MORE THAN THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

The phrase “thoughts and prayers” is usually expressed with sincere compassion for others who are suffering, but stereotyping of the phrase sometimes contributes to a misperception of the potential of prayer.

Prayer can take many forms.

It can be a simple, heart-felt petition to God for help.

Prayer can also take the form of a quiet, humble listening to better understand our unity with, and likeness to, the Divine, who is entirely loving and good. This causes us to conform to that loving nature. This is a sincere desire to be better and do better, and includes the action necessary to see this through. In one sense, this involves — to some degree at least — a healing of character.

It’s hard to fully convey here what prayer does — i.e. the feeling you get when you engage in effective prayer — when you really feel connected to the Divine, feel an inner peace, feel loved, and feel impelled to be more kind and loving to everyone. But it feels good, and you know it when you feel it. I’ve heard it said, “Healing is a feeling.”

And just as this healing feeling from prayer transforms our character, impelling us to love more, this same inner feeling can bring transformation of our physical condition — bringing restoration and the blessing of better health.

And when this prayer goes beyond a plea to God for help — or for a miracle — to a scientific application of divine laws of healing that makes us well, it becomes treatment — a spiritual, mental, prayer-based treatment that demonstrates the healing power of God, divine Love, in a consistent, practical way.

Christian Science treatment is not the use of a blind faith or a kind of faith-healing. It doesn’t rely on the human mind, but, rather, on God, divine Spirit.

Mary Baker Eddy, Founder of Christian Science, said, “…our mode of worship may be intangible, for it is not felt with the fingers; but the spiritual sense drinks it in, and it corrects the material sense and heals the sinning and the sick.” (Message for 1901, pg 11.)

When dealing with any illness, including serious life-threatening illness, we do not ignore the problem or neglect the needs of a patient who is suffering. When we opt to not have medical intervention, it is not a matter of rejecting treatment but rather choosing one form of treatment in favor of another. In other words, the Christian Science approach to spiritual healing is not about the withholding of medicine but about the positive application of a tested and verified form of treatment that does not involve medicine. When pain accompanies a case of illness it too can be addressed and alleviated through Christian Science treatment.

In short, Christian Scientists’ religious practice of Christian Science is based on a thoughtful, active choice to rely on Christian Science as an effective, systematic, and practical method of healing, meeting human needs through spiritual means.

Eddy said, “My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself, — when he shall realize God’s omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done and is doing for mankind.” (Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, page 55).

Hear Christian Scientists share examples of this.