Part 1 (2/2)
CHAPTER I - PRAYER
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pa.s.s; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him. - CHRIST JESUS.
1:1 THE prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are 1:3 possible to G.o.d,- a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love. Regardless of what another may say or think on this subject, I speak from experience.
1:6 Prayer, watching, and working, combined with self-im- molation, are G.o.d's gracious means for accomplis.h.i.+ng whatever has been successfully done for the Christian- 1:9 ization and health of mankind.
Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine Mind. Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from 1:12 trusting G.o.d with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds.
Right motives
2:1 What are the motives for prayer? Do we pray to make ourselves better or to benefit those who hear us, 2:3 to enlighten the infinite or to be heard of men? Are we benefited by praying? Yes, the desire which goes forth hungering after righteous- 2:6 ness is blessed of our Father, and it does not return unto us void.
Deity unchangeable
G.o.d is not moved by the breath of praise to do more 2:9 than He has already done, nor can the infinite do less than bestow all good, since He is unchang- ing wisdom and Love. We can do more for 2:12 ourselves by humble fervent pet.i.tions, but the All-lov- ing does not grant them simply on the ground of lip- service, for He already knows all.
2:15 Prayer cannot change the Science of being, but it tends to bring us into harmony with it. Goodness at- tains the demonstration of Truth. A request that 2:18 G.o.d will save us is not all that is required. The mere habit of pleading with the divine Mind, as one pleads with a human being, perpetuates the belief in G.o.d as 2:21 humanly circ.u.mscribed,- an error which impedes spirit- ual growth.
G.o.d's standard
G.o.d is Love. Can we ask Him to be more? G.o.d is 2:24 intelligence. Can we inform the infinite Mind of any- thing He does not already comprehend?
Do we expect to change perfection? Shall 2:27 we plead for more at the open fount, which is pour- ing forth more than we accept? The unspoken desire does bring us nearer the source of all existence and 2:30 blessedness.
Asking G.o.d to _be_ G.o.d is a vain repet.i.tion. G.o.d is ”the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever;” and 3:1 He who is immutably right will do right without being reminded of His province. The wisdom of man is not 3:3 sufficient to warrant him in advising G.o.d.
The spiritual mathematics
Who would stand before a blackboard, and pray the principle of mathematics to solve the problem? The 3:6 rule is already established, and it is our task to work out the solution. Shall we ask the divine Principle of all goodness to do His own 3:9 work? His work is done, and we have only to avail ourselves of G.o.d's rule in order to receive His bless- ing, which enables us to work out our own salvation.
3:12 The Divine Being must be reflected by man, - else man is not the image and likeness of the patient, tender, and true, the One ”altogether lovely;” but to 3:15 understand G.o.d is the work of eternity, and demands absolute consecration of thought, energy, and desire.
Prayerful ingrat.i.tude
How empty are our conceptions of Deity! We admit 3:18 theoretically that G.o.d is good, omnipotent, omni- present, infinite, and then we try to give information to this infinite Mind. We plead 3:21 for unmerited pardon and for a liberal outpouring of benefactions. Are we really grateful for the good already received? Then we shall avail ourselves of the 3:24 blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more.
Grat.i.tude is much more than a verbal expression of thanks. Action expresses more grat.i.tude than speech.
3:27 If we are ungrateful for Life, Truth, and Love, and yet return thanks to G.o.d for all blessings, we are in- sincere and incur the sharp censure our Master pro- 3:30 nounces on hypocrites. In such a case, the only acceptable prayer is to put the finger on the lips and remember our blessings. While the heart is far from 4:1 divine Truth and Love, we cannot conceal the ingrati- tude of barren lives.
Efficacious pet.i.tions
4:3 What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds. To keep the com- 4:6 mandments of our Master and follow his example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy evidence of our grat.i.tude for all that he has 4:9 done. Outward wors.h.i.+p is not of itself sufficient to express loyal and heartfelt grat.i.tude, since he has said: ”If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
4:12 The habitual struggle to be always good is unceas- ing prayer. Its motives are made manifest in the blessings they bring,- blessings which, even if not 4:15 acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of Love.
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