For months I suffered from insomnia. It started with my sleeping less than usual, a problem I thought would go away. But it gradually became more severe until I was getting almost no sleep at all. I became worried as the days and weeks went on. I needed to be able to sleep, especially during the day, because I was working the night shift five days a week. I also had children who depended on me.

I called a Christian Science practitioner for help praying about this, and she shared Christ Jesus’ statement, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). I knew that this meant free from everything that burdens us. 

As I prayed for myself with ideas the practitioner shared from the Bible and from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, I gained a greater understanding of my relationship to God as His creation. I gave much attention to the answer to the question, “What is man?” in Science and Health, which includes these spiritual facts: “Man is idea, the image, of Love; he is not physique. He is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas; the generic term for all that reflects God’s image and likeness; . . .” (p. 475). This spiritual description of man was my main focus. I stayed in touch with the practitioner, and my ability to sleep improved as she prayed with me.