Christian healing today

A FATHER, seeking healing for his son, sought out Jesus. He begged him to heal his son if he could. Jesus responded, ``If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.'' 1 And the boy was healed! Jesus healed many people of different diseases. Jesus' disciples also healed. Christian healing is still practiced today. Some months ago I found that I was frequently having pain in my hands, and there were times when it was difficult to do the simplest things because I had so little strength in my hands. I needed to be healed. And for me it was natural to turn to God for healing; I had been doing this for over twenty years. I prayed each day. My husband prayed for me too. I knew that God, Spirit, is good, completely good, and that all that He made is spiritual and good, despite evidence to the contrary. I knew God was my Father and that He loved me. I knew that I could trust His care. I was sure that because God loved me, it wasn't His will that I be impaired and unable to function normally. One day as I was about to begin some trimming in the yard, my first thought was of the pain and incapacity that would follow such activity. I sat back for a minute and thought about my relationship to God. I remembered that Jesus said, ``I can of mine own self do nothing.'' 2 And also, ``My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.'' 3 And I recalled that Paul wrote, ``It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.'' 4 It was clear to me that both Jesus and his ardent follower Paul acknowledged that God was the source of their ability to work. I saw that God was working through me, too. I understood that I wasn't all by myself, without a divine source of strength, trying to accomplish some task--even this yardwork. God was working in me. The strength was His! Now, I don't mean that God was in my muscles and bones, but that the power of Spirit, God, embraced me and impelled my action. So as I worked, I prayed, thinking about God's fatherhood and His care for me. There were no painful aftereffects from the trimming. During the next several weeks I continued my prayer. I continued to trust that God was the source of my strength and ability and that this would enable me to accomplish what needed to be done. At one point, however, I was overwhelmed with fear and despair. Then I recalled that two people I knew personally had been healed by turning to God in prayer when they had pain and loss of power in their limbs. All fear left me, and I again felt secure and safe in the knowledge that I too would be healed. Complete healing did come; there was no pain, and functioning was normal. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy5 presents the Science of Jesus' Christianity, the divine laws that enable anyone to turn to God for healing and be healed. A central message of this book is God's love for us and His willingness and power to care for each one. Mrs. Eddy states, ``God will heal the sick through man, whenever man is governed by God.'' 6 Prayer that acknowledges God's perfect goodness and absolute power is invaluable--an effective, healing prayer. Study of the Bible's spiritual message is also a mighty help. For instance, reading some of the psalms or New Testament accounts of Jesus' healings or of his teachings about God can open our thought to the reality of God's supremacy, thereby helping to allay fear and forward healing. Healing prayer recognizes that God loves man and cares for him completely. Bible imagery illustrates this when, for example, it refers to God as our Shepherd or suggests that we are protected by His wings. Thinking about God in this way gives us a clearer view of our relationship to Him and the certainty of our security in His warmth and care. Through prayer, and letting prayer govern our thoughts and life, we find healing. A bodily ailment, relationship trouble, addiction, depression--whatever needs correcting--can be corrected. It can be thoroughly healed. 1 Mark 9:23. 2 John 5:30. 3 John 5:17. 4 Philippians 2:13. 5 The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. 6 Science and Health, p. 495.