Article November 28, 1988 Issue

Alertness through prayer—a prelude to safety

Worried about driving? Prayer can keep us spiritually alert and prepare us to cope with unexpected situations.

Helen P. Chapin

A Course in defensive driving emphasizes the importance of alertness, which is necessary in making sudden decisions concerning where one is going and in being aware of what other drivers are doing. I have found that I'm more alert when I've taken time to pray, to feel God's presence, before setting out on any trip.

How can we learn to pray more effectively? In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, has provided an opening chapter entitled "Prayer." This chapter brings out the importance of praying and is a guide for daily communion with God. Studying Science and Health together with the Bible brings spiritual refreshment that lifts thought from depression, boredom, anxiety, and fear. These are negative thoughts that deprive us of alertness, and it's supremely helpful to start each day with prayer to our heavenly Father for inspiration, guidance, and alertness.

Studying to gain fresh inspiration each day, brings freedom from the limitations that would prevent us from being alert to the needs of the day. The Christian Science Quarterly, for example, contains weekly Bible Lessons composed of passages from the Bible and from Science and Health. Daily study of these opens our thought to see more of our relationship to God and how to follow the teachings and example of Christ Jesus. The Bible Lessons become a springboard for diving into a more comprehensive study of Christian Science.

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