Going Apart to Pray

Ella W. Hoag

The subject of prayer is of deepest interest to every one. Christians are certainly convinced that prayer is a practice which must be fundamental in their lives if they are to enjoy the blessings which result from that conscious unity with God, the Giver of all good, which they all long and labor to attain. Many are the volumes which have been written in the endeavor to elucidate the subject, but Christians are still wondering why they do so much praying and receive so few answers. May not one reason be that they have not understood Jesus' command, "Enter into thy closet"?

To the Christian Scientist this entering into the closet has received definite explanation in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 15), where our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, writes: "Lips must be mute and materialism silent, that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine Principle, Love, which destroys all error;" and then she emphasizes this by adding: "In order to pray aright, we must enter into the closet and shut the door. We must close the lips and silence the material senses."

Here the way is marked out whereby we may gain an audience with the Father! "Lips must be mute and materialism silent." Then how possible must it always be to commune with the Father! Whatever we may be doing, wherever we may seem to be, humanly speaking, always we may turn our thought from the testimony of the material senses and with heart uplifted to the realm of Spirit we may reach our Father in earnest prayer, listening for His voice to guide and direct our thinking and our actions. Here is the way,—definitely to turn away from material aims, purposes, desires, even from so-called material needs, and lift the heart in longing for Spirit and spirituality. Here is the way to obey Paul's command that we "pray without ceasing;" for however we may seem to be occupied materially, our thought may turn instantly to God with some earnest, reverential declaration of the truth of being.

Now Christian Scientists as a people are endeavoring constantly to maintain in themselves this attitude of constant prayer, this attitude of reaching up to divine Mind for its unfolding of spiritual good,—that spiritual good which alone can satisfy the cravings of mankind. They are doing this in the way Christian Science points out through much affirming of God's infinitude and of man's unity therewith, through declaring for the truth in regard to everything, and through consequent denials of all the supposititious opposites. But is this all that is necessary?

After a day of such affirmative prayer, is not one sometimes confronted with a sense that he has been doing something of himself? Does he not have to stop and ask himself, Where is God? May not this be because he has neglected to conform to the present human need of going apart to pray? Now the Bible tells of many an instance where prophet and apostle felt the need of communing quietly and alone with God. It was Jesus' custom frequently to spend a quiet hour—sometimes even an entire night—alone with the Father in prayer to Him.

It is stated that Daniel sought such occasions definitely three times a day; while in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 133) our beloved Leader writes of her own practice, "Three times a day, I retire to seek the divine blessing on the sick and sorrowing, with my face toward the Jerusalem of Love and Truth, in silent prayer to the Father which 'seeth in secret,' and with childlike confidence that He will reward 'openly.'" While her words which immediately follow, "In the midst of depressing care and labor I turn constantly to divine Love for guidance, and find rest," prove that stated times for definite praying did not in any way interfere with the continual prayer "without ceasing" which Paul advocated so strongly.

Surely the Christian Scientist is wise who every day thus goes apart to commune with God. In the quiet times which he thus definitely seeks as opportunities for talking with the Father about his earnest longings he will be able to trust God with his desires "that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds" (Science and Health, p. 1). Such prayer as this will enrich all the praying which he desires continually to do.

By going apart in this way to pray we shall have assured and reassured ourselves that God is always at hand and that we can do nothing without a demonstrated unity with Him. We shall thereby follow in the pathway of prophet and apostle, of our Master and our Leader, and shall undoubtedly receive as did they the blessed answers which follow a right understanding of prayer. Such prayer as this will continually increase our understanding that of ourselves we can do nothing!

Ella W. Hoag

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