Article April 22, 1996 Issue

No place to pray?

Ned Garnhart

Prayer is vitally important. It's how we commune with our Father-Mother God—our creator and preserver. In prayer we thank God for His blessings and care, and we praise Him for all the wonders of the universe. We're praying when we ask God for help and comfort and when we affirm His presence and limitless power. Listening is a big part of prayer—that is, our humble, patient listening for God's clear direction.

Christian churches include in their worship some form of the Lord's Prayer, given to us by Christ Jesus. Great comfort and healing can come from the inspiration and love expressed in this greatest of prayers. But often occasions to pray come when we're nowhere near a church, when we're busy with daily activities. How often I have thanked God silently or even out loud as I have walked to my car at the end of a workday. I have thanked Him for my work and for the opportunities to work with others—His sons and daughters—and for a beautiful day.

Quiet gratitude offered as we go through our day doesn't conflict with what Christ Jesus tells us: "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matt. 6:6). Indicating the spiritual implications of Jesus' command to enter the closet, Mary Baker Eddy writes: "In order to pray aright, we must enter into the closet and shut the door. We must close the lips and silence the material senses. In the quiet sanctuary of earnest longings, we must deny sin and plead God's allness" (Science and Health, p. 15).

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Watching and praying for the children of the world
April 22, 1996
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