Inner Prayer and Joy
James 5:13 - A Neville Goddard interpretation
Read James 5 in context
Scripture Focus
Biblical Context
James 5:13 invites you to turn every state—affliction or cheer—into an inner practice: pray when you feel afflicted, and sing psalms when you are merry.
Neville's Inner Vision
Affliction is not a punishment but a signal that you have wandered from the awareness of your I AM. When you turn to prayer, do not beg for relief from without; present the truth to yourself: I AM here, I AM now, the entire universe of my experience. In that moment you revise the outer by the inner, and the mood of peace begins to vibrate through your thoughts until it becomes the dominant reality. When you are merry, let the soul sing not for applause but to align with the memory of your divine nature. The psalms you utter are not antiquated rites; they are affirmations of what you already are. Your inner God—the I AM—never leaves you; it simply shifts your attention back to itself. Thus every state, whether pain or joy, is a doorway back to the same kingdom of awareness within you.
Practice This Now
Imaginative Act: In any state, assume I AM is your present reality—when afflicted, revise by softly saying 'I AM whole' and feel the peace now; when merry, imagine yourself singing a psalm and let the gratitude feel real.
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