THE SECRET You Won't Like for Ultimate Success - ACIM - Song of Prayer

Spoiler, it's surrender.

Locating the Reading Material: The participants confirmed they were reading "The Song of Prayer," located behind the manual for teachers in *A Course in Miracles*. Soo Kim identified the current section as the top of page four, specifically chapter two, "The Ladder of Prayer," starting at paragraph four.

• Reading on Praying for One's Enemies: Soo Kim read a passage describing the contradiction of "praying for one's enemies". The passage explains that the contradiction lies not in the words but in the interpretation, suggesting that having enemies limits one's prayer and ability to receive. The text advises individuals to pray for themself so they "may not seek to imprison Christ and thereby lose the recognition of your own identity".
• Interpretation of Prayer, Needs, and Enemies: Jevon Perra interpreted the reading as prayer being an "energetic state" that determines the world one sees—either separation and guilt or love and unity. They noted that the "sinless have no needs" because they choose the Holy Spirit's world, where enemies disappear, emphasizing that being a "traitor to no one" means not being "treacherous to yourself".
• Discussion on Judgment and Sinlessness: Denise Darlene elaborated on the concept of oneness, explaining that judging another, or treating them as an enemy, means judging oneself. They stated that the "sinless have no needs" because they have "no guilt" and do not believe in separation from God or one another, eliminating problems in perception.
• Personal Example of Anger and Enemy Creation: Jevon Perra shared a personal anecdote about becoming violently angry at another man in a crowded sauna who wanted them to move. They recognized that they created an enemy through their "filters" and judgments, ready to engage in a "physical battle".
• Relationships as Lessons in Love and the Danger of Agendas: Denise Darlene referenced *A Course in Miracles*, suggesting that "under his teaching all relationships become a lesson in love" and that everyone should be viewed as a teacher. Denise Darlene further noted that having an ego-driven agenda leads to trouble and suffering, contrasting it with the guidance of asking, "What would you have me do? Where would you have me go? What would you have me say? And to whom?".
• The Enemy as a Symbol of Imprisoned Christ: Soo Kim read paragraph five, which defines an enemy as "the symbol of an imprisoned Christ". The prayer for enemies is therefore "a prayer for your own freedom," unifying Christ and recognizing their sinlessness. Jevon Perra affirmed this by noting that having an enemy experience or a friend experience is a projection coming through them, confirming, "There is no outside of me that happens that is independent of me".
• Forgiveness as Removing Judgment: The discussion turned to forgiveness, which Soo Kim defined as choosing to view a person "just doing the best they can and nothing they do can hurt us". Jevon Perra clarified that forgiveness in this context means "removing your judgment" without labeling actions as good or bad, allowing for an experience of being "whole, complete with the father".
• Reframing Offense and Unconscious Guilt: Denise Darlene offered a framework for handling offense, stating that when someone is perceived as disrespecting you, they are projecting their unconscious guilt onto you, and the action is "never about you". They suggested that one can turn this inward and ask where they disrespect themself, which reveals a belief in separation from God and guilt.
• Relating Guilt and Ego to the Enneagram: Jevon Perra connected the underlying issue of guilt to the Enneagram's concept of darkness, which temperaments are formed to avoid. They shared that their own negative day and desire to "beat up a kid" stemmed from the feeling of being unworthy of love and being a "poser" or "pretender".
• Continuing the Reading and the Meaning of Prayer: Soo Kim read the next paragraph, which confirms that prayer "is always for yourself," and that truly praying for enemies leads to one's own salvation. The reading describes true prayer as a "song of thanks to your creator, sung without words or thoughts or vain desires," rising from a state of identity in Christ where "there is no lack".
• Discussion of Michael Singer's 'Surrender Experiment': Jevon Perra introduced Michael Singer's *The Surrender Experiment* as an example of surrender, noting that the premise was to say yes to anything asked. Denise Darlene clarified that Singer committed to saying yes for 10 years to see how life would unfold under God's guidance, which he extended to 40 years.
• Singer's Success and Human Design: Denise Darlene recounted that Singer, who started living in a van, became the founder of WebMD, built several companies, and is now a billionaire, despite never desiring money. Denise Darlene also categorized Singer as a "responder, a sacral open sacral responder" in Human Design, waiting for and responding to invitations.
• Relinquishing Judgment as Releasing the Tether: Jevon Perra connected Singer's story to the idea that having an enemy or being a traitor stems from "an attachment to something else" and believing "I know a better way". They compared judgment to the ties holding down a Goodyear blimp, concluding that releasing one's own judgment is terrifying but necessary for natural lift and peace.
• Unlearning the Ego's Ways: Denise Darlene reinforced the teaching that "I do not know my own best interest," stating that believing one knows what they want or need leads to trouble. They emphasized that the ego's conditioning is contrary to the ways of the spirit, requiring them to "unlearn and unwind" those conditioned ways.
• The Role of Willingness: Denise Darlene stressed that the spiritual path is like learning a new language, which is challenging. They concluded that only a "tiny willingness" is required for the Holy Spirit to move on one's behalf, likening it to the boy who brought fish and bread to feed 5,000 people.
• Final Passage and the Illusion of the Ladder: Soo Kim finished the chapter, defining God as the goal of every prayer and noting that prayer is an illusion because "there is no need for a ladder to reach what one has never left". Jevon Perra noted the irony that all spiritual practices are a "ladder of some sort" trying to get people to where they already are.
• Self-Perception and the Ego's Voice: Brian Genovese shared that their upbringing was filled with "fire and brimstone" that created a "bad self-image". Denise Darlene reassured them that the voice that makes them feel like a "poser" or a "fraud" is the voice of the ego, which they can learn to recognize and turn away from.

Collective Thoughts and Peaceful Environments: Denise Darlene suggested that thoughts can be part of the "collective thoughts," which people energetically pick up. They shared that the remote location of their residence is peaceful because it lacks the "density of collective thoughts" found in more populated areas like Orange County.