Article October 23, 1926 Issue

Our "Daily Prayer"

HOWARD H. CARROLL

The Manual of The Mother Church, by Mrs. Eddy, gives Christian Scientists the following prayer for daily use (p. 41): "'Thy kingdom come;' let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!" This brief prayer is so rich in meaning that we constantly receive new hope and inspiration from it. Moreover, as its meaning unfolds to us we realize more and more the joy and necessity of meeting its demands in our daily lives. And we are greatly helped in this purpose as we seek to understand and follow the example set by Christ Jesus, the Way-shower.

As all know, the first words of this "Daily Prayer" are quoted from the Lord's Prayer, and, like many of Jesus' sayings, they reveal his knowledge that God really governs all. Even in boyhood Jesus recognized that he received his wisdom from God, for he insisted that he was about his Father's business. He always accredited his healing work to God, whom he acknowledged as the only real power, saying that of himself he could do nothing. Before raising Lazarus from the dead he thanked the Father for hearing his prayer, thus emphasizing that all glory belonged to God, not to him. Following this prayer is his instruction that we must not assume false responsibility for the conduct of our lives; that the Father knows our needs, and that they will be supplied if we seek "first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness."

So, too, Mrs. Eddy lays repeated emphasis in all her writings on the fact that the government is always with God, and that we should recognize Him as the only power. Christian Science proves to us in every way that yielding to the government of God, the divine Mind, saves us from discord and makes infinite power available to us. Mrs. Eddy's life was a noteworthy demonstration of these truths; for her great discovery transformed her from what seemed to be hopeless invalidism, with its consequent ineffectiveness, to health and wonderfully enduring activity. She accomplished in approximately forty years a work that has never been surpassed. She did a vast amount of healing; and she taught classes for many years, thereby establishing the Christian Science system of healing. She founded a great religious organization, even handling some of its important financial affairs. She developed a publishing business of unusual scope, The Christian Science Publishing Society, which issues among other periodicals an international daily newspaper, presenting to the world a new, clean standard in journalism. She labored long over the Church Manual, with its many By-laws and Rules for our guidance and protection; and withal, she preached and wrote extensively. Moreover, during this time she wrote and revised our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," until it became so comprehensive that no problem can arise which it will not specifically help us to solve. Truly, all this could not have been done without divine guidance and strength, particularly in the face of long, bitter persecution and many selfish demands on her time.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Our "Daily Prayer"

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access