Article April 13, 1987 Issue

Praying more effectively

When prayer affirms God's truth, it leads to healing.

Richard N. Kosman

The motives behind prayer and the content of it are obviously of great importance. We may pray to express love where love is desperately needed; to be freed from sin (old or newly acquired); to be healed of an illness (or to heal someone else); to accomplish a difficult, worthy task; to seek divine guidance. Or we may pray for comfort in sadness, for freedom from fear, for shelter, for spiritual nourishment, for understanding. We may even pray sometimes to be sure God knows of our needs—to be sure He will not forget us.

Our innermost thoughts may not always be expressible in words, but prayer can be sincere, steadfast, and selfless without being phrased in audible words. And prayer that is sincere, steadfast, and selfless is effective prayer, a solid rock upon which to build.

The first chapter in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, is entitled "Prayer." In it we find her illuminating interpretation of the Lord's Prayer, which identifies God as "our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious."^{See Science and Health, pp. 16-17.} Deep study of the Lord's Prayer is comforting, brings our thoughts close to God, and leads us into righteousness. We begin to pray more effectively. As James's epistle states, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."^{James 5:16.}