Someone asked me what prayers I said and my answer was one that Vernon Howard taught, “God help me right now.” I also say The Jesus Prayer because it is so ancient and can be used as a mantra. “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

The esoteric work of G. I. Gurdjieff was about esoteric Christianity, the practical application of what Jesus taught. This work is done by all types of people and beliefs. One does not have to be a church Christian to do this work of awakening.

The Bible is encoded in such a way that whatever level you find yourself on, you will see meaning in it. There will be higher and lower meanings; it is for you to discover the inner applications of what you read.

Take a verse that my family usually has read at funeral services. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from which cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” On the lowest level of meaning, it can be taken literally, with you and the Lord being separate. You are then begging for His Help and are at His mercy.

But if you take that esoterically to mean that you must take your eyes off your ego and lift them into an awareness that you are a soul, that returns the power to you. It is up to you to make a conscious upward move into the light. Now it has become an energetic application of a scripture verse.

Christ said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” In the esoteric work of Gurdjieff, it is said that “The Work will find a way.” Once again, when you put yourself under higher consciousness, it will help you whereas your ego never can.

And so it goes. The inner work is all that matters. The only thing that works alchemy for you. And it is never too late to start towards home.

Vicki Woodyard