Article September 15, 1917 Issue

Praise and Thanksgiving

JOAN MACDONALD

Prayer constitutes a large part of our spiritual life, and a very important part of prayer is praise and thanksgiving, for these as understood in Christian Science include the answer to prayer, acknowledging the spiritual fact as a present reality. Those three great spiritual characters, David, Jesus, and Paul, made constant and practical use of praise. How often did the psalmist rise from the depths of darkness and despair to joyful realization of God's ever-presence and all-power through the medium of praise ; indeed the Psalms, which embody the highest expression of Israel's prayer and praise, are but a symbol of that nation's demonstration of the practical availability of God, divine Truth.

Christian Jesus, our supreme example, gave thanks before the manifestation of God's power and presence were made apparent to human sense, and his whole earthly life was a progressive demonstration of joy and rejoicing in the truth. Paul, who humanly speaking led a life of hardship, seems to have taken as his motto, "Prayer with thanksgiving," as the giving of thanks runs through all his letters. Not only does he unceasingly thank God for His "unspeakable gift," but he remembers what we all too often forget, namely, to be grateful for every least mark of kindness shown him by his fellow men.

We read in Isaiah, "They shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away." Gladness and joy do not come by chance, but through obedience to Principle. Neither need we wait until the senses consent to our giving of thanks, but proceed if necessary in direct opposition to their testimony. Daily and hourly we consciously and unconsciously use the law of mathematics, not waiting until we feel compelled to do so ; and we can as constantly utilize this spiritual idea of thanksgiving, that like a thread of gold it may be woven through the varied activities of our daily living.

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