Chapter 6


How To Get Inspiration

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze


THE ESSENTIALS TO INSPIRATION
         Essentials for effective use of inspiration include silence, solitude, meditation, watchfulness and readiness, set purpose, set time, knowledge of the one within, obedience, peace of mind, quietness etc.

Silence
         Majority of the mankind do not know the importance of silence. This is why most of the time people talk, chat, joke and mock indiscriminately. The more people talk unnecessarily, the more they lose the spiritual power in them, and the more they render ineffective the spiritual connection between them and God. Speech is silver; silence is golden. The former is good; the latter is the best. No wonder spirits speak in silence and through thought.
         Creative people prefer to work alone in silence wherein they are able to receive inspiration, being not disturbed. Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves, before they eventually manifest. The world should do everything possible to reduce the level of noise in our environments. Noise is detrimental to our health and spiritual life.

A silent mind, freed from the onslaught of thoughts and thought patterns, is both a goal and an important step in spiritual development. Such "inner silence" is not about the absence of sound; instead, it is understood to bring one in contact with the divine, the ultimate reality, or one's own true self, one's divine nature. Many religious traditions imply the importance of being quiet and still in mind and spirit for transformative and integral spiritual growth to occur. In Christianity, there is the silence of contemplative prayer such as centering prayer and Christian meditation; in Islam, there are the wisdom writings of the Sufis who insist on the importance of finding silence within. In Buddhism, the descriptions of silence and allowing the mind to become silent are implied as a feature of spiritual enlightenment. In Hinduism, including the teachings of Advaita Vedanta and the many paths of yoga, teachers insist on the importance of silence, Mauna, for inner growth. Perkey Avot, the Jewish Sages guide for living, states that "Tradition is a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom..... is silence." In some traditions of Quakerism, silence is an actual part of worship services and a time to allow the divine to speak in the heart and mind. From Wikipedia


Solitude
         It is in solitude that a creative mind is free from the noise and disturbance of life. Then, the mind is receptive and fruitful, able to think out and develop ideas. Creative individuals do not usually allow people into their presence when they are at a thoughtful work. I often advise those who wish to become successful to do their practice in privacy (in secluded place). The presence of others who are not concerned with the practice introduces distractions.
         Staying alone removes the cares and distractions of everyday life. It provides the mind the peace and rest it needs to be creative. Equally, it gives rest to our body systems, enabling them to function very well.

Meditation
         This is the act of thinking silently about something. Meditation is the key that unlocks the doors of Heaven and lets down the flow of ideas, solutions and creativity. Inspiration in every sphere of our endeavour is as important as it is in the religious life. Superficially, meditation is reasoning or thoughtfulness. More significantly, it is consultation with God Mind: the presentations of our doubts, concerns, questions, ideas, aspirations and problems to Him, and the receiving of convincing response. It is the process of seeking within the fulfillment of our needs from the indwelling God, instead of outward searching from elsewhere.

Watchfulness and Readiness
         Watchfulness refers to the state of being conscious of inspiration or prompting whenever it comes in the form of idea or solution. Readiness is the ability to act on the inspiration, without delay. One quality that distinguishes the successful is their readiness to act on ideas which may appear insignificant. Majority of the mankind do receive the promptings of inspiration, and when they do, they usually do not follow it up to fruition.

Set Purpose
         Setting purpose directs the relevant inspiration to our heart. Also, it makes the mind watchful and ready to accept useful ideas when such occurs to the mind. Setting purpose helps to reduce distractions.

Set Time
         Set time for meditation is very useful to effective meditation. Set time channels events in such a way that we have time for silence and meditation, even in the public, while we are in the office waiting, in the bus traveling, etc.

Knowledge Of The One Within
         God indwells every soul. However, it is the duty of the individual soul to realise this fact and make good use of it. That is why the Bible says: “...the Christ in us, the hope of glory.” And Jesus said of Himself that the Father in Him does His works through Him (Jesus). The realization that God is within you is an enabling factor. God is always ready and willing to co-work with you.

The Lord Cares
         Scientist testifies that they do receive flashes of illumination in their work and research, and that when they act on the inspirations, they succeed in one thing or the other. Furthermore, inspiration abounds in the life of the ordinary man. From time to time, it occurs to one to do something. And where the person fails to comply with the prompting, you often hear such person say, “It occurred to me to ...” God confirms it, “...for I called, but you did not answer; I spoke, but you did not listen.” Isaiah 65:12

How To Get Inspiration
  1. Know yourself as a child of God.
  2. Pray for guidance.
  3. In all things, emulate God.
  4. Seek to improve whatever you are doing.
  5. Take your dreams, visions, trances, etc serious.
  6. Find (give) rest for your soul.
  7. Avoid careless talks.
  8. Know your divine rights and heritages.
  9. Ensure peace in all dealings with men.
  10. Speak good of others.
  11. Be a thinking person.
  12. Widen your knowledge.
  13. Broaden your experience.
  14. Be proactive, by seeking solutions to the problems of mankind.
  15. Love discipline.
  16. Study the scriptures.
  17. Value research. (University students should be meticulous about their university projects, because the work is very important to God. Avoid unnecessary copying and falsifications. Be happy to go to the field and carry out genuine research for your own academic success and spiritual growth, to the glory of God.)
Milk and Honey
         As important as quietness: It is healing to our souls, and curing to our nerves. It removes cares and worries of life from our consciousness, thereby enabling us to enjoy the goodness of life, in peace and comfort.
         No wonder Jesus advised his disciples to come away by themselves to a lonely place and have rest for their souls.