Testimony of Healing January 11, 1999 Issue

Prayer strengthens a marriage and sustains a family

Adella Hughes

As a young woman, I decided to marry because at that particular time I just wanted a child. It was not surprising, then, that once I was married I was not happy. I did pray about this. However, at the time I did not find much peace. When a beautiful son arrived, he had health problems that were considered life-threatening. Feeling dissatisfied with the marriage and discouraged over my son's ill health, I finally turned unreservedly to God for help. I realized that my earlier, selfish motives for marriage needed changing and elevating, so through prayer I strove to become more unselfish in my approach to the marriage. Instead of mentally criticizing my partner, I started watching my own thought and praying with the truths I was learning in Christian Science. I also strove to express more of God's qualities each day and to demonstrate more fully my relationship to God.

I often turned to this statement from the Bible: "For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called" (Isa. 54:5). Today my marriage is happy and sound, with God at the centre.

Through the teachings of Christian Science, which my husband and I both loved, my son's health was restored. Later, when he was about twelve years old, he had taken a job as a paperboy. One night he was roughed up by some boys who were well known as troublemakers in his school. They threatened to attack him again if they had the opportunity. That night, after attending to our son, I immediately went to my Bible and Science and Health. I felt that more than anything else we needed a sense of God's protection. The ninety-first Psalm came to mind: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust" (verses 1, 2).

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