Power of Prosperity Series
August 2007: Will

Unity Church of Christianity Appleton, Wisconsin

Dear Congregant,

Last year we explored The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity by Edwene Gaines. Edwene bases her work on Charles Fillmore’s book Prosperity.

In 2007 we look at prosperity through another Charles Fillmore perspective, The Twelve Powers of Man.

Charles explains these as the attributes of God expressed through man. Each month we will take a power and see what an important part each power plays in bring abundant prosperity into our lives. As we journey into the "Twelve Powers of Prosperity," I wish you a year of abundance.

Unlimited blessings,



Rev. Morgan

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Power of Prosperity
August 2007: Will

Webster’s dictionary defines “will” as “a choice or determination of one having authority or power; mental power manifesting as choosing, desiring or intending.” This power (or authority) was given to man by God. God gave us free will. What we choose, what we desire or what our intentions create is up to us. The will moves into action over all of the other powers. Unless we are willing, nothing happens. You must be willing to step forward in life, led by the still small voice. We exercise the will through our choices.

Your will is all important. It is necessary for you to express health, wealth, and happiness. It is not to be broken but disciplined and directed. The will is quick to follow either one of two leaders. The leader in the outer form is the personal ego. The leader in the inner is the Christ within. Whichever of these is stronger directs the will. This explains why some, whom we consider to be highly spiritual individuals, sometimes show egocentric tendencies in some areas of their lives.

God’s will for us is unchanging, and it is absolute good. To submit our will to God in the belief that we won’t really like it is a negative use of the faculty of will. The sickness, suffering, and death that people experience are not punishments from God but results of broken law, or separation from God. The law is absolute good expressing as perfect health, joy, love, and abundance. When the will allows thoughts to stray from this law the result is sickness, suffering, emptiness and lack.

Dr. Barbara King says, “As we raise our consciousness through the Godward direction of our power of will, we find that we become pioneers in the movement of a new order in this new millennium.” A new heaven on earth.

What the Bible says:

“And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous." Gen 17:2

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt 6:10

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Matt 7:21

“…for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’” Matt 9:21

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matt 12:50

What Unity says:

“Every organ of the body is affected by the action of the will.” Catherine Ponder, The Healing Secrets of the Ages

“Directing our power of will onto things other than God, results in a much talked-about state of mind that therapy has called co-dependency.” Dr. Barbara King, New Thought for a New Millennium edited by Michael Maday

“Many sincere Christians have tried to follow in the way of Jesus, and they have negatively submitted their will to God. But they have not attained the power or authority of Jesus by doing so. The reason is that they have not raised their will to the positive spiritual degree. Jesus was not negative in any of his faculties, and He did not teach a doctrine of submission.” Charles Fillmore, The Twelve Powers of Man

“A tragic mistake that is often made by orthodox religious people is to assume that the will of God for them is bound to be something very dull and uninviting, if not positively unpleasant… The Truth is that the will of God for us always means greater freedom, greater self expression, wider, newer brighter experiences; better health, greater prosperity, wider opportunity of service to others, and a life more abundant.” Emmet Fox, The Sermon on the Mount

Ideas for practice:

To address imbalances in us and our world, here are five basic ideas to help redirect your personal will in accordance with the divine will, adapted from Dr. Barbara King:

1. Seek personal truth. We must live beyond the ego and get in touch with the heart. Intellect is not enough. Cultivate daily relaxation, meditation, prayer and spiritual study. Place your journal nearby and note what comes up in these times. Ask the question, “Thy will or mine be done?” Journal what comes up for you.
   
   
2. Stay on course. Positive change begins with the individual. God never overrides our will, even if it is divided and conflicted. Whenever the question, “What good can I bring about?” is replaced by “How can I get my own way?” the will is being directed by the ego rather than God. Think about a situation in which you have experienced difficulty. What did you really want in it? Try asking yourself this question repeatedly until you get a sense of which basic question was orienting your will. If you find your response was ego motivated, what would it take to shift to God’s direction? Stay with it until you feel a shift. This process can also be helpful when written out in your journal.
   
   
3. Cultivate an awareness of your human resources. A sense of shared humanity with all people teaches us the value of each of us and the gifts we all bring. Consider what it would look like to have your will more closely directed by God. What would your next steps be? Take this into prayer, considering the possibility of being in closer community with others on this path or those who would stretch you on this path. Discuss any new ideas with your prayer triad. In what ways can you offer support for one another as you study will? Pray with each other for the month.
   
   
4. Develop and maintain a sense of destiny. Great leaders inspire others to the degree that they are able to reach into the future. Try memorizing one of the passages above that has special meaning for you. Use it throughout the day when you have a spare moment. Take it into prayer, slowly “chewing” on the words until their meaning begins to seep into your heart. What insights do you have about the power of the will?
   
   
5. Become involved in life. Knowing the Truth is not enough you must practice the Truth you know. Try serving others in such a way that getting your way takes a back seat to serving God in others. This may take place in your church, your work, or at home.

We are indebted to Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson, who wrote Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, ©2002, for exercise ideas in this issue.

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