From quantum physicists to preschool teachers, people today are aware of the fact that what we think affects, and even determines, what happens to us. This close connection between a person’s thought and his or her resulting experience isn’t some novel discovery, of course—people have been talking about it for years. Most of the time, though, the topic is considered from the standpoint of the individual. One person’s thoughts equal one person’s experience. It can be helpful, too, to consider the ways a whole culture’s general trends of thinking affect the world.

Jesus encouraged people to develop a perceptiveness to these general, changing trends of world thought. “What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch,” he counseled (Mark 13:37)—a biblical beacon that’s printed on the cover of every Sentinel. Watching the mental horizon judiciously for new courses of thought gives us grounds to distinguish good ones from bad ones and to pray about them intelligently.

We can actually address a worldwide trend of thought as straightforwardly as we address our own individual state of thinking.

Our watch may reveal trends that indicate more opportunities to express stronger ethics, purer morals, or palpable kindnesses. A good example is the way so many people all around the planet held benefits and donated money and aid after the earthquake in Haiti. Another encouraging trend is a growing attraction to spirituality. The evidence of this is seen in people’s hunger to discover the goodness, health, abilities, and selflessness that are indications of the kingdom of God within. Would it be too much to say that this positive trend appearing over the world’s mental horizon is a result of the Christ communicating the good news of God’s power and allness? This Christ, or activity of God, comes to world thought to heal sickness, sin, and other challenges.

A few years ago, a leading trend appearing over our planet’s mental horizon was that of a bird flu pandemic. Gradually it faded from thought and then quietly ceased to be a global concern, due in part to the conscientious prayers of many people. Today, the pandemic has a different face—that of economic deterioration. Statistics and emotions feed the fears about it, just as they did during the flu pandemic. In the manner in which people prayed about the flu, is it possible to pray about the economy, too? Yes, we can actually address a worldwide trend of thought as straightforwardly as we address our own individual state of thinking.

Christian Science teaches that this certainly can be done, and done with great effectiveness. It’s important, though, to note that what brings about a shift for the better in world thought doesn’t come as a result of human will. A crowd of people—even a crowd of a million people—merely hoping that “all is well” with the economy has no real remedial effect. Yet, when just a single person yields to the intelligence of God revealing the ever-presence of divine, infinite goodness, then something altogether different happens. Now the power of God is at work in consciousness. You’ve probably heard that saying, “One with God is a majority.” Actually, because God is truly the only Mind, power, and will, one with God is a monopoly!

This Christly, divine influence, when acknowledged as operating in an individual’s thoughts and feelings, embraces the entire planet. The power of God goes above and beyond human opinions and fears. It blankets the world with the lucid, unchanging truth of how God loves us, how He guides and takes care of us, how He keeps us spiritual and perfect.

As we pray for our world, it’s worth it to yield to the truth that there is only God, one power and force, on horizons everywhere—and only the action of God governs us all. God doesn’t provide existence to cycles of evil and lack. Even the thought of approaching economic deterioration is squelched in the knowledge of God’s allness.

Now is the time to watch and keep our thoughts clear that God’s allness and authority are intact. As the Bible says, “Unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (Isaiah 45:23). God’s allness and infinite goodness are our real economy.