Inspired prayer for the world

There seemed to be no solution. Both claimed ownership. The case was brought before the king. His verdict? ''Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.'' One woman was satisfied. But the other cried out, ''Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.'' The king answered, referring to the one who opposed the killing, ''Give her the living child . . . she is the mother thereof.''n1

n1 I Kings 3:25-27.

This famous decision of King Solomon brought me great inspiration one morning. It was at the time of a historic meeting of world leaders. I had been praying as countless others had that a peaceful and satisfying agreement would be worked out. But there seemed to be no solution. The news that morning was disheartening. The conference was deadlocked. Even my praying seemed lifeless, dull, and uninspired. I knew there could be little healing in such prayer, so I turned wholeheartedly to God and prayed for inspiration.

Immediately I recalled Christ Jesus' teaching, ''Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.''n2 This meant to me that my heavenly Father had already supplied me with an unlimited amount of inspiration. My job was to realize that and claim it. So I did. The first thought that came to me was, Solomon and the baby! At first I couldn't see how that story in any way applied to this meeting, but as inspiration continued to pour into my consciousness, I began to see how clearly it did.

n2 Matthew 6:8.

What made that Biblical incident immortal? The qualities that were expressed. First there was Solomon. He was willing to listen to both sides in order to learn the truth. He was impartial, just, wise. Then there was the true mother. She was willing to sacrifice what was rightfully hers in order to save the child. What a beautiful example of unselfishness, of unselfed love.

''The attributes of God,'' Mary Baker Eddy n3 writes, ''are justice, mercy, wisdom, goodness, and so on.''n4 These spiritual qualities are eternally present , instantly available, incapable of being used up, worn out, lost, because they express the very nature of God.

n3 Mrs. Eddy is the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.

n4 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 465.

I realized that the same qualities which were present in King Solomon's court that day were just as present, just as available, at this important conference. What gratitude I felt when within twenty-four hours the conference came to what was considered at that time a successful conclusion. I knew that no matter how small my role might have been, I had contributed.

Our prayers for the world and for events of national importance need not and should not be ritualistic and dull. Nor should they lack expectancy of good - of seeable results - just because the problems seem beyond our scope of understanding. If they do seem beyond us, we may need to pray for inspiration. Inspired prayer heals! Mrs. Eddy writes, ''Inspired thought relinquishes a material, sensual, and mortal theory of the universe, and adopts the spiritual and immortal.n5

n5 Ibid., p. 547.

Because prayer for the world is based on unselfishness and love, we can claim that our thought is inspired. We can relinquish our belief in whatever false theory appears to be operating in opposition to good. For example, we can relinquish the belief that there are many minds and wills. We can adopt ''the spiritual and immortal'' truth that God is the only Mind and that His will, therefore, is the only will. As inspiration gives us an increasingly clear understanding of these spiritual facts, we'll begin to recognize that dishonesty , injustice, hate, are in reality powerless to defy God, omnipotent good. We'll see that justice, integrity, wisdom, and love are ever present to express God's will.

So when we hear of wars and rumors of wars, of disputes over territorial divisions, of selfishness, lust, and greed, let's not become so discouraged that our prayers lose their inspiration. There is always an answer. Remember Solomon and the baby? DAILY BIBLE VERSE Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2