Last summer, our family was enjoying a day in the mountains. There was an alpine slide with two concrete runs side by side, labeled ”beginner” and “advanced.” This distinction surprised me because they seemed identical in angle, shape, and slope.

After I studied the two runs for a while, and went down the slide a few times, I saw there really was no difference between the speed of the two runs. The only difference was the fearlessness of the riders! Young children and more cautious adults—maybe it was their first time—chose the beginner run. The more fearless picked the advanced run. I realized that the labels were intended to keep riders from clogging the runs and slowing others down.

Most of us are cautious when we attempt something new. The conditions aren’t necessarily scary, but we still hesitate because of the unknown factor.

I’ve seen this happen to those who’ve decided to turn to God to heal a problem solely through prayer. At first, it can seem hard to feel confident in one’s ability to pray effectively.

These first steps toward spiritual reliance on God for healing can be daunting, but they can also feel right and comforting. Great peace and joy can be gained through such spiritual discovery. The more we pray for ourselves or others, the more spiritually steadfast we become.

Our desire to do God’s will, to hear His voice, to follow His leadings expands—and so do the sure results. Mary Baker Eddy, the author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, widens our view of prayer on the first page of her book with these words: “Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds.”

Our desire to see harmony prevail, to be calm and trusting, to turn to God for reliance in a difficulty, is prayer. It is the first step. And this step is supported by God, divine Love. Our desires are then molded. Changes in thought or consciousness result in proper adjustments in our lives because it’s natural for thought to express itself. Changes for the better all begin with such right desires that are based in Spirit, God. Then they take shape and form, and are expressed in words and deeds.

Here’s an example. One day our daughter wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed home from school. At first she just wanted to watch TV and relax. But after a while, it was clear that she preferred to feel healthy and to be at school to play with her friends. And she was ready to do something about it. I’d been praying for her all along, but it seemed like a good time to ask her if she’d like to read some of the articles in the Christian Science Sentinel.

As we were reading, I could tell that she was listening to the ideas that explained her relation to God, good, and she was thinking about them. When we finished, I prayed specifically for my daughter for a moment. Then I shared with her some of the divinely-inspired ideas that had come to me about her. As I prayed, I’d been thinking about my daughter’s spiritual perfection as a child of God, her natural goodness and joy, and her God-given freedom to be active and healthy.

My daughter’s desires for health and progress were right. This was the beginning approach for her. She’d naturally turned to prayer for healing. For me, it was a little more advanced. I prayed with the laws of God that I’d learned about in Science and Health and the Bible and I applied them.

Fear faded away and my daughter was healed within the hour.

Right desire and humility help us listen for God’s voice. Prayer is more effective when we are mentally quiet and able to reflect on God’s power and presence. Then we hear His guidance and feel His everlasting arms around us. As we practice praying for ourselves, we find that we get better at it, and we advance. It becomes easier. We love more, forgive more quickly, feel healthier sooner. We naturally become ready for the advanced course. It’s the same run, but faster, smoother, and more accomplished.

This advanced prayer acknowledges God’s presence and power under all circumstances. And even though there may be a blind curve up ahead, we are less fearful, more confident of our ability to pray and rely on God, more secure in His keeping. Our success and our advancement are assured—because we have seen evidence of how prayer heals.

Both the beginner and the advanced course are good. Both are needed. And God is with us as we put our desires, or prayers, into practice.

Trust God with your desires:

Science and Health
1:11

King James Bible
Ps. 66:20