One of the most effective ways of praying may be found in the prayer of Jesus as he was pressing forward to the goal of supreme triumph over the world's belief in matter and mortality. This prayer (John 17:5), "O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was," bespeaks the presence of God. This prayer also points to the fatherhood of God as clearly as does the Lord's Prayer, thereby denoting that we are, in our true being, the children of God and partakers of His nature and goodness.

Jesus also spoke these words in prayer (John 17:1): "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." Here he acknowledged man's responsiveness to Life's blessings, to God's goodness. Such divine response becomes natural to the individual through prayer, or communion with God. One who yearns for healing and affection has only to turn to God with confidence and expectancy in prayer, and by so doing he will respond to God's loving care and constant provision for each one of His children.

Jesus' prayers are aglow with the resuscitative power of enlightened faith and the understanding of man's true selfhood as a witness to God, or Truth. Is this truth too high an ideal for our daily use? No; for only the truth of God and man elevates human thought above mortal chaos, fear, sin, ignorance, suffering, and all human discord.

Mary Baker Eddy's placing of the chapter on Prayer at the beginning of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" shows how significant prayer is. In this chapter she writes (p. 16): "The highest prayer is not one of faith merely: it is demonstration. Such prayer heals sickness, and must destroy sin and death. It distinguishes between Truth that is sinless and the falsity of sinful sense."

The writer can testify to the fact that God, divine Love, never fails to hear and respond to genuine or heartfelt prayer, to that prayer which understands the motherhood and fatherhood of God. She was healed of invalidism of long years' duration through the understanding prayer of a Christian Science practitioner. Since that time she has had countless proofs of prayer answered by divine Love, God, and healing came always when she freed herself from all doubt as to whether or not God's love actually embraces all.

Do we murmur because we ask and receive not? Do we include all of whom we are conscious in God's love? Let us realize that our prayers must be inspired by that divine Love which embraces all in one true, grand brotherhood. The most effective prayer acknowledges the fatherhood and motherhood of God and identifies man with all the qualities and attributes of divine Love. That prayer is most effectual which discerns that the goodness and perfection of God are inherent in man.

In Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians we read (14:14, 15): "If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also." Christian Science makes clear that the prayer of spiritual understanding never fails in its pure motive to bless and heal. Should there not be healing results from prayer, there is need for self-examination. Dealing with the subject Mrs. Eddy writes (Science and Health, p. 9): "The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these questions: Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfishness, satisfied with having prayed for something better, though we give no evidence of the sincerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer?"

Perhaps our prayers appear to be unanswered because they are tainted with self-pity. Let each one ask himself, "Am I sufficiently grateful for Life's blessings, for God's goodness?" If we are grateful to God for His love and care, we can at this very moment pause and thank God for countless blessings: the sky that crowns the hills; the welcome song of birds; the golden glint of dawn, the flaming sunset; the cooling breeze; the refreshing rain; the laughter of children; the smile of a neighbor; the friendly gesture of kindness; the love that dispels hate; the joy that masters grief; and the effective prayers that heal the sick and save from sinful sense.

The effectiveness of the prayer of gratitude cannot be limited. When gratitude floods the thought, self-pity is washed away. The grateful heart always recognizes God, good, at hand. We need to utilize the prayer of gratitude, as Jesus did. Understanding man's heritage of life as the son of God. Christ Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. But Jesus first prayed with spiritual conviction (John 11:41, 42): "Father. I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." What greater proof of the effectiveness of the prayer of gratitude, accompanied by spiritual understanding and pure affection, could we expect?

Our beloved Leader has cautioned us against ingratitude. In Science and Health she writes (pp. 3, 4): "If we are ungrateful for Life, Truth, and Love, and yet return thanks to God for all blessings, we are insincere and incur the sharp censure our Master pronounces on hypocrites. In such a case, the only acceptable prayer is to put the finger on the lips and remember our blessings. While the heart is far from divine Truth and Love, we cannot conceal the ingratitude of barren lives." This statement indicates the wrong of even a little ingratitude. Gratitude is essential in healing in Christian Science and accompanies the faith of which Jesus spoke (Matt. 17: 20): "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Gratitude for the truths of the Scriptures and the divine revelation of Christian Science needs to be part of our daily thinking. More gratitude for the power of Truth and the co-operation of those who are loyal to our Leader's By-Laws in the Manual of The Mother Church needs to be manifest. Gratitude calls for radical reliance upon God, Truth, alone and upon the Bible and the writings of Mrs. Eddy as the only textbooks to be used for instruction in Christian Science.

Think of the effectiveness of our prayers when we manifest more love and gratitude with every step forward. The spirit expressed in these words of a hymn should animate our daily prayers (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 3):