Article April 8, 1916 Issue

Efficacy of True Prayer

JULIA WARNER MICHAEL

When human consciousness first hears through the teachings of Christian Science that God, who is all good, is the only power, it eagerly reaches out to grasp the manifold blessings which accompany such a revelation. The realization that God's will can be done on earth now just as it is in heaven, first startles, then comforts humanity, and in proportion to that will's control of consciousness its divine reality is manifested. The duty of every man, therefore, is to make mental room for spiritual truth by ejecting material misconceptions. This process is the unceasing prayer of the righteous man, the straight and narrow way which leads to the visible kingdom of God on earth today.

There is a very prevalent misconception that righteous prayer is often unanswered, despite the Bible declaration that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." The oft-repeated remark, "I have prayed and prayed for such a result and it has not been given me," leads to the careless conclusion that something is wrong with God, whereas it should awaken the individual to the fact that something is wrong with the prayer. Indeed something has been vitally wrong with most prayers, both before and since the coming of the Christian era, for the sick, the sinning, and the poor have not been healed to any great extent by this means. Yet throughout Bible history there are records of the healing of human ills, even of death itself, by the righteous or right prayer. Jesus used perfect prayer with perfect results, and it follows that it is of paramount importance for the world to gain the Christ-understanding of prayer in order to receive the Christ-answer. A great help in this direction is to be found on page 206 of Science and Health, where we read: "The exercise of the sentiments—hope, faith, love—is the prayer of the righteous. This prayer, governed by Science instead of the senses, heals the sick."

What a light is here thrown on Jesus' prayer in contradistinction to the ordinary methods! Humanity's petitions have been directed by the senses; Jesus' prayers were always governed by divine Science. Mankind's orisons usually arise from distress, and attempt to impress Deity with the sad condition of things. Jesus' prayers always started with God and reflected the divine harmony upon man. Mortals have been stimulated to pray by poverty and pain, sin and sorrow, death and destruction, while universal plenty and peace, spirit and salvation, life and limitless good, have been relatively ignored. The Master knew and proved at all times that man could be constantly conscious of his unity with God, as God is conscious of man's unity with Him. His prayers, starting not from the standpoint of material evidence but from divine understanding, were winged with the power of God, radiant with celestial glory, charged with instant fruition of good.

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