Article November 13, 2006 Issue

DAILY PRAYER AND GOOD HEALTH

BY BEVERLY GOLDSMITH

"WHEN DO YOU PRAY ," asked the radio host. "Do you pray first thing in the morning or last thing at night?" This was the question I was asked while being interviewed as a Christian Science lecturer on the Australian program Good Health Matters. The program was exploring the connection between spirituality and good health for the first time, and the host revealed on air that she had never thought of prayer as having a part to play in maintaining health. And she certainly hadn't thought of it as a moment-by-moment activity one could undertake throughout the day.

At one time, I'd been in the same position. I wasn't aware of the significant role that spiritual thinking played in achieving well-being. But this changed when I began to read the Bible along with Science and Health. As I studied these two books, I learned that health and healing are the outcome of a person's close—and constant—communion with God. And I saw that God, as infinite Spirit, is the source of wellness. Since He is the divine cause, His creation, which includes each one of us, reflects the divine energy of Spirit. Because of this, every person includes God-given vitality, strength, wholeness.

So what has to be done to live an active, healthy life? I've found the answer is to pray daily to secure and preserve one's good health—and to be persistent with those prayers. In doing so, I include these three fundamentals: Pray for and about yourself; be specific; and pray regularly, every day, throughout the day.