Article May 27, 1922 Issue

Availing Prayer

S. ELLA SHELHAMER

During our early attempts to master the rudiments of Christian Science the question naturally arises, How does the Christian Scientist pray? We may have been drawn to this religion because our past earnest efforts at prayer have too often proved unavailing; or, where the desired results were instantly realized, we have been at a loss to account for the blessed experience until, happily for some of us, the elucidation was found in the teachings of Christian Science.

There is no mystery concerning answered prayer, save the mystery that it has taken the human race so long to find the way, now made so clear in our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. It is a well-known fact that many professed Christians have come to pray without the logical expectation of answer thereto. For such, prayer, although a daily duty, is performed without due consideration as to motive and desire. Whenever the human heart reaches out to God in the way of His appointing, however, prayer is instantly answered; for the reason that such prayer and the answer are one.

On page 2 of Science and Health we read, "What are the motives for prayer?" And Mrs. Eddy adds in the same paragraph, "The desire which goes forth hungering after righteousness is blessed of our Father, and it does not return unto us void." The Christian Scientist daily asks himself this question and turns the searchlight of his understanding of Truth upon his immost thoughts and desires, lest wrong motives slip in unawares. The golden thread of answered prayer, gleaming through the web of religious history and personal experience, has sufficed to keep the devoutly inclined hopefully prayerful, until the full effulgence of the light of spiritual day dawned on a darkened world through the teachings of Christian Science. Gladness and gratitude for this great revelation should attend the footsteps of him who would pray aright.

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