Editorial June 27, 1942 Issue

Prayer for Sufficient Ability

Alfred Pittman

The scientific and truly effectual prayer is always essentially, "Thy will be done," in accordance with the words of Christ Jesus, but it is not for that reason vague. "Thy will be done," as understood in Christian Science, is a prayer that the divine nature—actual reality—may become evident to human sense. It represents, of course, a turning aside from the mistaken and inadequate purposes of the human mind and will. But what is adopted instead may well be more definite, even as it is far more rewarding, than any such purpose could be. For the nature of reality is fully revealed in Christian Science.

Thus in wholeheartedly seeking the fulfillment of the divine will in human experience, one may be praying in the most specific manner for health, for example; because health is certainly a characteristic of God, divine Mind. The appearing of His nature must necessarily be the appearing of health. Similarly, it is in accord with the divine nature to have love, and if one seems not to be experiencing it, either toward others or from them, he can obviously do no better than pray, "Thy will be done." For God, who is infinite Love, necessarily supplies the fullness of love to all.

So with intelligence, vigor, comfort, spontaneity, inspiration, opportunity, adequate relationships, adequate resources, joy, peace. All these are included in God, real Being. Prayer in the spirit of "Thy will be done" may therefore be specifically for any or all of them; and the earnest student of Christian Science soon sees that such prayer can annul their illusory opposites, thus bringing reality to light. As Mary Baker Eddy declares (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 208), "All states and stages of human error are met and mastered by divine Truth's negativing error in the way of God's appointing."

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