Chapter I - Prayer
Bodily presence
14:1
If we are sensibly with the body and regard omnipo-
If we are sensibly with the body and regard omnipo-
tence as a corporeal, material person, whose ear we
would gain, we are not "absent from the
body" and "present with the Lord" in the
demonstration of Spirit. We cannot "serve two mas-
ters." To be "present with the Lord" is to have, not
mere emotional ecstasy or faith, but the actual demon-
stration and understanding of Life as revealed in
Christian Science. To be "with the Lord" is to be in
obedience to the law of God, to be absolutely governed
by divine Love, – by Spirit, not by matter.
Spiritualized consciousness
14:12
Become conscious for a single moment that Life and
Become conscious for a single moment that Life and
intelligence are purely spiritual, – neither in nor of
matter, – and the body will then utter no
complaints. If suffering from a belief in
sickness, you will find yourself suddenly well. Sorrow
is turned into joy when the body is controlled by spir-
itual Life, Truth, and Love. Hence the hope of the
promise Jesus bestows: "He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; . . . because I
go unto my Father," – [because the Ego is absent from
the body, and present with Truth and Love.] The
Lord's Prayer is the prayer of Soul, not of material
sense.
14:25
Entirely separate from the belief and dream of mate-
Entirely separate from the belief and dream of mate-
rial living, is the Life divine, revealing spiritual under-
standing and the consciousness of man's dominion
over the whole earth. This understanding casts out
error and heals the sick, and with it you can speak
"as one having authority."
14:31
"When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and,
"When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and,
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father
15:1
which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in
which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly."
Spiritual sanctuary
15:3
So spake Jesus. The closet typifies the sanctuary of
So spake Jesus. The closet typifies the sanctuary of
Spirit, the door of which shuts out sinful sense but
lets in Truth, Life, and Love. Closed to
error, it is open to Truth, and vice versa.
The Father in secret is unseen to the physical senses,
but He knows all things and rewards according to
motives, not according to speech. To enter into the
heart of prayer, the door of the erring senses must be
closed. Lips must be mute and materialism silent,
that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine
Principle, Love, which destroys all error.
Effectual invocation
15:14
In order to pray aright, we must enter into the
In order to pray aright, we must enter into the
closet and shut the door. We must close the lips and
silence the material senses. In the quiet
sanctuary of earnest longings, we must
deny sin and plead God's allness. We must resolve to
take up the cross, and go forth with honest hearts to
work and watch for wisdom, Truth, and Love. We
must "pray without ceasing." Such prayer is an-
swered, in so far as we put our desires into practice.
The Master's injunction is, that we pray in secret and
let our lives attest our sincerity.
Trustworthy beneficence
15:25
Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden
Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden
from the world, but known to God. Self-forgetfulness,
purity, and affection are constant prayers.
Practice not profession, understanding not
belief, gain the ear and right hand of omnipotence and
they assuredly call down infinite blessings. Trustworthi-
ness is the foundation of enlightened faith. Without a
fitness for holiness, we cannot receive holiness.