Eugene Carr in a column inThe Canton [Ohio] Repository

It should not seem strange for a layman to draw on his religious beliefs during the normal course of business or in the daily routine of his job experiences. If the principles of his faith are a definite part of his life, they are as much a part of him as his skill or knowledge of his work, and they are as important to him as the rules of procedure or standards of performance of the job in which he is engaged.

Donald L. Robertson, M.D. in The Christian Century Chicago, Illinois

Physicians are frequently asked to express their beliefs about prayer in relation to healing, but they are rarely asked what they think about prayer in relation to maintaining and growing in health. While I believe, and know from personal experience, that prayer plays a very definite role in the restoration of health, I am convinced that it plays an equally important role in maintaining health. . . .

Only when we fit ourselves into God's plans for us and his creation are we able to see ourselves as we really are and our fellow men as brothers sharing a common Father in a common universe. The problem then boils down as to how we are to allow God to become central in our lives. . . .

Prayer is man's way of learning to know God personally, of experiencing him. It goes beyond belief in and knowledge about God to acquaintance with him. . . .

Why does prayer work? For one thing, I believe, because it keeps realigning us with God in our consciousness, keeps shovig our self out of the center and putting God in. That is why it is so important to develop prayer habits which have constancy as well as content. It is of utmost value to health to think of God again and again through the day with thanksgiving, praise, or adoratin.

It is also of utmost importance to join regularly in corporate worship with our fellow men. Such prayer gives us the subjective experience with God which can be got in no other way. Adequate prayer is a way of living our lives with God. It is more than calling on God to do things for us (though petitionary prayer has its place); it is constant communing with God our Father.

Prayer at the end of each day seems to me the most valuable part of one's prayer life. It consciously realigns us with God. . . . We can . . . ask ourselves what were his purposes in the day's activities. Where we have denied him we can admit it, seek his forgiveness and petition him for strength to meet the morrow in relationship with him. It is at this time that we can intercede for those who we feel are in special need of God's concern and help. And then at last we can thank God for all our blessings and surrender ourselves completely to his care while we sleep through the night.

Such mental processes . . . must surely give to anyone a growing experience of God, a truly spiritual relationship which will become ever deeper and in turn will give emotional stability to the individual.

In other words, prayer promotes maturity and eliminates neuroses and neurotic behavior. That is why I as a physician assign such an important place to prayer in relationship to this problem of health.

Repeated God-centering of our lives gradually dispels harmful negative emotions, breaks down the fences which keep God out, and replaces them with faith, hope, love, acceptance, trust, and confidence. This leads to a feeling-state of belonging, of being needed and wanted, of having purpose in this world and in God's plan for it. It gives that ultimate security which comes only from surrending our lives completely to God, putting our destiny in his hands. . . .

Prayer is a vital factor both in healing those who are ill and in maintaining health for those who are well. We must grow in our understanding and use of prayer in healing, to be sure. But it is high time that we also directed our prayers more and more to the maintenance of health.

Rev. Thomas Pauley, Jr. in a sermonette inThe Marion Star, Ohio

A humble person does not think himself humble. True humility is not thinking oneself to be little, but rather thinking little of oneself. . . Surely Huxley was justified in saying that all religion was really summed up thusly:

"Our return to God for His benefits is to be expressed not in sentiment, not in idle lifting of worshiping hand, but in a life made holy, beautiful and strong by Divine Grace, and the best expression of this is surely in the phrase, 'walk humbly with thy God.' "

The precept to "walk humbly" comprises man's duty to God: humility and obedience. "To walk" is an expression implying "to live and act," denoting that we should live consciously under God, and refer all of our actions to Him. . . .

In order to walk humbly with God we must be in agreement with Him. Can two walk together unless they be agreed? For walking with God there must be communion based in love, and resulting in likeness of Him. That communion must be constant, and run throughout all life, like a golden thread through some web.