Clear guidance for healing
It was summer, and I was having a blast on a service trip to Peru—meeting locals, participating in service projects, and working with children at an orphanage. One day, though, I became ill and couldn’t join in the activities with our group.
I was very uncomfortable and found myself trying to figure out what might have caused this illness. As I was wracking my brain, trying to think of everything I had done or eaten over the last few days, it hit me that I was taking the wrong approach. I knew from other healings I’d had that the way to be healed was to pray and listen to God, instead of looking for a cause for a problem. So, I put those problem-focused thoughts aside and worked to approach the issue spiritually.
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The way to be healed was to pray and listen to God, instead of looking for a cause for a problem.
One of the first things I did was to deal with the fear of not being able to fly home with the rest of my group. I thought about how I could put all of my trust in God, because God is good, and His law of good is always supporting me. Also, the Christian Science practitioner who had traveled to Peru with us shared some great ideas. One of them was to be grateful for the healing even before it happened, just as Christ Jesus thanked God before he raised Lazarus from the dead (see John, chapter 11). Giving gratitude in advance of the healing is a way of acknowledging God’s all-power. And it also reminds me of my starting point for prayer: that I am already perfect, healthy, and protected. As I understand this more clearly, the healing happens naturally.
I remembered that, when I was little, my mother used to read to me from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, especially the ten pages starting around page 389. These pages speak practically and clearly on the subject of healing, and give concrete ideas on how to prayerfully and authoritatively address any type of problem. I decided to read them myself. As I did, I was so happy to find such clear guidance about exactly how I could address my current situation. Ideas such as “rise in rebellion” in the face of illness, and accept God’s absolute supremacy, were so helpful to me.
Because I am spiritual, I could never be adversely affected by food, environment, or any suggestion of a power apart from God.
As I steadfastly prayed with the idea that because I am spiritual, I could never be adversely affected by food, environment, or any suggestion of a power apart from God, my health improved dramatically. I was completely healed just in time for the final day of our trip. I was able to participate in all of the activities and to give the local children I’d worked with a proper farewell.
This healing marked a huge steppingstone in my spiritual growth. I now have more trust in God, and more of a conviction that I can hear God and pray effectively.