CAN WE "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING"?

DAVID HAYDN JENKINS

In his first epistle to the Thessalonians (5:17) Paul urged them to "pray without ceasing." He must have considered praying a most practical and natural procedure because, according to his exhortation, it was to be done without ceasing.

Christian Science teaches us how to pray aright, and how it is possible remain in a constant state of prayer. God, infinite Mind, is forever one with all His spiritual creation, and we truly pray when we understand, listen to, and heed the voice of God, Truth.

God is the Principle of all true creation. He is Love, the only cause. He is Spirit. His nature and substance are good only. His power is omniactive, and His law to the whole of His creation, including individual man, is one of perfection, health, life, and all that is good. To know this is to pray; and to pray thus is to establish and maintain in human consciousness the facts of harmonious Life, and increasingly to know the utter unreality of evil either as cause or as effect. As we pray in this way, we strip human thought of belief in the supposed power of evil and acknowledge the power and presence of good; and, since we experience only what is held in thought, we find the joy and peace of being at one with infinite divine Love. Praying thus—listening to the voice of Truth—we understand and enjoy the fulfillment of Jesus' promise (John 8:31, 32), "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"—free from all discord, sin, disease, and death. This is confirmed by Mary Baker Eddy on page 17 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" in her spiritual interpretation of the Lord's Prayer, which reads in part, "And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death."

The writer knows the benefits derived from a sincere endeavor to "pray without ceasing." During the early stages of the recent World War, while serving with the mercantile marine, he had spent the major portion of his off-duty time earnestly studying the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's works. He made a great effort during these periods to bring thought into line with their teaching, and really began to feel the comfort of God's presence, becoming aware to an appreciable degree that his true spiritual selfhood existed in and was maintained by God.

One day the convoy of which his ship was a unit was attacked by an enemy pocket-battleship, and after a brief encounter the convoy's sole escort, an auxiliary cruiser, was put out of action. The enemy then proceeded to attack the units of the convoy. Throughout this time, though an eyewitness of the entire action, the writer felt safe and unafraid. To him it seemed quite natural that his ship should steam away unmolested, which was exactly what happened, though the maximum speed of his ship was twelve knots and that of the enemy thirty knots or more.

Such are the effects of the endeavor to "pray without ceasing"! All power is given to God, good, alone, thought is divested of fear, and evil is proved to be powerless, unreal. The writer is not a swimmer; even so, he was freed from all anxiety. He attributes this result to the communion which he had during the voyage with the liberating truths about God and man contained in the Bible and our Leader's writings.

When fear is removed from thought through a realization of the ever-presence and all-power of Love, one is at peace. God has no fear, because He is infinite Love and is conscious only of His own manifestation, which is all that truly exists; and God certainly is not afraid of His own nature. Man, made in the image and likeness of God, Love, is also unafraid and conscious only of harmony. Constantly to know this is to "pray without ceasing," and to experience "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Phil. 4:7). This should not be considered an arduous task.

To keep thought in line with all that is real, health-giving, and harmonious is indeed a joy. The Apostle Paul, who had tasted the fruits of ceaseless prayer, immediately precedes his exhortation to "pray without ceasing" with the words, "Rejoice evermore."

So let us joyfully follow our faithful Leader and confidently say with her (Poems, p. 14):

"I will listen for They voice,
Lest my footsteps stray;
I will follow and rejoice
All the rugged way."

We need not be afraid if the way is rugged in places. God gives us the ability to walk triumphantly the whole way, until we reach the end of the journey, which really means the end of all mortal fear and its discordant train, and find ourselves at one with our source, the Giver of all bliss.

Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. ... All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.—Psalms 25:8, 10.

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