Prayer and trust in God can bring harmony even to the most stressful situations. I proved this some years ago.

I live in Curitiba, in the south of Brazil, but I wanted to get my PhD in São Paulo. However, I felt insecure because the universities of that state have a very competitive selection process. To keep calm, I decided to contact a Christian Science practitioner so that she would pray with me.

The practitioner asked me to look at the following passage from Science and Health: "Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear" (p. 506). As I read that passage, I realized that I had not been thinking correctly about the dissertation I intended to develop during my doctoral program. Instead of seeing that step as a burden, I tried to acknowledge that the purpose of my dissertation was good and holy because it had the potential of helping many people connected to public education in Brazil. I held on to the thought that the good generated by this project could not be stopped or disapproved of.

I was accepted at both universities to which I applied, and I chose a public university because the tuition was free. To me, this was a sign of divine provision—it would enable me to concentrate entirely on my research.

I then came up against another obstacle, this one related to my advisor. What bothered me was the fact that she had a tendency to be suspicious of people, and I had witnessed this on some occasions. I realized this would be a difficult, tense relationship and felt that maybe I needed to change advisors because we weren't able to get ahead in our work together. (She also had a number of personal problems that did not allow her to dedicate her full time to work.)

Before I spoke to the advisor, I again contacted a Christian Science practitioner to help me solve this through prayer. The practitioner told me that I needed to trust that God would certainly lead me to the most appropriate solution. She also recommended that I read the 91st Psalm. These verses, in particular, strengthened me: "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (10, 11). I understood that we are protected when we trust wholly in God, who is our shield against any situation we may be facing.

Holding on to this thought of protection, I went to talk to my advisor. When I arrived for the meeting, I remembered that the practitioner had commented on the importance of seeing the professor as the perfect child of God, because as God's spiritual idea, suspicion and fear were no part of her being.

The conversation was calm and affable. The professor was relaxed and did not appear, at any time, averse to advising me. Many issues were cleared up that day, and we reached a good understanding. She gave me the freedom to consult with other professors who had more knowledge in certain areas covered in the dissertation.

During this period, I had the very beautiful opportunity of meeting good and renowned professionals who contributed a lot to the preparation of my dissertation. I see the help of these people, who appeared naturally in my path, as one more manifestation of God's provision for the fulfillment of a holy purpose.

I also faced stress-related health problems, mainly during the last year of this PhD program, such as shortness of breath, stomachaches, and headaches. These symptoms seemed to be connected to deadlines for turning in work and accomplishing a great amount of reading. I felt apprehensive because if I did not meet the deadlines, I would lose the opportunity to earn my PhD.

I remember that many times I turned to Science and Health, and to an article from the January 1916 issue of The Christian Science Journal by Adam H. Dickey, titled "God's Law of Adjustment," which helped me find the harmony and peace I needed to continue my studies. The text speaks of the importance of thinking correctly about the mental suggestions that come up and sometimes manifest themselves as discomfort, pain, or disease. Conversely, mental harmony is certainly reflected in good health.

Through spiritual study, I came to understand that prayer is not something we use to fix God's creation, because the divine creation already is perfect. The purpose of prayer is to elevate our consciousness above what is presented physically. Prayer, therefore, does not modify reality, but reveals it. I understood that to pray is to know and live the divine law of harmony, which is practical and constant.

As I prayed daily, I began to feel more relaxed and stronger in overcoming the difficulties that came up. The troubling physical symptoms went away. I finished all the courses, wrote and defended the dissertation well, and calmly answered all the questions, which were many. The presentation was so good that my advisor was visibly moved. She praised the caliber of the dissertation and said she felt very gratified by the results of the work.

After the presentation, I celebrated with my husband in an Italian restaurant located on the 40th floor of a building. The restaurant had a beautiful view of the city of São Paulo. Seeing the city lit up made me recognize the power of God's truth and justice for His children. The lights of the city seemed to me like a sign of joy and victory, which can never be taken from us when we give all our worries over to God and let prayer impel our actions. |CSS

This article was originally written for the Portuguese Herald, O Arauto da Ciência Cristã, and will appear in the October 2010 issue.