Neale：
Does that mean I cannot ask for anything I want? Are You saying that praying for something actually pushes it away from us?
那這樣是否意味著，我不能要求任何我想要的？ 所以「祈禱」這件事，實際上反而會遠離我們想要的囉？
God：
This is a question which has been asked through the Ages—and has been answered whenever it has been asked. Yet you have not heard the answer, or will not believe it.
The question is answered again, in today’s terms, and today’s language, thusly： You will not have that for which you ask, nor can you have anything you want. This is because your very request is a statement of lack, and your saying you want a thing only works to produce that precise experience— wanting—in your reality.
自古以來這個問題一直被提出，每次提問時也都有回答。 然而，你們並未聽到答案，或是根本不願相信。
這個問題將再次以今日的語言和表達方式來回覆：
你是無法得到你所要求或想要的一切的。 因為你這個請求反映了你的內在狀態，當你說自己『想要』某樣東西時，內心其實帶著匱乏感， 於是你在現實中體驗到的，便是這份『 想要(渴望) 』本身，而非你真正期望的結果。
<aside> 💡
匱乏的例子： 當我說：「我想要糖果。」 宇宙就會讓你實現＂想要糖果＂的情節。
</aside>
The correct prayer is therefore never a prayer of supplication, but a prayer of gratitude.
When you thank God in advance for that which you choose to experience in your reality, you, in effect, acknowledge that it is there… in effect. Thankfulness is thus the most powerful statement to God ; an affirmation that even before you ask, I have answered.
Therefore never supplicate. Appreciate.
真正的祈禱，從來不是出於懇求，而是發自感恩之心。
當你為自己選擇了要體驗的事物，提前向神表達感謝，這實際上是在承認它已然存在……就等同一個成真的現實就在那兒了。 而感恩是對神最有力量的話語——它意味著：「在你開口祈求之前，我已經應許了。」
所以，絕不要祈求，而是要感謝。
Neale：
But what if I am grateful to God in advance for something, and it never shows up? That could lead to disillusionment and bitterness.
但如果我都已經提前感謝了，結果什麼都沒有呢？ 那可能會讓人感到絕望和痛苦呀！
God：
Gratitude cannot be used as a tool with which to manipulate God ; a device with which to fool the universe. You cannot lie to yourself. Your mind knows the truth of your thoughts.
If you are saying “Thank you, God, for such and such,” all the while being very clear that it isn’t there in your present reality, you can’t expect God to be less clear than you, and so produce it for you.
God knows what you know, and what you know is what appears as your reality.
你不能把感恩當作操弄神的工具；或是愚弄宇宙的手段。 你無法欺騙自己。 你的內心知道你真正的想法是什麼。
如果你說：「因ＯＯＯ，我感謝神」，但內心清楚知道，這在你的現實中尚未擁有。 那麼你不應該期待神會比你還要糊塗，替你實現它。
神知道你所知，而你的認知決定了你的現實。
Neale：
But how then can I be truly grateful for something I know is not there?
可是我明知道它還未成真，我又該如何感謝？
God：
Faith.
If you have but the faith of a mustard seed, you shall move mountains.
You come to know it is there because I said it is there ; because I said that, even before you ask, I shall have answered ; because I said , and have said to you in every conceivable way, through every teacher you can name, that whatsoever you shall choose, choosing it in My Name, so shall it be.
信念**。**
即便你的信念只有芥菜籽般微小，你仍能移山。
你將會相信它已然成真，因為我說過它會成真； 因我說過，在你祈求之前，我已經應許了； 因我說過，並用盡一切可能的方式告訴了你，無論你透過什麼樣的指引， 只要你以我的名義（基於之前神提過的種種，比如：崇高的感受）來選擇，你所選擇的就一定會實現。
<aside> 💡
「選擇」是對信念的體現——你不只是等著神來做某些事，而是你選擇了相信並行動。
</aside>
Neale：
Yet so many people say that their prayers have gone unanswered.
但有很多人說他們的禱告沒有得到回應。
God：
No prayer—and a prayer is nothing more than a fervent statement of what is so—goes unanswered. Every prayer—every thought, every statement, every feeling—is creative. To the degree that it is fervently held as truth, to that degree will it be made manifest in your experience.
沒有一個祈禱未被回應—祈禱不過是對事實的強烈表達。 所有的祈禱——每個想法、每句話、每個感受——都是具有創造力的。 你對它的信念(當真的程度)有多強，決定了它在你的經驗中顯化的力道。
When it is said that a prayer has not been answered, what has in actuality happened is that the most fervently held thought, word, or feeling has become operative.
當人們說祈禱未被回應時，實際上你內心最強烈的想法、語言或感受已發揮作用了——讓「未被回應」成為你的體驗。
Yet what you must know—and here is the secret—is that always it is the thought behind the thought— what might be called the Sponsoring Thought—that is the controlling thought.
If, therefore, you beg and supplicate, there seems a much smaller chance that you will experience what you think you are choosing, because the Sponsoring Thought behind every supplication is that you do not have now what you wish.
That Sponsoring Thought becomes your reality.
還有一件事你必須知道——這就是秘密所在——在每個想法背後， 總有一個更深層的想法，也就是所謂的「發起思維」，它才是主導者。
因此，如果你懇求和乞求，那麼實現你所選擇的可能性會大大降低， 因為每次懇求的背後，都隱藏著這麼一個「發起思維」— 你當下沒有你所渴望的東西。
而這個「發起思維」，才是讓你的現實成真的關鍵。
<aside> 💡
例子：1. 我乞求我有很多糖果(表層說法) ＝ 2.我現在沒有很多糖果(真正含意／發起思維) ＝ 3.實現真正含意的＂我沒有很多糖果＂。
</aside>
The only Sponsoring Thought which could override this thought is the thought held in faith that God will grant whatever is asked, without fail. Some people have such faith, but very few.
The process of prayer becomes much easier when, rather than having to believe that God will always say “yes” to every request, one understands intuitively, that the request itself is not necessary. Then the prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving.
It is not a request at all but a statement of gratitude for what is so.
唯一能凌駕這種想法的，是那種堅信神必然會實現你所求的信念，從不落空。 有些人擁有這樣的信念，但非常少。
當人們不再相信自己的每個請求都必須得到神的『同意』， 而是憑直覺地知道請求本身是不必要的，祈禱的過程就會變得更加輕鬆。 此時，祈禱便不再是請求，而是感恩的祈禱。
它不再是要求什麼，而是對已經擁有的事物表達感謝。
<aside> 💡
總結：
Sponsoring Thought／發起思維： 這詞彙是參考有研究此書前輩公開文章來的。 發出的意念等同於你在告知宇宙，你是什麼樣的人，那個能量便會協助你能為＂你想成為的人＂。
感謝＆感恩： 這可能稍微難轉換，就像 Neale 提到的＂明知道不是＂，還要＂假裝＂？ 而且假裝還會被拆穿！
因此我認為這更像催眠自己，就好比有人相信自己就是帥哥、美女…(豪不在意他人的看法)， 因為這個例子實際上是有的，較好理解，那麼這樣的自信也是可以學習後並漸漸習慣它。
不過當你運用在一些事物上，記得以 此篇(神的溝通媒介) 所提到神訊息的感受去發心。
一切心念都必然實現，重點在於你怎麼＂描述自己＂。 </aside>