Article May 17, 1952 Issue

THE PRAYER OF SPIRITUAL CONVICTION

VERNON H. BLAIR

"If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also" (I Cor. 14:14, 15).

The prayer of spiritual understanding always results in demonstration. It is ever heard of our heavenly Father, and it never fails in its holy purpose to heal and bless. The heart which yearns for peace, consolation, and healing has only to turn understandingly and expectantly to divine Love in prayer, and it will not be given a stone. God—patient, tender, and infinitely loving—provides the answer to every problem, the answer which unfolds through the ever-available medium of prayer. However, Christian Science reveals that such practical communion with God is not the petition of a mortal for personal favor, unmerited pardon, or selfish material gain. It is the prayer of spiritual conviction of the truth.

Conviction involves a positive attitude of mind which includes no indecision, reservation, or doubt. Humanly speaking, any proposition which claims one's wholehearted acceptance and approval constitutes a conviction, regardless of whether the proposition is based on Spirit or matter, good or evil.

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