Surrounded by prayer
I had felt unwell for several weeks and was barely coping with my work. Then one day i vigorously rebelled against this imposition on my well-being. I was at that moment able to understand clearly that we have a right to expert perfect health. Health is a normal state of completeness. It is a quality of God, Spirit, and has nothing to do with matter or physical conditions.
Now, these facts about the spiritual nature of health were familiar to me, and during those weeks i had been thinking along these lines. But on this day my understanding was so illuminated that the sense of illness lifted and all bodily symptoms vanished. What had happened?
I was attending a Wednesday testimony meeting in a Christian Science church. In addition to the inspiration I gained in listening to the readings from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook and to the accounts of healing given by those present, I could feel the benefit of something else -- the supporting prayer this meeting was based upon. I was conscious that during the period of silent prayer, which is part of the meeting, those present were earnestly praying for the well-being of the congregation. It was this support that eliminated the sense of struggle and the feeling that I was battling against a real force. The illusory nature of the difficulty was exposed by the power of prayer.
Yes, health is our birthright as children of God, and each one, recognizing his real being as spiritual, wholly good, in the image of his Maker, can claim this heritage of wholeness. But there is wonderful support in the atmosphere of a church service, where the silent, needs, help break through the mesmerism of disease. When we feel this support, we are encouraged to continue more faithfully in our own prayers for the well-being of mankind.
The New Testament indicates clearly the important role prayer can play in helping people.
At one time Peter was imprisoned by King Herod. "But prayer was made with- out ceasing of the church unto God for him," the account in Acts states. The night before Peter was to be brought before the people, "the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands." Peter, unseen by the guards, followed the angel out of the prison. n1
n1 See Acts 12:1-11;
Through all they went through and proved, Bible characters in both testaments knew what David so triumphantly affirmed: "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." n2
n2 Psalms 65; 2.
All of us can help make sure that our homes and our places of work, as well as our churches, are permeated and surrounded by the blessing of prayer: the affirmation of God's goodness, of His caring, protecting, guiding, loving; the acknowledgment of man's spiritual nature, complete and whole. The opening chapter of the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesm by Mary Baker Eddy n3 starts with this penetrating paragraph: "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, -- a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love. Regardless of what another may say or think on this subject, I speak from experience. Prayer, watching, and working, combined with self-immolation, are God's gracious means for accomplishing whatever has been successfully done for the Christianization and health of mankind." n4
n3 Mrs. Eddy is the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.
n4 Science and Health,m p. 1.
We all have a part to play in supporting one another, and when our prayers are based on scientific, spiritual truth, we can be confident they will be effective. DAILY BIBLE VERSE So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people he ard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Joshua 6:20
