Profound prayers

One afternoon in 1994, I wanted to eat some sugar cane with my younger brother, Charly. At the time, we lived in Muanda, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In order to cut the sugar cane, I chose a very sharp knife that we use in the Congo to slice fumbua, a tough leaf that is the main ingredient in a delicious dish we like to prepare. When I cut the sugar cane in half, I accidentally cut my thumb to the quick. The pain was intense.

Since we were outside on the veranda of our home, Charly ran inside to get me a piece of cloth to bandage the thumb. I immediately turned my thought to our Father-Mother God, and I silently affirmed that “accidents are unknown to God …” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 424 ). I had learned this in the Christian Science Sunday School, which I had attended since I was three years old. To me, this statement means that God governs everyone with the law of divine Love, and in God’s kingdom, where we live, there is no law of chance or accident from which we can suffer.

I then went inside to pray quietly by myself. I prayed the Lord’s Prayer (see Matthew 6:9–13 ), which has been the basis for all the healings I’ve ever had. It is a profound prayer that brings out our relationship with God.

When I started saying the words, “Our Father,” I was certain that God truly is my Father, my Mother, my Guardian, and my All. When I continued, “Hallowed be thy name,” I felt God’s all-encompassing power, and His unfailing ability to heal me. When I said, “Thy kingdom come,” I realized that nothing bad could ever happen to me because divine Love governs me and everything around me. At that very moment, the bleeding stopped. When I said, “Thy will be done,” I was placing myself in God’s hands and confirming that His will of good must always be manifested in my life. At the end of the Lord’s Prayer, I said, “Amen,” which means to me, “That is the truth, now and forever.” By that time, the pain had disappeared.

All this took just a few minutes.

When Charly came back, he noticed that the bleeding had indeed stopped. We went to the kitchen, and as we prepared our family’s evening meal, I silently affirmed that I was created in the image and likeness of God (see Genesis 1:26, 27 ). In other words, I have always been perfect and spiritual. I ate with my family and forgot all about the cut on my thumb.

After the meal, I had to study (I was in high school at the time), but the pain came back. I then prayed with the definition of angels in Science and Health: “God’s thoughts passing to man; ... counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality” (p. 581 ). I realized that because God’s thoughts neutralize evil and pain, I could not feel any pain. From that moment on the pain disappeared for good, and I could do my school work without any more problems. The next day, only a faint trace of the cut remained. My thumb has functioned perfectly ever since.

This healing taught me that I can rely totally on God’s uninterrupted presence and love. Thanks to Christian Science, I’ve had other healings, been able to find work, and enjoy more harmonious relationships. I am grateful for the truths I’ve learned in Christian Science and for how they have helped me and my children in so many ways since our recent relocation to Canada. These truths support us wherever we are!

Florence Bazoladio
Montréal, Québec, Canada