One of the most misused words among religious people is the word "grace". It seem to support the image of a partial God who gives "undeserved" blessings to some individuals while bypassing others. I think that it is necessary for us to re-discover the true meaning of grace.

The fundamental problem with those believers mentioned above is their ignorance of the fact that there is nothing undeserved in this world. Such is the law of being. At the same time, we always receive more than we deserve. This is the way grace works. These statements aren't contradictory - they complement each other.

If our universe is a closed system, it is ruled by cause-and- effect. Yet our universe is not a closed system - it is an open system, where new elements are always added. We should do our part in aligning ourselves with universal laws. It is useless to hope that our earnest petitions to God could instantly deliver us from consequences of our wrong choices. At the same time we should do our inner work in full confidence that the grace of God will support our efforts.

"Grace explains the inadequacy of the idea of "karma", the endless cycle of cause and effect. It is true that "as you sow so do you reap". Yet, God's desire to express completely through you and as you is so great that you never completely reap the harvest of error, and you always reap more good than you sow. This is grace", said Eric Butterworth.

"God's grace is the idea that reality is slightly weighted in favor of happiness", wrote Brad Jensen.

Grace is the evolutionary power through which we transcend ourselves. It is the power of growth and unfoldment. It is the presence of God in all people and in all things which gently leads them to their perfection and completion.

In a sense it is true that grace cannot be earned. But this doesn't mean that "grace" is opposed to "works". Grace is the spirit which animates our works, pointing them to the right direction, making them mostly effective. Grace is the spirit of creative expression.

As we pray, we need to be aware of the power of grace - otherwise we might become anxious and tense. Some believers actually think that without their constant prayers and affirmations something terrible might happen. For instance, they might be afraid of becomeing sick if they don't pray for good health, they might be afraid of losing their money if they don't affirm prosperity. It is sad to notice that the very activity which is meant to make people fearless and free, sometimes makes them uneasy and bound.

What they need to do is just to open their eyes and to look around. There are millions of people who never say formal prayers, yet they live exceedingly well. Why? Because of God's grace. This power is truly universal - it works for believers and unbelievers alike.

When we don't know how to pray for others, or even what to pray for, we may trust in God's grace, for it always takes care of them. When we have times of doubts and indecision, we may trust in God's grace, because it never leaves us. Mental recognition and acceptance of grace makes our life journey easier and more joyful. Letting go of images of judgmental God or deterministic universal order, we gain new freedom.

It is not my intention to describe in details how grace works, because often it is manifested in mysterious ways. It may cover our unintentional mistakes, occasional negative thoughts and words. It may arrange circumstances in our life in such a way that we find exactly what we need at the right moment without much efforts. But, as we said it before, grace doesn't make our inner and outer work unimportant. It raises our work to the new level. It makes us co-workers with God.