"TEACH US TO PRAY"

Archibald McLellan

How many longing and troubled hearts have echoed that humble request of the disciples: "Lord, teach us to pray,"—the instinctive confidence in God and His goodness that turns our thought to Him as a sure refuge in time of need, an unfailing tower of strength when the frailty of all human dependences, the unstableness of earthly hopes, bring to our lips the psalmist's acknowledgment of God's allness, "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man."

The disciples had been with the Master long enough to learn that his trust in his heavenly Father was implicit; that whatever the perplexity or difficulty which confronted him, he turned unhesitatingly to the source of all wisdom for its solution. They had seen the sick healed of their diseases, the unclean spirits cast out from them that were afflicted, they had witnessed the wonderful draft of fishes that rewarded obedience to his command to "launch out into the deep, and let down your nets," the stilling of the boisterous wind and raging seas that calmed while it rebuked their fears, the restoration to the bereaved widow of Nain of her only son, and the marvelous feeding of the multitude with the five loaves and two fishes,—all these and many other wondrous works had been wrought as they stood by, believing yet amazed; and over and over again they had seen him turn to God in prayer as a necessary preliminary to these "mighty works."

The time had come when they were to go to the cities and villages round about,—to search out and succor "the lost sheep of the house of Israel,"—in fulfilment of the Master's command "to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." Is it any wonder that, thinking, perhaps, of the responsibilities of their commission, they should have preferred the request, "Teach us to pray," that they too might effectually address themselves to Him who, as Jesus himself declared, "doeth the works"?

In answer Jesus gave them the prayer which has come down through the centuries as a model for all human petitions, "the prayer which," as Mrs. Eddy has made so plain to us in her spiritual interpretation of its meaning, "covers all human needs" (Science and Health, p. 16). Invoking the all-wise God with this prayer of affirmation and declaration of His power and goodness, they could go forth, "strong in the Lord," to the overcoming of all evil. So long as their reliance was in the unchanging God, they could say with David: "I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."

It is because there is in human hearts today that unspeakable longing to know God, Spirit, as He is,—Life, Truth, Love, infinite and omnipotent; a reaching out to what seems a far-away and practically unknown God, in the desire to find Him "a very present help in trouble;" an acknowledgment that thought they have prayed earnestly to God for deliverance, they have in some way asked amiss, since their prayers have remained unanswered, that so many have turned to Christian Science, and often to their surprise have found in the study and demonstration of its teachings the long hoped for surcease from sickness and sorrow; that "to those leaning on the sustaining infinite,"—to those who turn to God in true prayer, as Jesus taught his disciples to do,—to them indeed "today is big with blessings" (Ibid., Preface, p. vii).

Christian Scientists have reason to be profoundly grateful that through the study and application of the teachings of Science and Health they have learned to pray the effectual prayer, the prayer that closes the door on every thought of evil and in spiritual communion with the infinite, omnipotent God sees and declares only His allness and goodness and the perfect man of His creating. In that wonderful chapter on Prayer in Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy tells us that "what we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds" (p. 4); and we may well ask our Father to teach us so to watch and pray that we may attain with striving that consciousness of oneness with Him which will make us a blessing to the weary and heavy laden, those who are burdened with sickness and sin, until they too have learned to pray with understanding, "Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever."

Archibald McLellan.

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