Today’s lesson is the second in a series based on Catherine Ponder’s book Dynamic Laws of Prosperity. Someone asked me why people in Unity talked about prosperity so much.
When we talk about prosperity we are talking about more than just money.  We’re talking about having plenty of peace – peace of mind, and having plenty of health and wholeness, as well as having whatever we need to fulfill our life’s purpose. So, we will be talking about a LIFE of prosperity.

Last week we talked about Spiritual Tender. In his book Like A Miracle Ernest Wilson said “Prosperity is basically an attitude of thought and feeling, only secondarily a matter of money. For ideas are coin in the mind realm.” Dollar bills and coins are the legal tender here on earth – but, when we are praying for prosperity, God doesn’t open a heavenly billfold and hand out bills and coins. Ideas are the Spiritual Tender of the universe. To be prosperous, we can’t discount or throw away divine ideas. Eric Butterworth stated in his book Spiritual Economics “You are never further than one idea away from all the wealth in the Universe.”

This week we are going to talk about more of these Dynamic Laws of Prosperity. My talk is titled, “Let’s Make Room.” One of these basic laws is described in the Bible as sowing and reaping or giving and receiving. The physical sciences call this action and reaction, or cause and effect and in economics we call it supply and demand.  Emerson described this as the law of compensation – like attracts like.

Catherine Ponder describes this as radiation and attraction and she says that, “What you radiate outward in your thoughts, feelings, mental pictures, words and actions you attract into your life and affairs. But you can’t get something for nothing. There is always something a person can give, either tangibly or intangibly, that will put him touch with God’s rich supply.”

Example of Giving and Receiving

In her book she tells the story of a woman, a single parent, who had 4 children, and she was out of money and out of food – the end of the money came before the end of the month. Her spiritual coach reminded her of the law of giving and receiving, and advised her to give something, and then prepare to receive. At this point in her life she would try anything, but what did she have to give? She prayed and asked for divine guidance.

As she looked around for something to give she spotted flowers she had growing in her yard. She cut the flowers and gave them to a sick neighbor who seemed overjoyed with the flowers and her visit. She came home from her visit and set the table for dinner and began to make out her grocery list. All this while she still had no food in her cupboard, nor money for groceries. Just as she was completing her list, someone dropped by to repay her $30 that she had long since given up receiving. This woman put her belief and faith in this law of giving and receiving.

She gave and then prepared to receive. When she gave, she made room in her life for more. When she gave, she opened the channels for the flow of God’s abundance.

Keep an open hand… If you were working or playing outside and found yourself thirsty and wanted a drink of water, you might turn on a water faucet or hydrant. As you reach for a drink of water, you wouldn’t put a fist under the flow of water – you would form a cup with your hands. You would use an empty container to capture some of the flow – because obviously a closed fist or a full hand won’t do you any good. But sometimes that is what happens to us. Receiving our good is blocked because we are putting a full container out in the never ending flow of substance in this universe.

Nature Abhors a Vacuum… One of the physical rules in our universe is that nature itself abhors a vacuum. Nature always rushes in to fill a vacuum. In fact a vacuum always works to fill itself. Not only does this work in our physical world. It works in our mental, spiritual and emotional worlds. It works in our financial world. How we use this law boils down to this: If we want greater good, greater prosperity in our life, we make room for prosperity. We start forming a vacuum to receive it.

Get Rid of the Stuff… Rev. Ponder writes: “In other words, get rid of what you don’t want to make room for what you do want.” One of the ways that we make room for prosperity is by physically cleaning out our closets and our cupboards. I challenge you to look around your home and clean out your drawers, closets and garages.

If you haven’t used something in the last 6 months, chances are you won’t use it in the next 6 months. Yes, there are some exceptions such as our Christmas decorations, but generally speaking, if we haven’t used something in 6 months, and we continue to hold on to it, then it is holding on to us… holding us back from a greater good. Taking up space for something that we desire today. Here are several of the affirmations that Rev. Ponder uses in her workshops:

  • I now let go worn-out things, worn-out conditions, and worn-out relationships.
  • Divine order is now established and maintained in me and in my world.
  • I know that release is magnetic.
  • I now fully and freely release.
  • I loose and let go.
  • Through the act of release, I draw to myself my own.
  • I let go and grow.
  • I let go and trust.

Knowing What You Want… Sometimes when we are talking about prosperity and affirming what we want, someone will say to me that they don’t know what they want. Many times as we talk, it becomes clear that they know what they don’t want. And no matter how strongly they don’t want something in their life they seem tied to it. There are times I’ve felt like that. I’ve had something that I didn’t want, but was afraid to let go. Some of us are afraid of letting go of what we’ve got, because then we might not have anything.

As I have learned spiritual principles, I know this isn’t so. The universe always rushes in to fill a vacuum. God only asks us to give up our good…in exchange for something better. Are you willing to let things go? As we are letting go, we must remember, that we block the flow of God’s good by holding on to grudges. Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, suggests that we spend 30 minutes every day doing forgiveness work. As we all know, forgiveness doesn’t do anything for the other person. It does something for us. It is an inner act where we ‘give up’ negative emotions.

We begin this process by listing the people, organizations, situations or experiences of the past or present that we need to forgive. Then we affirm, I FULLY AND FREELY FORGIVE YOU. I LOOSE YOU AND LET YOU GO TO YOUR GOOD QUICKLY AND IN PEACE. ALL IS CLEARED UP BETWEEN US NOW AND FOREVER.

Right now, let us just think of one person or situation that we need to forgive and make this affirmation together. I FULLY AND FREELY FORGIVE YOU. I LOOSE YOU AND LET YOU GO TO YOUR GOOD QUICKLY AND IN PEACE. ALL IS CLEARED UP BETWEEN US NOW AND FOREVER.

Next, we list those people, organizations, situations, or experiences from which desire to be forgiven. Then we affirm: YOU FULLY AND FREELY FORGIVE ME. YOU LOOSE ME AND LET ME GO TO MY GOOD QUICKLY AND IN PEACE. ALL IS CLEARED UP BETWEEN US NOW AND FOREVER.

Right now, let us just think of one person or situation from which desire to be forgiven and make this affirmation together. YOU FULLY AND FREELY FORGIVE ME. YOU LOOSE ME AND LET ME GO TO MY GOOD QUICKLY AND IN PEACE. ALL IS CLEARED UP BETWEEN US NOW AND FOREVER.

Finally, we affirm this prayer together.
ALL THAT HAS OFFENDED ME, I FORGIVE. WITHIN AND WITHOUT, I FORGIVE. THINGS PAST, THINGS PRESENT, THINGS FUTURE, I FORGIVE. I FORGIVE EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY WHO CAN POSSIBLY NEED FORGIVENESS OF THE PAST OR PRESENT. I FORGIVE POSITIVELY EVERYONE. I AM FREE, AND THEY ARE FREE, TOO. ALL THINGS ARE CLEARED UP BETWEEN US NOW AND FOREVER.”

During this coming week, I invite you to make room for your good – by releasing what no longer serves you. One of the laws that govern our life is that there must be constant elimination of the old so that we can grow. When we cling to the old, we hinder our growth and prosperity or we stop it all together.

When we let go of what no longer serves us, we make room for our good, and the everlasting truth is that God always fills that space with something better. And so, we let go…

  • Of what is no longer needed.
  • Of what is no longer wanted.
  • Of what no longer serves us.
  • Of grudges, and resentments.
  • Of our expectations to be forgiven.

And we allow the Universe to fill every empty space, to open our hearts to forgiveness and to open our minds to every possibility of prosperity.

May it be so for each one of us today and in the days to come.