Intention is an essential aspect of any kind of truly effective spiritual practice. This is summarized by the saying "energy flows where attention goes." Intention is a way of focusing your attention, and making it clear to the Universe what should be manifested as a result of your efforts. It is very important to be clear and specific when setting intentions.
Intention is required whenever serious spiritual work is being done. If your intention is not properly set, your spiritual work will lack meaning and power, and the required results will not manifest as desired. The greater your focus and clarity, the more powerful will be the effect. Examples of this kind of spiritual work include prayer, ritual, ceremony, healing, divination, cleansing, clearing, and protecting.
Setting intention involves focusing your thoughts, feelings, and attention on a specific goal. This may be done silently using willpower and creative visualization, but people often use words to set intentions. Words are more than symbolic representations of ideas. They are powerful, having life and energy. By formulating a specific phrase to represent your intention, you are giving life and energy to your spiritual work.
You can give power to your intention by speaking your words aloud. Speaking your words aloud activates the throat chakra and charges your words with energy. This energy helps to propel your words into the spirit world, where they can be more readily heard by Spirit.
To add even more power to your words, you can speak them from within sacred space. You can create sacred space at home by performing a simple ceremony. For example, take a quiet moment to light a candle, and acknowledge the candle's flame as a representation of Spirit. Now speak your powerful words of intention. When you are done, offer gratitude to the sacred power of Spirit, and extinguish the candle.
Spirit is known for giving people exactly what they ask for—which may not be what they really wanted. For this reason, it is very important to be crystal clear when establishing your intention. Search your feelings well, and do your best to understand the true motives underlying your request.
Imagine what you want ...and get out of the way.—Willie Nelson
Now that you have set your intention clearly and precisely, the time has come to eliminate doubt and uncertainty. Trust yourself, have humility, and surrender your intention to the unlimited power of Spirit. Step out of the way, and allow space for Spirit to fulfill your intention.
Manifestation is an extension to the practice of intention-setting. This practice can be used to bring about powerful positive change in your life. In brief, manifestation involves communicating strong intentions to your Higher Self using affirmations. Given enough repetition of the affirmations, your Higher Self will absorb your intentions and respond by changing reality around you.
In spiritual practice, when you set clear intentions for what you want to achieve, you can access the unlimited power of the Universe. This requires determination, focus, and willpower, but anything truly meaningful is important to get right. I am sure you will find the results are well worth the effort.
Robbie Priestley - January 19, 2023