Article July 3, 1976 Issue

The Goal of Prayer

DAVID REED

Most people who are familiar with the Bible know that Jesus and his disciples healed people of bodily ills, malformations, sins, mental disturbances, and lack. To many, the thought of healing human difficulties today as Jesus did may seem like mere wishful thinking. However, late in the last century a spiritually perceptive woman, Mary Baker Eddy, now known to many around the world through her published writings, discovered the scientific basis of these first-century Christian miracles.

Mrs. Eddy recorded her discovery of God's unchangeable law in Science and Health. Through an intelligent and inspired study of this textbook, together with the Bible, it is possible to learn the Principle and rule of healing and to begin to approach the example of the early Christians. In this book Mrs. Eddy writes, "The miracle introduces no disorder, but unfolds the primal order, establishing the Science of God's unchangeable law."^{Science and Health, p. 135;} It was through the discovery of this Science and its establishment through healing works that Mrs. Eddy was able to found a church dedicated to destroying sin and healing the ills of the world through prayer.

In his healing practice the Christian Scientist learns to replace with an understanding of God's law any disturbed sense or anxiety he might have about human difficulties. This doesn't mean he ignores the human problem. Rather, he sees it in the light of his prayer of denial and affirmation—denial of error and affirmation of God's completeness, His universal, all-powerful knowing of His creation as perfect.

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