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Manual for Teachers 21. What is the Role of Words in Healing?

1. Strictly speaking, words play no part at all in healing. The motivating factor is prayer, or asking. What you ask for you receive. But this refers to the prayer of the heart, not to the words you use in praying. God does not understand words, for they were made by separated minds to keep them in the illusion of separation, and further separated by different languages. Words can be helpful, particularly for the beginner, in helping concentration and facilitating the exclusion, or at least the control, of extraneous thoughts. Let us remember, however, that words are but symbols of symbols. They are thus twice removed from reality.


2. As symbols, words have quite specific references. Even when they seem most abstract, the picture that comes to mind is apt to be very concrete. The prayer of the heart does not really ask for concrete things, but requests some kind of experience, the specific things asked for being the bringers of the desired experience in the opinion of the questioner. The words are but symbols for the things asked for, but the things themselves but stand for the experiences that are hoped for.


“A universal theology is impossible,

but a universal experience is not only possible but necessary.”

(Clarification of Terms-Introduction 2:5)


3. The prayer for things of this world will bring experiences of this world. It is impossible that the prayer of the heart remain unanswered in the perception of the one who asks. The power of his decision offers it to him as he requests. Herein lie hell and Heaven. The sleeping Son of God has but this power left to him: prayer of the heart. It is enough. His words do not matter. Only the Word of God has any meaning, because it symbolizes what no human can symbol at all. The Holy Spirit alone understands what this Word stands for. And this, too, is enough.


4. Is the teacher of God, then, to avoid the use of words in his teaching? No, indeed! There are many who must be reached through words, being as yet unable to hear in silence. The teacher of God must, however, learn to use words in a new way. Gradually, he learns how to let his words be chosen for him by ceasing to decide for himself what he will say. This process is merely a special case of the lesson in the workbook that says, “I will step back and let Him lead the way.” (W-155.2:3) The teacher of God accepts the words which are offered him (through the Course and the Holy Spirit), and he gives as he receives. He does not control the words or the direction of his speaking. He listens, he hears, then he speaks, consistent with what he heard.


5. A major hindrance in this aspect of his learning is the TOG’s fear about the validity of what is being heard. (T-4.I.8:6) And what you hear may indeed be quite startling. It may also seem to be quite irrelevant to the presented problem as you perceive it, and may, in fact confront the teacher with a situation that appears to be very embarrassing to him. All these are judgments that have no value. They are his own, coming from a false self-perception which must be left behind. Do not judge the words that come to you as you offer them in confidence. They are far wiser than your own choice because God’s teachers have God’s Word behind their symbols, so use the words given to you. He Himself gives the power of His Spirit to the words you are given, raising them from meaningless symbols to the Call of Heaven itself.


6. This holy instant would I give to You. Be You in charge. For I would follow You, certain that Your direction gives me peace. And if I need a word to help me, He will give it to me. If I need a thought, that will He also give. And if I need but stillness and a tranquil, open mind, these are the gifts I will receive of Him. He is in charge by my request. And He will hear and answer me, because He speaks for God my Father and His holy Son. (W-365.all) AMEN.


MANUAL FOR TEACHERS

21. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF WORDS IN HEALING?

RECAP


1. Strictly speaking, words play no part at all in healing. God does not understand words. Words were made by separated minds to keep them in the illusion of separation. They are but symbols of symbols, and thus twice removed from reality. (Is this a surprise to you -- that God does not use words or language to communicate, either from us to Him, or Him to us?)

2. Yet words can be helpful to us, particularly for the beginner, in helping concentration and facilitating the exclusion (or at least the control) of extraneous thought, keeping our mind in line with sanity.

3. What you ask for you receive. This refers to the prayer of the heart, not to the words you use in praying. Sometimes the words and the prayer are contradictory; sometimes they agree. It does not matter. You will receive the prayer of your heart which asks for experiences.

4. Prayer for “things” will bring experiences of this world. Yet the teacher of God learns to let his experiences be chosen for him by ceasing to decide for himself what they should be. He invites the Holy Spirit to enter his mind and make ALL his decisions. This is not the ego or separated mind, nor even the ”happy” mind, but the holy mind. (W-8.3:1-3, W-9.all, T-24.V.1-10)

5. The Holy Spirit brings fruitful learning experiences and saves time. The more experiences you leave to the ego (or even the “happy” mind (T-24.V.1:4) to decide, the more time is wasted going round and round the wheel of illusion. Your goal is to get off the illusory wheel and live in Christ, not in ego. (T-24.V.1:4 “Specialness, too, takes joy in what it sees, although it is not true.” Making a decision with a happy mind, therefore, is not the same as making decisions with the holy mind, with the Holy Spirit.)

6. The power of decision will offer what is requested from the ego or from the Holy Spirit. Herein lies hell or Heaven. So choose your guide wisely.

7. There are many who must be reached through words, being as yet unable to hear in silence. The teacher of God, then, lets his words be chosen for him by ceasing to decide for himself what he will say. The TOG steps back and lets Him lead the way. He listens, hears, and then speaks the words given to him. (W-106.h)

8. Judge not the words that come to you; offer them in confidence. They are far wiser than your own, because TOG’s have God’s Word behind their symbols. God Himself gives to these words the power of His Spirit. This raises the words beyond the illusion of the world to the Call of Heaven itself. “Be Still and Know that I AM GOD.” (T-4.in.2:2)

9. Only the Word of God has any meaning because it symbolizes that which has no human symbols at all. The Holy Spirit alone understands what this Word stands for. This is enough.

I am as God created me.

(W-110.h)

Declare this truth often. It is the Word of God that sets you free. This is the key that opens the gate of Heaven, and lets you enter in the peace of God and His eternity. (W-110.11:4-7)

What is the Word of God? “My Son is pure and holy as Myself.” (W-276.1:1) And thus did God become the Father of the Son He loves, for thus was he created. AMEN

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