“To live so as to keep human consciousness in constant relation with the divine, the spiritual, and the eternal, is to individualize infinite power; and this is Christian Science.”
Wow! This is a pretty compelling statement. And, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, felt it was a noble goal, so she urged her students to pray without ceasing as did the Master metaphysician, Jesus.
In Christian Science, prayer is not merely a supplication to God to meet our needs, but it includes constant alignment in our thought with what is good and true – to keep human consciousness in constant relation with the divine.
Sound like a tall order? Prayer certainly requires one to devote acute awareness, alertness, and watchfulness to keep thought focused on goodness because we are so bombarded with thoughts that contradict it. It’s in our media, books and our conversation. But, it requires stolid resolve and dedication to maintain this practice.
Consider this story of a humble woman who got it:
A number of ministers were met together for the discussion of some difficult questions; one, how the command, “Pray without ceasing,” could be complied with. One of the men was asked to write an essay to be read at the next meeting.
Their conversation was overheard by a maid servant. “What!” she exclaimed to her employer when the guests had departed, “Wait a whole month for the meaning? Why, that is one of the easiest and best in the Bible.”
“Well,” said the minister, “and what can you say about it, Mary? When you have so many things to do, can you pray all the time?”
“Why, yes, sir,” said Mary, “the more things I have to do the more I can pray.”
“Let me hear how you do this,” said the minister.
“Well,” replied the girl, “when I open my eyes in the morning I pray, ‘Lord, open the eyes of my understanding’; while I am dressing, I pray that I may be clothed with righteousness. When I am washing myself, I ask for the washing of regeneration. When I begin to work, I pray that I may have the strength equal to the day. When I kindle the fire, I pray that God will revive my soul. When I begin to sweep out the house, I pray that my heart may be cleansed from all impurities. When I am preparing the breakfast, I desire to be fed with the manna of heaven and the sincere milk of the Word. As I am busy with the children, I look to God as my Father and pray for the spirit of adoption that I may be His child --- and so on through the day. All I do furnishes me with a thought for prayer.”
“Enough,” said the minister. “These things are revealed to babes and often hid from the wise and prudent. Go on, Mary, pray without ceasing.”
The key here is not so much that Mary was asking for God to give her things, but that she was aware of what constituted what is good and true, and keeping those qualities foremost in her thought in her daily tasks. She knew that keeping her thought focused in this way brings about virtue and uprightness in her conduct.
Put another way, if we think of God literally as qualities such as Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Life, Truth and Love, and look to them constantly to govern our every action, then we become the expression of them harnessing individually this infinite power.
We can all begin each day with the intention to pray without ceasing. And as we do so, we can feel the effect of this understanding made manifest in our lives.
Wow! This is a pretty compelling statement. And, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, felt it was a noble goal, so she urged her students to pray without ceasing as did the Master metaphysician, Jesus.
In Christian Science, prayer is not merely a supplication to God to meet our needs, but it includes constant alignment in our thought with what is good and true – to keep human consciousness in constant relation with the divine.
Sound like a tall order? Prayer certainly requires one to devote acute awareness, alertness, and watchfulness to keep thought focused on goodness because we are so bombarded with thoughts that contradict it. It’s in our media, books and our conversation. But, it requires stolid resolve and dedication to maintain this practice.
Consider this story of a humble woman who got it:
A number of ministers were met together for the discussion of some difficult questions; one, how the command, “Pray without ceasing,” could be complied with. One of the men was asked to write an essay to be read at the next meeting.
Their conversation was overheard by a maid servant. “What!” she exclaimed to her employer when the guests had departed, “Wait a whole month for the meaning? Why, that is one of the easiest and best in the Bible.”
“Well,” said the minister, “and what can you say about it, Mary? When you have so many things to do, can you pray all the time?”
“Why, yes, sir,” said Mary, “the more things I have to do the more I can pray.”
“Let me hear how you do this,” said the minister.
“Well,” replied the girl, “when I open my eyes in the morning I pray, ‘Lord, open the eyes of my understanding’; while I am dressing, I pray that I may be clothed with righteousness. When I am washing myself, I ask for the washing of regeneration. When I begin to work, I pray that I may have the strength equal to the day. When I kindle the fire, I pray that God will revive my soul. When I begin to sweep out the house, I pray that my heart may be cleansed from all impurities. When I am preparing the breakfast, I desire to be fed with the manna of heaven and the sincere milk of the Word. As I am busy with the children, I look to God as my Father and pray for the spirit of adoption that I may be His child --- and so on through the day. All I do furnishes me with a thought for prayer.”
“Enough,” said the minister. “These things are revealed to babes and often hid from the wise and prudent. Go on, Mary, pray without ceasing.”
The key here is not so much that Mary was asking for God to give her things, but that she was aware of what constituted what is good and true, and keeping those qualities foremost in her thought in her daily tasks. She knew that keeping her thought focused in this way brings about virtue and uprightness in her conduct.
Put another way, if we think of God literally as qualities such as Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Life, Truth and Love, and look to them constantly to govern our every action, then we become the expression of them harnessing individually this infinite power.
We can all begin each day with the intention to pray without ceasing. And as we do so, we can feel the effect of this understanding made manifest in our lives.
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