434 ROSICRUCIANCOSMO-CONCEPTION
Christ be formed in you,” and exhorts his followers, as men
who are running a race, to rid themselves of every weight.
The fundamental principle in building the vital body is
repetition. Repeated experiences wor k on it to create
memory. The Leaders of humanity, who desired to give us
unconscious help by certain exercises, instituted prayer as a
means of bringing pure and lofty thought to work on the
vital body, and enjoined us to “pray without ceasing.”
Scoffers have often asked sneeringly why it should be
thought necessary to always pray, because if God is
omniscient He knows our needs and if He is not, our prayers
will probably never reach Him; and if not omniscient, He
cannot be omnipotent, and therefore could not answer prayer
in any case. Many an earnest Christian may also have
thought it wrong to be continually importuning the Throne
of Grace.
Such ideas are founded upon a misunderstanding of
facts. Truly God is omniscient and requires no reminder of
our needs, but if we pray aright, we lift ourselves up to Him,
thus working upon and purifying our vital bodies. If we pray
aright—but that is the great trouble. We are generally much
more concerned about temporal things than we are about
spiritual upliftment. Churches will hold special meetings to
pray for rain! And the chaplains of opposing armies or
navies will even pray before a battle that success may follow
their arms!
That is prayer to the Race God, Who fights the battles of
His people, gives them increase of flocks and herds, fills
their granaries and caters to the material wants. Such prayers
are not even purifying. They are from the desire body, which
sums up the situation thus: Now Lord, I am keeping your
commandments to the best of my ability and I want You to