One of their most important contributions is the distinction they make between directed and non-directed prayer. Practitioners of directed prayer have a specific goal, image, or outcome in mind. They may be praying for the cancer to be cured, the heart attack to resolve itself, or the pain to go away. It s important to note that the contrast here is in fact between Active and Middle and not between Active and Passive even though it may sound like it. And giving up is the refusal to take action.
Surrender increases the quality of life.
So what Dossey has presented in effect is a testimony to the practicality of both living and praying in the Middle voice Just before I close, let me share one other source with you, this time from a different religious tradition. Jewish prayer is not a matter of informing God as to what we believe and what we need, but of seeking His presence and being transformed by it. We don t ask God to change the world to make it easier for us. We ask Him only to assure us that He will be with us as we try to do something hard.