MANY WILL AGREE that the life of Christ Jesus stands as an incomparable illustration of what prayer can accomplish. Jesus' prayers were effective because he acknowledged God so completely, and saw his own perfection as God's beloved son. His statement "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30) was an absolute declaration of his unbreakable oneness with God. He saw no separation between himself and the Creator of the universe.

And Jesus saw others in the same way, to the extent that even when multitudes came to him, he healed every sickness instantaneously. Knowing the great potency of righteous prayer, it's not surprising that Jesus taught others how to pray more effectively. In the Lord's Prayer, for example, he gave the highest example of true prayer, one that recognizes God's all-power and love.

Mary Baker Eddy devoted the first chapter of Science and Health to the subject of prayer. In this chapter, she said this of the Lord's Prayer: "Our Master said, 'After this manner therefore pray ye,' and then he gave that prayer which covers all human needs" (p. 16). She continued, "Only as we rise above all material sensuousness and sin, can we reach the heaven-born aspiration and spiritual consciousness, which is indicated in the Lord's Prayer and which instantaneously heals the sick."

I've found that "rising above all material sensuousness and sin" requires acknowledging God's great power to bless His children, whom He makes in His likeness, whole and pure. Glimpsing that, we begin to see what God knows of each of us: man and woman spiritually formed and maintained, always safe in His presence, forever expressing His love.

I've experienced many healings of all sorts—physical, financial, interpersonal—by relying especially on the Lord's Prayer. Most recently, I awoke one morning not feeling at all well. Instantly, I began to pray earnestly to overcome the feeling of weakness and fear. I realized that my prayer had to be more than just a ritual. The Lord's Prayer is so much more than that, because it demands that our thoughts be God-centered rather than problem- or self-centered. I've learned to listen for what God is revealing and declaring, much in the way that the book of Isaiah in the Bible brings out, such as in this verse—which seems to me to coincide with the way Jesus opened the Lord's Prayer—"I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God" (43:12).

The fact of God's allness brings the realization that there is no place for evil of any sort. Therefore I persisted in affirming the nature of God, infinite Mind, to be absolutely good and loving, defending me from any disease or sickness. I declared that His law was the only law at work. I saw that it was my divine right, as God's reflection, to recognize that He is almighty and unopposable.

After I prayed for about half an hour, the illness completely disappeared, leaving no period of recuperation, just as if a light had suddenly been turned on and the darkness was gone. I felt well again, and went about my day's activities in complete freedom.

The Lord's Prayer does indeed "cover all human needs." It has brought healing and deliverance to countless worshipers, because it opens thought to God's benevolence and care. It sparks the recognition that divine Love is always with us, bringing comfort and healing, peace and salvation.

And, whether praying the Lord's Prayer individually or collectively, we are including all in its blessing. No one is excluded from its promises. No one is more important than another in having access to the great benefits it bestows. This is especially valuable—whether the effort involves solving questions of individual relationship, or worldwide matters of disease in Africa, or Mideast peace. Just the fact that the Lord's Prayer starts out "Our Father ..." attests that everyone is blessed by God, regardless of his or her beliefs, ethnic origin, family history, or geographical location. It breaks down the barriers that seem to exist between people.

Science and Health presents this pointed statement: "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,—a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love" (p. 1). To wholeheartedly pray the Lord's Prayer is to call forth this faith—and the blessings it brings. CSS