Prayer connects us to the invisible intelligence that is hard-wired to our soul. Prayer is asking for help and wisdom. Philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view." Following is a "Prosperity Prayer" that is excerpted from my next book. Many people have reported finding new work, receiving unexpected sources of money and experiencing a renewed faith as the result of making the prayer a part of their lives.

"The Prosperity Prayer"

Dear God —

I surrender my financial affairs and concerns about money to your Divine care and love.

I ask that you remove my worries, anxieties and fears about money, and replace them with faith.

I know and trust that my debts will be paid and money will flow into my life.

I have only to look to nature to see proof of the abundance you provide.

I release all negative thoughts about money, and know that prosperity is my true state.

I commit to being grateful for all that I now have in my life.

I learn to manage my finances wisely, seeking help where needed.

And finally, I ask you to help me understand my purpose in life and to act on that purpose with courage and strength. I know that prosperity will come, in part, by doing work I love. Please help me use my skills and knowledge to be of service in the world.

Thank you, God.

Amen

Dear God —
God is a loaded word for many people. I believe that God is part of us, flows through us and animates the world surrounding us. We are hard-wired to receive God's wisdom. I see God as Divine Intelligence, Wisdom and Love. Some people substitute the word God and use "Universe," "Lord," or "Mother Father God". It doesn't matter what word you use for this prayer to work. Do you even have to believe in God? The answer is no. Simply know that your words are heard and expect an answer.

I surrender my financial affairs and concerns about money to your Divine care and love.
When we surrender our worries and concerns to God, we surrender to a Higher Power that has our best interests at heart. Surrender is a difficult concept for many of us to grasp. At first, it sounds as if I might be suggesting you simply "give up" in defeat. I'm not.

The Wisdom that controls the universe knows how to make the sun rise in the morning and set at night. This Wisdom has created the human body and all its intricacies that function day in and day out in miraculous ways. It has created the eyes that read this page, the ears that hear the sounds around you, the sensation of touch as your hands fall on the page.

Author and minister Marianne Williamson suggests that surrender is when "We learn to trust that the power that holds galaxies together can handle the circumstance of our relatively little lives." The Universe knows what it's doing! Can you say the same about your struggles with your financial life? If the issue of surrender is one that causes you a great deal of concern, I'd like to suggest an experiment — simply try it for a month. Read the Prosperity Prayer three times a day for thirty days and choose to "surrender your concerns" to God for that period of time. There is no right or wrong way to do this. The prayers of your heart will always be heard.

I ask that you remove my worries, anxieties and fears about money and replace them with faith.
Many of us labor under the illusion that if we worry enough about money, we'll ward off debt. Nothing could be further from the truth. Worry, anxiety and fear create more worry, anxiety and fear. They don't create more money. For a thirty-day period I'd like to suggest you go on a worry diet. That's right. Stop worrying.

To live a truly prosperous life, you need to choose to let go of fear. It is a choice. Until you experience peace around the subject of money you will never be truly prosperous no matter how much money you have.

Here are some anti-worry techniques that work:

1. Say the Prosperity Prayer three times a day for thirty days. Many researchers have found that it takes a thirty-day period for any habit or new thought to become effective and produce results.
   
   
2. If you find you simply can't ditch the worry habit, try limiting your worry to a five-minute period during a specific time of the day.
   
   
3. Find a phrase that you find comforting such as, "God is handling this now." Or "I am choosing to have faith about money." Or "I am now open and receptive to new avenues of income." Say it often.
   
   
4. Take action where necessary. Asking God to release your fears and replace them with faith does not absolve you from taking steps to untangle a difficult financial situation. What do you feel guided to do? Act on it.
   
   
5. Listen for guidance. Prayer is talking to God. Meditating and listening within are the ways you receive answers. Ask for help from God for ways that you can begin to let go of fear and begin to prosper.
   
   
6. Confront your fear. Norman Vincent Peale wrote, "When you are afraid, do the thing you are afraid of and soon you will lose your fear of it." What's the worst thing that can happen to you regarding your concerns about money? What can you do to prevent worry from becoming reality? Do it.
   

I know and trust that my debts will be paid and money will flow into my life.
Here's a secret I've discovered in working with clients: there is tremendous power in the images they hold in their minds. Those images (and the emotions they produce) begin to create the reality they experience in their lives. When you think about the topic of money, what pictures pop into your mind? Your maxed out credit cards? Being a bag lady on the street? Not being able to pay the rent or mortgage? Continuing to struggle in a job you hate? Maybe you imagine the prospect of being poor the rest of your life?

If any of the above sound familiar, I'd like you to resolve to change these pictures in your mind. I'm asking you to accept much of this prayer philosophy on faith, but trust me when I tell you that those visualizations of your current state of poverty have a negative effect on your financial and emotional health.

Close your eyes for a moment and bring to mind an image of what it would look and feel like to have the prosperity you desire. Spend a few moments visualizing this perfect outcome. What would you be feeling if you got what you wanted? As you visualize this image, feel those emotions. Add some words to your imagery. Use whatever works for you. "This is great." "I feel terrific!" Imagine your friends and family celebrating with you. Do whatever you can to make this image real and vivid.

Ask God, "Is there anything I could do right now that would allow this prosperity flow into my life?" Await a response.

Open your eyes when you feel ready.

Jot down any brief ideas, thoughts and impressions you may have had.

Don't take action simply on what you think makes sense. Act only on impulses that feel like fun, make you excited, or seem enjoyable to you. As you begin to change these images in your mind, the Universe will bring together the circumstances and synchronicities to enable you to have the prosperity you deserve. That's the trust part! Don't try to figure it out. Simply allow it to happen.

I have only to look to nature to see proof of the abundance you provide.
Abundance is our natural state. We disallow this state through our fear and worry. We cut ourselves off from its flow. The Bible says in Luke 12:32, "It is God's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." You may not be currently experiencing abundance in your wallet or checkbook but I assure you, it is there for the asking.

When you begin to worry that there isn't enough to go around or that God only doles out a limited supply of material to a deserving few, look around you. Take a deep breath and let in all of the abundance. Breathe the air (no limitations on that, right?). Look at your immediate environment. What do you see? Depending on the season and where you live, you'll see leaves on the trees, snow on the ground, sand on the beach, grass on the lawns. Do you think God planned this amazing world and forgot to include the means for you to accomplish your purpose in life and live your dreams?

Each day as you say your Prosperity Prayer, spend a few moments to really take in the beauty and plenty in our world.

I release all negative thoughts about money, and know that prosperity is my true state.
Your inner thoughts — what you say to yourself — make a big difference in your ability or inability to attract material wealth. When you consistently focus on negative thoughts you can count on attracting negativity into your life.

The next time a severe attack of "poverty consciousness" befalls you, counter it as lovingly as possible. Take a few minutes to sit quietly. Take a deep breath and imagine you are filled with and surrounded by God's love. Bring to mind the financial concern that is upsetting you and ask simply, "Is there another way of viewing this situation that will make me feel better?" Open your heart and your mind and await the answer. Often the mere fact that you've asked the question will bring about the shift in consciousness that you need. If you're faced with a difficult financial situation, affirm your ability to handle whatever comes your way and turn the problem over to God.

You might want to keep a stack of inspirational books, cards, audio-tapes or affirmations close at hand in order to help shift your focus. These are especially helpful for those of you who wake up in the middle of the night worrying about money. All the positive intentions in the world seem to fly out the window in those vulnerable hours before dawn.

I commit to being grateful for all that I now have in my life.
There are two quotes that I absolutely love that relate to the issue of gratitude. The first is from Meister Eckhart, "If the only prayer you say in your life is 'Thank you,' that would suffice." The second quote is from the famous writer, Anonymous, who said, "If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy."

Don't skip this step because it "isn't spiritual." We live in a material and practical world and it helps to know the rules of the road.

And finally, I ask you to help me to understand my purpose in life and to act on that purpose with courage and strength. I know that prosperity will come, in part, by doing work I love. Please help me use my skills to be of service in the world.
You have a purpose in life. It is the thing about which you are excited, the thing you'd love to do if only you had a few million dollars and didn't have to worry about money. When you are enthusiastic about something in your life, God is giving you a clue about the direction to follow. The root of the word "enthusiasm" is from the Greek, "entheos." It literally means, "God within."

Begin to trust the passion that you feel. When you listen to the whispers of your soul and take small steps forward, your life purpose begins to take shape and manifest clearly. It takes courage, trust, and strength to begin to live the life you were meant to live. You have access to the gift of divine guidance to help you begin to fulfill your destiny. Each time you pray for help and you act on the guidance you receive, you align your mind with the mind of God. You tap into a stream of love and intelligence that will direct you to the prosperity that will help you fulfill your destiny.

Thank you, God.
I know you are there to help me and I am grateful.

Amen

___________________

Lynn Robinson, M.Ed., is one of the nation's leading experts on the topic of intuition. Her most recent books include Real Prosperity : Using the Power of Intuition to Create Financial and Spiritual Abundance (Andrews McMeel, 2004), Compass of the Soul: 52 Ways Intuition Can Guide You to the Life of Your Dreams (Andrews McMeel, 2003) and Divine Intuition: Your Guide to Creating a Life You Love (DK Books, 2001). Lynn is a popular and widely recognized author and motivational speaker as well as a columnist and the Intuition-At-Work Expert for iVillage.com. Her free monthly "Intuition Newsletter" is available at her Web site, http://www.LynnRobinson.com.