Many of us who believe in the power of God to heal feel a calling to pray for the world each day. Yet in these challenging times, we may be tempted to feel that “prayer fatigue” has set in—that the world and its problems are too overwhelming and complex to pray about effectively. “How can I pray for all my neighbors around the world?” we might ask.

Not long ago, when confronted with these thoughts and feelings, I began by asking God how to pray for humanity in these volatile times. This asking was not so much a wordy petition as a deep and sincere desire for an answer. Daily prayer for the world was my duty as a Christian and as a Christian Scientist—a way to be a blessing to others. 

A couple of familiar ideas came to mind, both penned by Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science: “Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 571), and “Good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort. And not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 210).