Article July 1, 1985 Issue

Praying with confidence

VIRGINIA L. AUSTIN

One of the things that I love and treasure about Christian Science is the way it has taught me to pray confidently and effectively. I used to think that the way to pray was always by petition —pleading with God to do something for me or someone, or to undo something for me or someone; pleading to see that I received something I wanted badly. Sometimes I would even bargain with God—"If You will only do this, dear Father, I will stop doing that, and so forth." And I never really knew whether He had heard me or whether He would even want to help me, but I was hoping against hope that He had and would. Through my study of Christian Science I have learned to pray not only by petition but also by affirmation.

God is Spirit, our Father-Mother; therefore by understanding ourselves as His spiritual offspring we can affirm our true heritage of perfection and thus our freedom from accident or illness. I had an experience that proved this to be so.

One time, when I was pouring muriatic acid into our swimming pool, the acid splashed on the decking and up onto my clothing and into my face and one eye. I quickly put the jug down and sat there quietly affirming what was spiritually true. I knew that regardless of what the physical senses were clamoring, my true selfhood as God's spiritual idea could not be contaminated or distorted by unintelligent matter. I claimed vehemently that I was God's perfect child and therefore inviolable. In a matter of moments the burning left my face, and I was able to open my eyes. There were no burn marks on my face, and I could see clearly. I was interested to note that there were several acid holes burned clear through the bottom of the legs of my pants! By this unequivocal, confident, affirmative prayer the power of God had been demonstrated, and my healing was immediate and complete.

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