Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Tapping Tuesday prayer on doubt


24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came (on Easter). 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” --John 20


I can’t believe it!

Show me the money!

I doubt it.
Never in a million years.

We’ve all said it. We’ve all felt it. Something is so unbelievable, so beyond what our imaginations can comprehend, that we demand proof. You may have even had that experience around tapping prayer!
We chant with Thomas, “Unless I see it, and feel it, I will not believe it.” Sometimes our doubt is warranted, but since I began prayer tapping, I wonder if there are at least as many (if not more) times when our doubt is either an excuse, or a declaration of our own limited vision.
What if our doubt was really based in a limiting belief about God’s involvement in our life? What if the Holy really did want to help us lose weight, or get that job we wanted, or mend that fence that had been broken for so many years? Could it be that Jesus’ spirit might even make it possible for us to draw closer to God, despite the nasty way we had treated the Divine? That seems to be what John is saying. Even though Thomas had his doubts about Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus comes to Thomas and takes him by the hand. He puts Tom’s fingers on the answer to his doubts, to his limited beliefs about what is possible with God on the case. There is no chastising. There is only healing. Healing for Tom. Healing for us.
What are you doubtful of today? Your ability to find happiness? Your capacity to pay your bills? Your potential to feel less pain?
Imagine that Jesus has just walked into the room, and he is guiding your hands toward the tapping points on your body. He wants to heal your doubt. He wants to share his peace.

After identifying a doubt or a limiting belief, check out that belief’s SUD. (If this is your first time trying tapping prayer, click this link to learn the basic recipe) On a scale of 0-10 how much does this doubt upset you? Frustrate you? Keep you from feeling peace? Write that number down.

Now, try and think of the first time you had this doubt? Where did you learn about it? Who taught you to have doubt around this issue? If you can’t remember, no worry. I’ll take care of that in the prayer.

When you are ready, please take responsibility for your participation in tapping prayer, and let’s pray:

Thomas is my mentor, God. I doubt all kinds of things. I doubt the veracity of stories I hear from my friends. I doubt my ability to execute particular tasks. I doubt the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. Like Thomas, unless I see it, or feel it, I cannot believe it. Unfortunately, some of my doubts are getting in the way of my happiness. They are limiting my peace. They are making a statement about you, that I am uncomfortable with. Help my disbelief today, God. Heal this particular doubt that I am bringing before you. Help me feel your peace, so that I will take chances to heal from other doubts in my life. Hear me as I pray.
Karate Chop: Even though I have this doubt, I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God. Even though I can’t believe this issue I am thinking about, God loves me unconditionally. Even though I have this limiting belief about the this issue that has a SUD of …...., I am deeply loved and completely accepted by you.
Top of head: This doubt.
Eyebrow: This limiting belief.
Outer eye: It could never be true.
Under eye: It couldn’t happen.
Under nose: I have this doubt.
Under lip: I have this inability to believe this...
Collarbone: I’ve gotta see it to believe it.
Underarm: I need evidence.
Wrists: I have evidence that my disbelief is holding me back.
Top of head: I have evidence that I am not as peaceful as I’d like to be.
Eyebrow: I have this limiting belief.
Outer eye: Maybe I know where it came from.
Under eye: Maybe it is connected to fear.
Under nose: Maybe it is connected to sadness.
Under lip: Maybe it is limiting me like it limited the people who taught it to me.
Collarbone: I have this doubt.
Underarm: I didn’t ask for it.
Wrists: I wonder if I need it?
Top of head: What would happen if I let it go?
Eyebrow: I wonder what would change if I let go of this limiting belief?
Outer eye: I might have to think about the world in new ways.
Under eye: I might disappoint whoever gave me this doubt.
Under nose: I hate letting people down.
Under lip: I’m not thrilled with how holding onto this disbelief makes me feel, either.
Collarbone. Even though I have this doubt, I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.
Underarm: I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.
Wrists: Even if I choose to let go of this doubt I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.
Top of head: I am deeply loved and completely accepted by God.

Take a deep breath...I thank you, God for taking my hands and putting them in holy places so that I could begin to experience your caring around my disbelief. Help me to be attuned to how your spirit has been working to heal me in this prayer. In your holy name I pray. Amen.

Check your SUD around the doubt you began with. Is it higher or lower or just the same. Remember that the more specific your language is the more focused God’s healing will be around a particular doubt or disbelief. If you have anxiety about not knowing what to do if you let go of your doubt, try prayer tapping on that anxiety.

Jesus didn’t chastise Thomas for his doubts. Instead, Jesus set about to help Thomas heal. Hopefully this prayer has brought you some healing. If it was helpful, please feel free to let me know, or try it on some other doubts. Perhaps there are more possibilities for us than we have been able to imagine before now.
Peace,
todd

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