Prayer is a subject which presents itself to the thought of the Christian Scientist as one of vital importance. The Christian world has always looked upon prayer as the means whereby the individual might have audience with Deity. It has frequently regarded it from the ordinary acceptance of its meaning,—a meaning closely allied with mere petition that certain material desires might be granted and thus gratified. This palpably narrow meaning has left many a sorrowing, hungry heart unsatisfied, and many an effort has been made to discover what the true idea of prayer really is.
There are few men in all the world who do not find times when they long to reach out to God for help, and this longing has expressed itself in all kinds and forms of prayer. Even a professed infidel once said: "There are times in every one's life when he must cry out for help to some power outside himself,—to some power over and above himself. If you call that power God, then I, too, believe in 'God.' " This heart's yearning for help, this longing to be shown the way out of difficulties, this desire for right guidance under all circumstances comes into every one's experience. All Christians have believed that there is a God to whom they should and can pray, but because of the multitude of prayers, which in spite of much earnestness and sincerity have seemed to go all unanswered, a great questioning has been awakened in the human heart as to why God has seemed to turn a deaf ear to so many of its cries.
Isaiah tells us that God's hand "is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." Since the beginning of time there have been those of God's people who knew how to pray so that the answers were prompt and satisfying. Many a prophet called upon God and never failed to gain the response needed. Jesus' life was a life of prayer, and he has left such definite method and manner of prayer that it would almost seem strange that so many hundreds of years should have passed by before there was one with strong enough desire for spirituality to understand the way he prayed. Mrs. Eddy gained so clear an understanding of God and of Jesus' method of prayer that she was able to pray in the same manner, and the proof, that her prayer was the same in nature as his, is the fact that she received similar answers. They both asked for what God has to give. They never asked for materiality in any form; they never prayed for personal pleasure, personal profit, personal gratification. They prayed that they might know the will of God, and then obeyed it; and God answered their prayer.
