When their prayers have seemed unavailing, many have echoed Job's cry (Job 23:3), "Oh that I knew where I might find him!" No longer need one seek in vain for God. For through the discovery of Christian Science by Mary Baker Eddy the ever–presence and power of God have been revealed to mankind. This revelation is set forth in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," which was first published in 1875. The first chapter of this marvelous book, entitled "Prayer," shows clearly that all who will may appeal to God for help in time of need and be assured of His blessing. Indeed they will find, as the poet says, that "closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet."

The first sentence in this chapter reads (p.1), "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,—a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love." Herein we find the qualification requisite for healing—absolute faith, which includes "a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love." It is plain that the reformation of the sinner and the healing of the sick go hand in hand.

Absolute faith is not a blind or an ignorant faith, but a faith so clear and positive of God's perfection and allness that no element of doubt can enter therein. Neither is it a borrowed faith. How often we find that someone is depending for healing upon the faith of a loved one a husband or wife, a brother or sister, a father or mother—rather than upon his own absolute faith in God's power and willingness to heal. Christ Jesus said to the two blind men who sought his healing ministry (Matt. 9:29), "According to your faith be it unto you," and to another (Mark 10:52), "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole." What a glorious faith has that one who has complete confidence that his prayer will receive an immediate answer.

Even though the faith of the sincere seeker may sometimes falter, he will find, if he persists in earnestly seeking God's guidance, that he is being gently led through the valley of contrition to the throne of grace, where burdens fall, sickness is healed, and sins are forgiven.

"How can I gain the absolute faith so necessary in the healing ministry of Christian Science?" one who is desirous of sharing the truth with others may ask. By praying, even as did the disciples of Jesus (Luke 17:5), "Lord, Increase our faith." As one continues faithfully in his study of Christian Science, as he sees one healing after another, the result of consecration, he will eventually come to have the utmost faith in the efficacy of righteous prayer.

Spiritual understanding, which is essential to absolute faith, is not mere intellectual knowledge of Christian Science, but is spiritual perception of God's nature. His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Without the enlightened understanding of God, our prayers are but vain repetitions, against which Jesus warned his followers.

Our understanding immeasurably increases as we follow our Leader's instructions in the textbook, where she writes (p. 495): "Study thoroughly the letter and imbibe the spirit. Adhere to the divine Principle of Christian Science and follow the behests of God, abiding steadfastly in wisdom, Truth, and Love." To imbibe is to drink in. When we drink in the healing truths of Christian Science as eagerly as a thirsty plant drinks water, our understanding of God and His universe increases. Spiritual understanding is gained through the humble acceptance of spiritual facts, which unfold in consciousness through prayer, reason, and revelation.

A vitally important fact which needs to be thoroughly understood is that the real man, the only man there is, is spiritual, not material. Man, the image and likeness of God, Spirit, expresses only Godlike qualities such as honesty, kindness, gentleness, love, patience, helpfulness, and compassion. The spiritual understanding of this fact heals inharmony of whatever nature.

Unselfed love is also essential for absolute faith. No one can possibly succeed in the healing ministry without a genuine love for all. This love stems from the understanding of the perfection of God and man and enables the practitioner to demonstrate the powerlessness of matter. Through the realization that God forever maintains and sustains man, the image of Love, the human need is met in whatever form is necessary. No selfish or mercenary motive of any kind should enter the thought of one who is engaged in the glorious work of healing the sick and ministering to those burdened with discouragement and fear.

Some years ago a healing which illustrated the effectiveness of true prayer came under my observation. One who was suffering from a severe form of stomach trouble which had not yielded to medical treatment went to a Christian Science practitioner and, with the simple faith of a little child, asked for treatment. The practitioner explained man's spiritual nature and his relationship to God, his creator, and pointed out that it is not God's plan and purpose that His child should be afflicted with discord of any kind.

With faith in God's power, born of years of consecrated study of Christian Science, the practitioner gave his friend a treatment, and he was instantaneously healed. Returning to his home, his friend discarded all the material remedies and appliances he had been using daily and rejoiced in his new–found freedom from pain and suffering. As a result of this healing he and his entire family began the study of Christian Science, united with a branch church and The Mother Church, and became active workers in the Field. Later he had the privilege of serving as First Reader in a branch church.

It was her great love for God and man that prompted Mrs. Eddy to give to the world the healing truth she had discovered. She might easily have been tempted to accept her own healing as a special dispensation for herself, but instead she searched for the divine Principle of healing and gave mankind her revelation in Science and Health. She also spent many years in establishing the Christian Science movement on a firm foundation and in protecting it from the onslaughts of hatred, which, would have destroyed it, had it not been founded on the Rock, Christ.

Mrs. Eddy, in describing her own healing work, once said to a student (We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, p. 74): "I saw the love of God encircling the universe and man, filling all space, and that divine Love so permeated my own consciousness that I loved with Christlike compassion everything I saw. This realization of divine Love called into expression 'the beauty of holiness, the perfection of being' (Science and Health, p. 253), which healed, and regenerated, and saved all who turned to me for help."

Let us then, as did our revered Leader, go to the Father in humble prayer for more faith, more understanding, and more unselfed love. As we do this, we shall be able to help the sick find release from suffering and gently to lead the wayward and willful sinner to the realization of the fatherhood of God and man's inseparable relationship to Him. Thus through healing prayer we shall be helping to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth.