called our prayer line you will have spoken to one of our trained volunteers who answer the phones, listens to and prays with callers. Volunteers are trained in the Unity way of praying affirmatively and are supported with a book of prayers and affirmations for a range of circumstances.
 
A favourite prayer continues to be Unity’s Prayer for Protection and many callers like to end the call reciting this together.

We are so thankful for all our volunteers who serve on Silent Unity.
 
If you are a Unity student or have experienced Unity prayer and would like to explore becoming a volunteer, contact Rev. Kimerie Mapletoft for more information.
 
And remember the prayer line is open Monday to Friday 9.30am-4.30pm.
When the line is busy you can leave a message and when the line is closed you can listen to a recorded prayer, changed weekly, which is very popular with our night time callers.  
You can also email or write to Silent Unity. All emails and letters are read, all names are held in prayer for thirty days and you will receive a letter or email of support in return.
Contact Silent Unity Prayer Line ​

"Times of change are times of fearfulness and times of opportunity. Which they are to be for you depends on your attitude toward them."            —from The Great Physician by Ernest C. Wilson ​

How do you respond to our changing times?
Do you find it exciting and full of opportunity?
Or do you feel fearful, way out of your comfort zone and want to hide away?

​I will admit I have times when I experience both, depending on my energy levels and faith in that moment.

Sometimes we know something needs to change, yet we still feel nervous and unsure. Alternatively, it may feel like we are being forced to make a change and we experience inner resistance. We all have different ways we respond to change. Certainly, change is the one constant in our lives! 

My practice, which is ongoing, is to be as present as I can to any discomfort, while at the same time holding space to know God here as well. This supports me in moving through any resistance. I am then able to hear the universal call to awaken into my True Self, to remember who I am. I am learning to identify with my divinity, which I find in the midst of my humanity. Does this make sense to you? Get still for a moment and let your wise heart hear these words … I find my divinity in the midst of my humanity. 

My work is to be present to me as Kimerie, knowing God as Pure Spirit is here at the same time. If I cannot find God as good here in the midst, there is some work for me to do! But when I do, I experience the power of divine wisdom, love and order, (the unceasing flow of limitless good). This deepens my faith, enabling me to find the peace and stillness that Jesus knew on the boat when he calmed the waters of the storm around him. (Mark 4: 35-41)

In each moment, as we centre into Divine Presence, compassionately aware of our human limitations, yet not stuck in them, we find we are able to move through them to our deeper, true essence and being. Now we find every need is met and every answer given. (Mt. 7:7)

Let us move through change together, using the power of prayer and our Unity events. As we do, we will be open to discover the Divine Presence and Power within us that beautifully knows the answer to every situation we face and leads us through change to our greater good. Now we can get excited about the opportunities that change provides.