The purpose of prayer is not to influence God to grant you special favors, but rather to remind yourself that you are always connected to God.

Love for yourself, love for the planet, love for each other. Love primarily for God - your number one relationship in life, your relationship to your source. Not something external to you, something that you're a part of, that you are connected to - just meditating on that, staying in that place, the place of God realization.

But if you put your thoughts on what's on its way, then you'll start looking for every little clue, and every person walking into your life becomes someone who is a messenger or a deliverer of something that is going to help you deliver what you have an intention about.

Thousands of children are killed by handguns in the United States each year. What is that about? What are we doing? We accept that? And we accept the presence of these weapons that are in silos and on submarines and airplanes? If any madman gets hold of them - and certainly there are madmen out there who will figure out how to get hold of them, they always have - what are we even making such things for?

You get what you think about whether you want it or not.

We're all saints! We all have built into us this intention, the capacities for kindness and creativity and beauty. It's a matter of perspective. As Einstein said, "The single most important decision any of us will ever make is whether or not to believe that the universe is friendly." It's your choice.

The assistance you need will be provided by the universe as soon as you convert your readiness to willingness.