Daily Spiritual Practice

By Tina Montalto

"To pray without ceasing." That is how the Bible describes living every moment in Spirit. To live in the present moment knowing your spiritual identity and knowing your oneness with Spirit. That is Christ Consciousness and that is the ultimate goal.

But I have laundry to do and the kids need a ride and there are bills to pay and I have to get to work. Daily concerns and daily living seem to get in the way of daily spiritual practice.

Do you brush your teeth every morning? Then you have time for spiritual practice!

You don't have to meditate for an hour every day to connect with Spirit. As a great teacher told me, one drop of clear water into a glass of murky water, over time, will become clear. What you may consider "little" things add up over time to grow your consciousness, to increase your feeling of Oneness with Creation and to create positive changes in your life.

What can you do in a short period of time?

• express gratitude
• read a short passage from an inspirational book
• read or write one affirmation for the day
• listen to beautiful music as you get ready in the morning
• light a candle

Gratitude.
Someone said if the only prayer you ever pray is "Thank You," that is enough. How often do you think about what you are grateful for as opposed to all the challenges you are currently facing? Gratitude changes your focus to the good in your life, and what you dwell upon in your thinking will expand. Be grateful for one thing today and you will have two things to be grateful for tomorrow. And so on and so on.

It takes no time at all to find one thing to be grateful for. And if you can remember to do this throughout your day, or even several times through the day, this is the beginning of "praying without ceasing."

Read something that is inspiring.
Yes, you can even do that while you are brushing your teeth. Something that reminds you of your connection with the Universe, something that reminds you that you are the Beloved in whom God is well pleased.

Write one affirmation for you to focus on for the day.
Or read one from a daily affirmations calendar. Yes, it does take effort to remind yourself of that affirmation. It does take doing. But that is what practice is. That is what exercising your spiritual muscle is. So maybe you don't remember until the end of the day what your affirmation was, that is OK. At least you are becoming aware of the need to affirm something positive and uplifting if things are going to change in your life.

Listen to music instead of the morning news.
Music has a calming effect. Music has a direct connection to your subconscious. Music can inspire. Music can distance you from your challenges if even for a short time. The less time you dwell on lamenting your challenges, the sooner they will be gone from your life.

Light a candle.
Look at the flame and just for a few minutes think metaphorically of what that flame represents. Light is knowledge and wisdom. Light can overcome darkness, but darkness cannot put out light. You have the light of Spirit within you. You have Infinite Intelligence within you. You are capable of lighting up your whole world. This may seem hokey at first, but when you can look around your world and see a microcosm of the macrocosm that is the Universe, you are seeing and feeling your connection to it and in it.

Anything worthwhile requires effort. This is your Spiritual Coin to pay. Training your mind is like training your body. You can't just do it once, and you have to make time for it.

It is your choice. The Spiritual Urge in you is demanding expression, otherwise spiritual practice would not be an issue for you. That is good! Let your spiritual self express!