We have not in times past understood the true meaning of the words "fasting" and "prayer." We have almost universally supposed that prayer meant a long petition to a personal God to grant a favor greatly desired, we willingly abstaining from food and other comforts to aid in propitiating the great Being whose blessing we humbly sought. No wonder that such prayer and fasting never produced the longed-for results. Jesus taught to pray in secret for open reward. He made no favorable mention of audible prayers. When his disciples asked him why they could not heal the sick as he did, he explained that it was because of their unbelief; and he alluded to certain derangements of body that "go not out but by prayer and fasting;" in other words ignoring all selfish claims and will, recognizing one Will only, with which, having denied all fleshly desires as realities, we fully co-operate for the perfect manifestation of that Will. Then He who seeth in secret shall reward openly, i. e., answer the prayer. Turn to Isaiah, 58th chapter, and read the reproof for not fasting aright.
In Divine Science we learn how to pray and fast aright, and by it we know that sin, sickness and death, the opposites and absence of Good, are no part or conception of God (Good), therefore they must be unrealities. To deal with them thus is to destroy them.
Merging all into Infinite Will is perfect prayer, the prayer of the righteous that availeth much. And perfect fasting—the absence of sense beliefs, the presence of Spiritual understanding—cleanseth from all error.
